Santa Vall - Start of the Gravel Season
Anybody follow Santa Vall this weekend? Looked absolutely 💩 to me with the wet weather, river crossings and mud. Everybody finished looking the exact same - caked in mud. Yesterday’s stage especially. I want to get into following gravel more this year - any recommendations on how to actually watch it? The 4.5 hour livestream from the Gravel Earth Series YouTube was so boring to me. Commentators really put me off and the footage just isn’t great. Am I missing something or is this a common experience? I’ll watch a Dylan Johnson video or a few of the rider recaps but I feel like that’s only months later when these things are published. The amount of people that have a mechanical or puncture where their race is immediately over is such a disaster to me. Couldn’t be bothered putting in so much time, money, training etc for your race to be over straight away. I know that this is part of gravel but it’s just so off putting to me. I feel like gravel has a lot of potential but I get the sense that it hasn’t been quite figured out yet? Whether it’s footage, equipment, fan engagement. You’re either in the gravel bubble or you’re not - doesn’t seem like there is much in between? This is just a few of my thoughts from it. I think it would be super cool if it was done well. But this weekend was one of the few where I’m glad that I don’t ride a bike anymore 😆😭