We’ve told you before about The Racing Collective, a Strava based cycling club dedicated to self-supported bikepacking races. Their first event was held early this year; a 300km gravel grinder style enduro race from North to South Wales to be completed over 2 days. The rider with the lowest aggregate time over the 5 timed segments wins.
The race is free to enter since timing is done through Strava and a leader board compiled automatically using the Matesrace website. It is also entirely self-supported, riders are responsible for their own actions and there is no backup.
The inaugural race was aptly ‘won’ by a Welshman, Nic Pow, who finished the timed segments with an aggregate time of 11hours 59mins. The only problem was that there were only two entrants, stretching the definition of a ‘race’ to the maximum. Instead of racing flat out, they smiled for the camera hoping others might join them on the start line in Menai Bridge in 2018 (the race will be repeated on the first weekend in July each year).
The organisers of this event say:
The route is stunning; it features some 7000m of climbing, taking a direct line down the heart of Wales, alternating regularly between road and landrover tracks… aka gravel bike heaven. The route is not designed to be a sufferfest, rather the enduro format means a balance is struck between sociable cruising and going hard on segments. The journey takes in some iconic Welsh landscapes including the remote moorlands and gravel climbs in Mid Wales, which the late Mike Hall used as a training ground.
The 2018 edition of CrossduroWales (#XDW18) will run on 7-8 July 2018. Competitors will camp/bivvy mid-way at a remote farm where stories of the day’s racing will be told over the campfire before an early start off to Cardiff the next day.
If you’re interested in hearing about the race when entries open next year, please sign-up to the mail-list here
or check out the other events here.
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The irony of actively promoting organised underground racing is not lost on me. The active promotion of timed racing on bridleways… even more so.
One wonders if Strava are aware of their use as an event timing system for racing on bridleways? I wonder how they’d view it, seeing as how it’s currently prohibited by law.
The irony of actively promoting organised underground racing is not lost on me. The active promotion of timed racing on bridleways… even more so.
One wonders if Strava are aware of their use as an event timing system for racing on bridleways? I wonder how they’d view it, seeing as how it’s currently prohibited by law.
Looks like an awesome laugh
Potentially on the to do list next year
Looks like an awesome laugh
Potentially on the to do list next year