Last Saturday (6/4/2024), I participated in my first gravel race called Morkovské Bajk. This year’s route was significantly modified to make it rideable not only for mountain bikers but also for those who have a gravel bike. Since I am testing the YOELEO G21, I took the opportunity to enter the race at the last minute.
Course Recon
I originally didn’t really want to do the race because I came back from Belgium a few days before, which was very challenging. But I knew I would regret not trying the race on gravel. That’s why I did a recon two days before the race to see if I needed to change tires. At the moment, I have Maxxis Receptor Exo TR 40mm, which are smooth and not very suitable for off-road or rough descents.
As soon as I finished riding the route, I suspected having wider tires with some thread would be better. The route was 70% on forest gravel roads, but the other 30% was more of a broken downhill where the race could be decided. At the same time, I suspected that at race speeds, I would often find their limit in the corners. And I was right, but more about that later.
Anyway, the course was nice, and I enjoyed it. I only had to make the last decision: Am I going to ride 2 or 3 laps? Each lap was about 22 km long and had about 400m of climbing. I knew 3 laps would be challenging because I haven’t tried too much intensity this year yet, but it could be the perfect opportunity to test my legs.
The Race: Hard but Beautiful
I knew beforehand that I had no chance to win, as there were several professionals in the race. That’s why I took the race as training and fun. I underestimated the arrival at the start a bit, as there were already over 60 competitors standing there 20 minutes before the start. So I was standing almost at the end (88 people were starting on this course in total).
5 seconds to start, 4, 3, 2, 1… START! I immediately tried to get as far forward as possible, as I knew that after about a kilometer, there would be a climb where there wouldn’t be much room for overtaking. I managed to move up a few dozen positions, but still not where I wanted to be. I felt great, and for the first 20 minutes, I averaged 4 w/kg, which is almost my limit. I knew I couldn’t keep up that pace for the whole race, but at the same time, I wanted to get into the group in front of me, which I had in my sights.
We worked with one biker during the first lap to chase the group in front of us. Apart from almost going out of the corner twice (due to poor technique and low grip), there was one critical moment. The biker was riding about 5 meters in front of me on the downhill. However, he went into a puddle that was deeper than we expected. In an instant, I was riding through the splashed water behind him, praying I could keep my balance. I did, but I was not far from falling at high speed.
It was challenging because when we got the group down to 30 meters, but after a while, they had a bigger gap again. But I didn’t give up. I finally managed to catch them at the beginning of the second lap, where I could rest a bit because the race had calmed down.
Initially, there was not much cooperation in the group. There were several attacks where it became clear who was the strongest. I was still feeling pretty good and did not forget to eat and replenish my energy. It was clear that it would be decided in the third round.
In one of the more difficult passages I attacked and tried to see what the reaction of the others would be. To my surprise, no one was chasing me. But it was a long way to the finish, so I slowed down again and waited for the group.
Unfortunately, I began to feel fatigue in the form of cramps. I had magnesium with me but couldn’t find it in my pockets. Therefore, I was subsequently unable to catch up with the group that had escaped me again on the downhill.
Lessons for Next Time
I’ll have to put in more kilometers before the next gravel race. After the first lap, my lower back was already hurting from not being used to riding it. It was clear that I was helping my back when pedaling, which led to their early fatigue.
At the same time, I will need to choose different tires. I had a lot of trouble with mine, and compared to the mountain bikes, I lost a lot on the downhills. That cost me a lot of energy in the chase.
And most importantly, I’ll have to line up earlier at the start to get a better starting position. Unfortunately, the course didn’t allow me to get to the front before the selection started.
Overall, however, I am happy with my performance. I placed 27th out of 88 people. But most importantly, I survived it in good health (except for the blisters on my hands) and enjoyed the pain.
Thanks to the organizers and other volunteers for organizing this race.
Preview picture: radekklasik
