On the bottom at Nebraska’s Robidoux Fast & Soiled – VeloNews.com
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Eventually weekend’s Robidoux Fast & Soiled gravel race in Gering, Nebraska everybody knew the drill: Put on a masks if you’re milling round; use hand sanitizer earlier than and after you contact issues; and hang around at a cushty distance from each other.
For many of us, these modifications had been already simply a part of life now, whether or not we’re at a BBQ or the grocery retailer. Final weekend, I drove from Colorado to the Nebraska panhandle to see how issues would really feel at a gravel race — and I used to be pleasantly shocked.
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Gravel will get smaller
The final time I raced gravel was on the moist, and albeit, bizarre Mid South final March. There’s not a lot to say about it besides that for me, The Mid South marks the second when We Knew. Sports activities, bikes, and life shut down for some time after that fateful weekend, and because the COVID-19 pandemic ripped via communities, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than gravel racing appeared like a factor of the trivial previous.
At the moment, Robidoux Fast & Soiled took an optimistic tack and rescheduled its June 20 race date to September. Different races did this too, but many ultimately canceled as a result of considerations that a big quantity of holiday makers to a small neighborhood was in neither’s greatest curiosity.
The Robidoux Fast & Soiled, in its third yr, initially capped out at about 390 riders unfold throughout three distances (25, 65, and 100 miles). Race director Aaron Raines informed me that about 50 riders requested refunds or deferrals after the COVID-19 date change. On race weekend, 175 checked in.
“I’m assuming a whole lot of people weren’t snug with coming and simply didn’t inform us,” he stated. “Which I can completely perceive and we did our greatest to accommodate everybody who did attain out. The smoke within the space additionally didn’t assist encourage folks to come back.”
Like me, Ashton Lambie, the Nebraskan-bred gravel rider who has additionally damaged information and gained medals on the observe, hadn’t raced gravel since The Mid South. He stated that the Robidoux Fast & Soiled appeared like a great way to wade again into the proverbial water of organized bicycle races.
“I’ve achieved a couple of the quarantine races the place it’s an agreed upon lengthy distance TT which unsurprisingly I like loads,” he stated. “That’s what drew me to this one. I don’t assume I used to be feeling protected sufficient for a full-stop, mass begin. This was a very good center floor the place it nonetheless felt actually protected.”
On the bottom
My favourite factor about gravel racing isn’t the racing. Somewhat, it’s the the small cities I’d by no means in any other case get to see and the folks I meet. I do know that to be true for many individuals, which is why I believed gravel promoters ought to press pause till we might all hug, excessive 5, and have a post-ride beer collectively.
It seems, there are methods for gravel to outlive within the new world we reside in, and so they had been on show on the Robidoux Fast & Soiled. As with all occasions which are slowly rolling out this yr, the race revealed its COVID-19 plan two months previous to race day. This included particulars on the method for signing waivers, packet pickup, begin line process, help stations, and awards.
Once we arrived on the 5 Rocks Amphitheater to test in, every little thing appeared to go in keeping with plan. I had printed waivers again at dwelling, so check-in was as straightforward as handing it to a (masked and gloved) volunteer in change for a quantity plate. There was a swag bag to seize on the garden on the way in which out. And — riders had 5 hours to finish that five-minute course of.
On race day, Raines provided riders choices for how one can begin. Once more, carrying a face-covering was nearly redundant at this level – everybody knew it was required. In any other case, folks might begin collectively or staggered. I selected to exit within the entrance, which didn’t final lengthy, however the largest group was by no means that massive.
“At any given level I used to be solely ever driving with a couple of folks,” Lambie informed me.
We had been inspired to carry our personal vitamin, though there have been 4 help stations alongside the 100-mile course. They had been manned by volunteers in PPE, and all the meals was individually wrapped. Riders opened their very own bottles at hand to volunteers to fill from pitchers. It was straightforward.
Though different occasions have achieved away solely with any post-race festivities or awards ceremonies, we had been handled to each on the Robidoux Fast & Soiled. The rostrum consisted of socially-distanced 12-packs of Fats Tire Ale, and riders lounged round on the massive garden, underneath the pavilion, and within the stands on the 5 Rocks Amphitheater. The mix of ice-cold beer (which you would retrieve from an industrial-size trough filled with ice) and the sounds of traditional rock cowl bands Space 308 and the Greendales made for some comfortable, dusty riders.
Gravel’s future amid COVID-19
In fact, a lot of the success of an occasion is predicated on private duty. For me, this meant holding in a snot rocket that I desperately needed to eject for about 30 miles. Realizing that I’ve change into lax on my hand hygiene at dwelling and thus being additional vigilant whereas touring. Not shaking arms even after they’re prolonged.
It’s exhausting to say what the near-future of gravel racing will seem like. I requested Lambie, and he lobbed the query again at me. Simply as I can’t predict after I’ll go to a live performance once more or what the 2021 college yr will seem like, I’m not holding out for the gravel events of yore anytime quickly. Nonetheless, as I realized in Nebraska over the weekend, there are methods to navigate the brand new world we reside in, and race promoters and riders are prepared to go to a sure distance to make it occur.
Driving gravel is simply an excessive amount of enjoyable.
