The Gralloch!
My next race, this coming weekend, is Gralloch Gravel. Located in Gatehouse of Fleet, Scotland, Gralloch Gravel will be my second UCI Gravel World Series Race. Since the Gralloch is also my last race before Unbound, I will be using this race to test my fitness, racing strategy, technical skills, and bike set up. I was really pleased with my nutrition plan for the Traka, so I will be implementing the same strategy, focusing on consuming 90-100 grams of carbs per hour. Excitingly, I will have my sister Sophie, and her fiancé Ryan, in Scotland to support me, on and off the bike. It is not often I have family at races, so I am super thrilled to have them both at the race! The rest of this blog will cover the course itself, as well as my personal goals. Enjoy!
The Gralloch starts at 11:30 am. The women’s start is separate from the men’s, which is something I am looking forward to. In the last two races I competed in, the elite women and men started together. For me, starting with the men is not something I am used to and have struggled with in the last couple of races. I have a hard time positioning and fighting through the chaos and crashes at the start. I think having a separate start for women will make the race more interesting as we don’t have the men to compete with for positioning. For me as well personally, a separate start will allow me to see where I stack up against the top women and if I can keep up with them. The course will be challenging but it should suit my strengths, particularly with the initial climb up a tough hill. The race will be 111km with 80% of the course being on gravel with a total of 1,761 meters of climbing. The five main climbs of the course are Fuffock Hill starting at 7km, Kenick Hill at 23.2km, Slaughter Hill at 56.7km, and finally Loch Grannoch at 89.3 km. From KM 0-29 the course is completely uphill! The main climb is Fuffock Hill, 5.5km long and an average of 3.8%. Looking at its profile, the climb does not look super hard or steep, but it will be a fast, long draggy hill climb that will be raced hard. Since the climb is at the start, I can test out how I am feeling and if I can stay with the favorites till the top and if I am feeling good, I can test myself and push the pace. After all the climbing I will have to be careful as the descending that follows features a lot of loose, chunky, and deep gravel. At this point I will need to be cautious but also be willing to push myself to stay with the lead. From KM 30-67 the course is mostly up and down with some flat sections and a couple of kickers with some chunky technical gravel sections. KM 68-87 will be difficult, with fewer flat sections and a lot of short but steep climbs. This will be an important part of the course to stay focused on and maintain good nutrition to keep me fueled and ready for the last part of the race. KM 88-111 consists of rough gravel, still not completely flat and with short but hard climbs. At this part of the race if I am find myself in the lead group there are a few sections where I can take advantage of the short climbs and attack as the lead into the final will be on a wide, fast road, going into the final technical KM which features a tight right turn. Depending how big or small the group is at this point, going into that corner in a good position will be extremely important to finish well. Sprinting is not a strength of mine, so I will have to be aware regarding who is with me and how I will have to approach the last corner.
For Gralloch, my goal is to come in the top 10 and qualify for the UCI Gravel World Championships. The field is strong so coming in the top 10 will be difficult. However, the race starts with climb and separate start for the women. If I can capitalize on this, I believe a top 10 finish is a realistic result for me and will give me confidence going into Unbound and Nationals. All in all, my main is to have a good start and to stay with the front of the group throughout the entire race, not only on the climb but also on the technical parts of the course. I want to be able to push myself on the technical bits as this will be important for my Unbound preparation. I am really looking forward to the race this weekend and hope I will be able to show my fitness and get a top 10 result! Stay tuned for my next blog – there is a lot of exciting racing coming up.
Bike Set Up:
For this race I will be using the same set up I raced with in the Traka. I am sticking with the same wheel and tire combination. I was super impressed with the tires at the Traka. In Scotland the course will be dry and fast, and the Alluvium tires again will be a perfect tire for this course.
T-LAB X3 Gravel Bike:
· Shimano GRX 11sp-2X
· 11-36, ENVE cockpit
· ENVE SES AR Road In-Route Handlebar-38cm
· Shimano PRO Stealth saddle
· Garmin XC Rally power meter pedals
· HUNT 42 Limitless Gravel Aero Disc wheels
· KENDA Alluvium Pro 700x40
What I am wearing:
CAPO Cycling Apparel + POC Helmet + Glasses:
· Jersey: CAPO SC Signature Jersey
· Bibs: CAPO SC Race Women’s Tail Cargo Bib Short
· Gloves: CAPO SC Race SF Gloves
· Socks: CAPO Active Compression Q-Skin Sock Black
· Glasses: POC Aim
· Helmet: POC Ventral Lite