Mja, from what I’ve seen of the race, I think the course looks pretty similar to what all the “hardcore” amateur gravel enthusiasts on my friends list are riding. It’s not supposed to be mountain biking, so it kind of has to have more of a bike path feel to it. But yeah, it’s not anything like Unbound or the likes.
It doesn’t have to be like a bike path, that’s what the UCI chooses. Their races look more like Strade than a proper gravel route, and favors pro roadies. Ie Vermeersch won on 40mm tires. At Big Sugar this weekend a 2.1 or 2.2 will be more common.
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I remember doing gravel races years before Unbound was founded, including a state championship sanctioned by USACycling.
You need MTB tires to be a gravel racer now? What else, a 50 tooth cog? It sounds more like a sales pitch than a cycling discipline. Proper!
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Bust Head Bull Run Kermesse.
I’m an idea man. They just come at me.
@McNulty and @Carl_Spackler - Loudoun Co hosted the gravel grinder ‘national’ champs for 2-3 years about 2-3 years ago. This was pre USA cycling getting their own national championship. The course stuck to the mostly tamer roads North of Middleburg for a 50 mile loop that was probably 75% (or more) gravel. It was road-race ish (fast - like 22 mph for the hundo). Your bust head climbs would slow things a good bit. Vermont courses are crazy hilly (and scenic). It’s crazy how fast a ‘gravel’ race can get with the draft of dudes with big watts (until I get dropped).
And I did Unbound (when it was Dirty Kanza) as well as the first iteration of Lost & Found on a bike with cantilever brakes and 35mm tires. Nobody in their right mind would consider that setup today, especially me. I’ll take all the new gear and most ideal setup.
Bust Head would live up to the billing— one of the few dirt descents here that scares me. But it would be proper: McNulty’s Kemesse | 14.1 mi Cycling Route on Strava
@fredericknorton sure with it’d come back here, so many good roads. Purcellville would be a fantastic start/finish.
Nice little profile. Before the culvert was installed at the top of that Busthead pitch, it would wash out badly, adding more spice going up and down. I’m happier going up it, which is rare.
Yeah, Western Loudoun Northern Fauquier has endless iterations of gravel. What’s amazing is how little time would have to be spent on the paved roads making it low impact on motorist interruptus.
Could extend the course south to The Plains and pick up these climbs. Purcellville - The Plains- Middleburg - Purcellville. And there’s a strong coalition supporting the preservation of the gravel roads that would support.
What the hell is going on at the Tour of Holland? A vehicle hits riders during the neutralized start, the stage still continues until more vehicles are on the road again. Then it was finally cancelled.
Instead of banning gear ratios and bar width, why doesn’t the UCI focus on making races actually safe?
Who is doing a sales pitch?, This isn’t coming from the brands, it’s actually coming from the riders themselves with their frankenbikes, and the brands are just playing catch up to produce something that the riders want.
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From the outside the tone about “proper” gravel courses sounds just like the tone about proper gravel bikes. It’s grating, and reminds me of why some people don’t like roadies. (I am a roadie.)
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No police escorts, just a handful of volunteers acting as marshals. This is the standard for a UCI 2.1 race? The UCI has no problem phoning in and over-ruling both the race officials and their own previous decisions around van Schip’s wacky bike, but they can’t be bothered ensuring a safe race?
BTW I love that Jan-Willem van Schip is such an incorrigible rebel. I respect the outside the box thinking he’s always displayed in terms of his equipment and position, and also his willingness to provoke the UCI. I get that other riders may not love what he’s doing and might have legitimate concerns about the safety aspect, but I’m glad he exists and keeps doing his thing.
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Yeah, but that goes the opposite way as well. Big Sugar chooses to make the route they make, and thereby make 2.1–2.2 tires common. For me, if that’s required, it sounds more like a flat XCO race. And I guess that’s why we’re seeing stuff like the RockShox XPLR fork with 30–40 mm of travel.
People used to hate this when it was called XCO because it wasn’t technical enough and not “real mountain biking.” Now, I don’t really mind the above, since any type of bike riding is cool.
But speaking of Worlds like it’s “not real gravel” and gatekeeping what a real course is seems to go very much against the spirit of gravel. I mean, the reason it’s called gravel is because you ride on gravel roads — not paved roads, but not singletrack either. So exactly what Worlds was.
And what’s wrong with it being like Strade? Everybody loves that race?
And sorry if I sound harsh, I try not to.
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Really great to see Laporte back on the bike and winning.
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Agreed. It’s been tough sledding for Sporty Spice.
Big news today. My oldest daughter wanted to do a ride to and from our favorite little snack spot. 5 miles round trip, with some elevation and she was on her own with no stabilizers. She killed it, we ate some snacks and got home under the watchful eyes of her mom who was 50/50 on whether or not this was a good idea.
I don’t know why, but this reminded me of how I learned to bike without stabilizers. I was 4 and my 5 year old friend was able to ride without them. That offended my brother so he removed mine and pushed me down a hill where I crashed into a thorny bush. After that, I was quite motivated to keep it upright.
Back to the racing: I’m thankful CX is back.
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You mean, training wheels? That’s great!!!
A proud moment when a child says “we can take these off now”
Conversely, it kinda makes me sad that when D’Kid moved to her own place, she didn’t take her bike with her - there’s really no place for her to ride, there
Same same. 
I enjoyed this interview
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You have to like Rogla, eh?
Big numbers from Matt BeersMan at abbreviated Bug Sugar last weekend https://www.instagram.com/p/DP-B71ak2w6/?igsh=MTd1MXI1Y21vbWRlYQ==