Fitter, Stronger, Faster Bike….. Worse performance than last year

Gralloch Gravel is one of the biggest Gravel events on the UK calendar and if I’m honest I was really excited for the race, halfway up the first climb I was in trouble and things went from bad to worse resulting in a beer or two questioning life choices at the airport.

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[Music] welcome back welcome back guess who’s been following a well and guess who’s been leading welcome to the GIC where Walker knowledge is power morning hey hey how are we keep up can I ride you yeah we’re heading back soon what a flx how are we yeah good how are you good good good I’m not breathing heavy it’s all trying to catch up you no no no I waited for you any leave the train okay welcome back we’re back here another year has passed we are now 34 and 35 correct uh 33 and 35 No 30 35 and 35 35 and 35 wow we’re in that rare part of the Year where we’re actually the same age I don’t I’d say too old for this [ __ ] but Alejandro Val but then you’ve always got those outliers that look like ched yes back in Scotland for the Grog what has changed since last year I have upgraded bicycle I am here to race not to participate I am going to participate obviously but I I’m more of a competitor than a participant this year I would say last night I gave Alex a hug and I was like are those are those ripped do I actually feel bones again yeah yeah Alex is looking leaning mean I’d still fail I don’t know if it’s because he’s been training a lot or because he has a second child so he forgets to eat most days but something maybe just being neurotic definitely definitely something in between I think I would still fail a world tour skinfold test hey hey it’s quite fat huh hey normally in the winter you don’t need to eat so many fridges huh no it’s more than a millimeter normally not so good yeah yeah soe pre race ride uh dialing in tire pressures it’s a muddier grock this year than last year for sure we’ve got a well mud shouldn’t have rain there’s I’d say the field is lacking a Conor Swift but on the most part is stronger than last year yeah I would say the depth is uh is way higher but maybe the ceiling’s a little shallower not having that world T power but V is here he’s on the wheel he’s been on really another level this year uh seems to not lose anything so far but I mean tomorrow tomorrow is another day I got my new whip um yeah so vot Nathan Peter has there there’s really no shortage of top guys I think Paul Voss is still on the start list but I haven’t seen him Nik roach Nik roach yeah uh Toby Perry Ben Perry Ben Perry there’s a lot of there’s a lot of big engines here and the course it looks like there’s going to be some wind tomorrow so different tactics are going to come out but also the ground’s super sloppy super slow it’s like a horse race all of a sudden different horses come out of the Woodworks when it’s uh when it’s a muddy pitch so I think tomorrow is going to be really really an exciting race and now you have it straight from one of the race horses mouth hey never slap a gift horse in the mouth yeah so that that’s all like got really for this intro we’re just getting muddy I need to fix my front wheel there mechanical support and they’re ready for me well not fix just make it tubeless there’s an inner tube in there at the moment and it’s not even latex so need to fix that so uh yeah we’re going to finish this off a couple of hours and then go sort go sort my [ __ ] out when when when Majestic everyone getting their content baby no content no right I’m a local here actually are you Alex are you I thought you Australian no I was born and bred in Dum free mate what did your uh ancestors do to deserve go to Australia uh stole a loaf of breads that sounds about sent off to the promised land Australia yeah what a punishment yeah going to live in Paradise they said yeah convict oh yeah working yeah there can’t go hard [Music] hold on for you my love very much appreciate that I [Music] will realize I think that the rim tape has given way on the wheels R sealant coming out of the rim rather than the tire so uh yeah we’re getting that this kind folk at Kush sorry Studio this kind folk at Studio we’re doing the front which is the problem child and uh now we’re doing the the rear as well be good to go this is going to be a much muddier [Music] growop also look at this you can tell uh you’re well well in the gravel scene when other people’s bikes have your name on is an Nass oh Nathan loves it loves it it’s already been featured like you know you’re into gravel when other people’s bikes have your name on right I I missed this paint job I think it was one of the most beautiful bikes I’ve ever seen feel your feeling nostalgic about it with your helmet yeah well this one was based around it actually so but um alas what can you say though yellow this thing is unbelievable just challenging you’re in a Pacha yellow a Boy Can Dream honey one day I’ll be a good as Goa if I keep trying you have potential oh thank you everyone’s been saying that my whole career had any wild problems turn up yet what the most extreme I think Danny shury and her broken but and bracket from the tracker I think that’s the worst one having to drill all the boats cuz it was so seized in shamelessly naming as well wow you know Danny shame on you I just got shamed oh no for not knowing how to clean my bike apparently and this is in real life it’s not even in the comments real life he just came up he’s like you’re doing that all wrong and I was like so I know my helmet doesn’t match my bike but I do know what I’m doing what who official or just a it was it was the guy who’s running the he he has this bike cleaning product company and apparently I did it all wrong could be an expert then probably is so I’ll take it seriously I’m I’m going to specifically pressure wash the bottom brackets see what no but there’s no pressure in those things it comes out at like okay but I’m going to get up close and blast it into the bearings and he’ll be like you’re doing that right yeah that’s how you do it you want to rinse every bearing right now no no you’re cleaning the frame to you want to be able to see your face in each individual bearing I’ve plugged it the plug is holding perfectly but I just don’t want to race on it cuz I have a spare so if someone wants a free tire tell them it’s theirs Nathan you are such a good person get that on camera de it’s almost like you told me to start rolling I’m about to do something charitable film but it’s actually all about me don’t forget that that’s a good looking bike I like it SC yeah they they’re very good adct gravel you know it’s like a sealed Tire with a flat in it’s normally safe 99% of the time but like if you’ve traveled for a race and you can put a new tire on I tend to do just just just for the safety of it all but like 99% of the time if it’s a small hole that’s sealed then it’s going to be right [Music] right race morning I’ve just got off the phone with Chanel and who is having a much harder time right now than I am with both kids or will be during the race most likely yes lucky I can still call this work cuz if I couldn’t I’m not sure I’d be here locked and loaded ready to go locked and loaded load of installation tape put on on the bikes here we go this is doomsday scenario I guess yeah that’s just there in case I need to get home at a certain point in the race certainly not if I’m using that I’m well and truly out of what You’ call the bike race i’ would be having a nice bike ride Alan Keys I’ve gone over as electric pump check that all still taped up might put a little bit more and we’re ready to go yeah I’m I’m actually wanting to see if I can talk you into in a little bit leave a bit earlier and go for a warm up I was thinking the same thing perfect it’s almost like we know should we confirm that it’s a 9:45 start yes that as well cuz it could be 9:30 and then that would be a bit early for us short warm up yes followed by an intense Chase very intense Chase cuz we’d be leaving with like the can we close 15 minutes 35 to 40 category of which we could both be in thankfully yeah that happened yeah we’re Masters it says it on my British cycling license now I master Alex finally mastered something in your life aging yeah this is not much more to report really it’s we are ready to go and feeling quite good for it I’m just very I’m nervous about this first climb cuz I got dropped on it last year but I am Lena stronger upgraded bicycle a little more well-versed in graveling I have 100% more experience than I had this time last year cuz this time last year was my second ever gravel ride UCI race could would you say 100% would you say infinitely more experience yeah cuz if you start from zero yeah well you’ve got more experience yes you have some experience it’s exponential say exponential I think you’re right on the top of your Dunning Krueger curve meat if anyone understands what that means yeah right let’s go racing that was a subtle insult oh now that he’s gone I’m like oh you’re at the top of your bell curve cuz you’re a bell end that would have been a good comeback but he’s left and I was late easy rco it’s good [ __ ] honestly what do you think of the T you tried one last night tastes a lot better than the old stuff doesn’t it I’m not sponsored And all I’ll say is this one’s actually pable yeah oh they no they they’re quite um they acknowledge quite significantly that the old stuff tastes like tasted like ass yeah yeah I think this is quite nice but they like oh it’s still you know it’s not apple juice but I’m I quite tolerate but like apple juice is not really the standard is it it’s like we eat many things in bike world that don’t taste as good as apple juice let’s compare it to the it’s like when we take b cup do we ever go like oh damn that’s good b cup it’s true or just plain tuna and plain white rice after a race straight out of a can white rice straight out of a microwave sometimes it’s more about the effect of the product than about the flavor so you know we make sacrif for performance we do we right we’re going racing morning well we’ve already did the morning but we picked up some ass flies some charity Joe lavick two two xros and one you couldn’t find make it ah it depends on your definition of pro but yes you’re right it’s interesting that he wears a football jersey cycling Jo show us your glasses hello oh you’ve greased them yeah don’t squeak anymore steal got it do we still know what time the start is yeah 9:45 okay we’d be there 4 925 soor can frequent to the bathroom nervous not at all me no not a care yeah not not a care in the world I don’t know sometimes when you put it into perspective always very scary lining up you know for a a cobal classic yeah but I think you were more nervous about your life than you were about the race yeah you only started thinking about the race once you were through the hardest parts yeah yeah yeah ah oh no got it had bad luck with bugs in my eyes lately probably put these on it’s a problem it’s really bugging you isn’t it and on that note 1 35 136 and 25 25 great stuff all right this is where I ditch the camera and uh ditch my jacket and all right it’s go time AAL see later very good have a great one please [Music] [Applause] welcome three two one where you go this is the UK qualifying round [Music] go go [Music] go back [Music] Ro just about to [Music] finish second place bought a change of year difference in year makes yeah last year I came here having a horrible day I had that day today maybe it’s contagious and then today I felt absolutely fantastic had sort of similar legs to how I had it um the first half of tracker before my back exploded today got my uh new position all dialed in on the new bike and now I’m feeling awesome just got beaten by a really tactically smart Rider today it was like not hard enough for it to become purely selective so um you guys like back Ben Perry Toby Perry myself we’re just sort of like all attacking on clim did that classic thing where we sort have marked each other out of the race and then all of a sudden we had a big acceleration where it was a bit of a drag race and then we lulled for half a second and Matt Holmes just went cheeky on the ride in a unbranded kit at that moment where he went you were like oh that’s that’s a problem thing was he didn’t even like put any like real into his move yeah he just took that speed didn’t get that got the Gap because people weren’t focused on mat yeah probably forgetting who Matt holes is and what he’s done and uh when he rolled off I just knew straight away I was like well I think that’s the bike race cuz no one’s putting any impetus into this and I’m not going to be the one to all of a sudden sacrifice myself to hopefully bring it back yeah yeah and then unfortunately our group just didn’t really give it all after that you know it was a little bit a I think it was also cuz we were a bit dead so Matt really w at the right moment but yesterday I reconed the final like two three times and I got like little landmarks from 3K 2K and then the guys let me come into the city first wheel and then which was your plan which was I wanted to be first or second and then sort of like did the big old s Ben so no one could sort of come around me or underneath me and then I and then I was like oh my God they’re letting me go into the corner into the town first so I slowed it right down cuz I know the thing that I’m good at is like an acceleration from low speed so I did like 3 second Sprint they got the Gap so I could come up to the top Corner first slowed it right down again same thing 2 second Sprint coasted and then as soon as I saw the straight line I just put a like a 4 second Sprint in put in a big gear straight lined all the corners and no one could come around you have to think about straight line to the line is moving you’re one side of the lane and the other so everyone has to really think about trying to come around you yeah it’s sort of like you know if no one can come inside you because you’re taking the Apex or there the you know the close line in the Apex and then as you move out no one can come around you as you’re closing the angle on the next one but because it’s an sand corner and you’re taking the straight line it’s actually not diverting off your line you’re actually just looking to the finish line so it’s as soon as I saw this sand I was like I know how to win this Sprint so what you’re saying is you shouldn’t come inside you you shouldn’t come around you you should actually just come in front of you you said the Australians away from being naughty I think it’s you British with potty mouths good job M pass happy for you [Music] [Music] [Music] yes G that’s it that’s disappointing just wasn’t there I I thought I was doing okay at the first climb tailed off with about 3 400 from the top I was like that’s right I I can make this back took me about half an hour to recover from that effort to be honest something’s really wrong here after I turned around with Nathan on the warm up came back to the hotel room not make issues which is yeah I not quite sure why I don’t mind having bad races but it’s sort of all the it just actually feels like such a waste when I’ve taken time away from Chanel Juliet and viven I know Chanel it’s pretty tough at home uh Vivian’s um she’s a challenge she’s strong willed so I don’t know Chanel could really do with the help and yeah I just I’m just not firing here just it’s it’s it’s almost worse than having bad days as a world tour Rider cuz you know that you’re probably going to be racing next week you can have a good one I don’t know when my next gravel race is so I’m just really annoyed annoyed yeah I got tailed off started in after half an hour of just trying to manage myself started finding some Pace again got picked up by second group on the road it’s Jesse Yates which was fun and then instead of hanging on I let them go and then caught them back up again descending was my strength today it really was my strength uh cornering that Dro a post was so good it gave me so much confidence uh yeah I was with that group then I punched it was uh wasn’t the 14 15 second plug job that Nathan’s record is but he gave me some tips on how to plug a tire last night and there you go popped that in turned it around underneath and and it just stopped and I carried on all yeah I settled in again I was just to be honest with you I knew I was out the race I was just kind of you I was fighting fighting against my own body and I was just kind of done with it so I I knocked the intensity off tried to start cruising in let a couple of groups go yeah a group with um Scott reading who I’ve never met but I follow from AAR mot motorbike racer yeah motorbike racer and and bike racer as well yeah just rode in with with with his group um then I let them sort themselves out in the Sprint so yeah Nathan it up afterwards he was like you’re fitter you’re leaner you got an upgraded bike You’ taking it more seriously and you’ve actually done worse than last year so here I saw a results B on the way I was 302nd gutted really I’m gutted but next year that the start the start here is you almost have to split the race in two like get past the start and then do the rest rest of the race so on the other side of the fence very happy for Nathan very happy for Nathan that’s that’s a good result for him he’s uh he’s a good good gravel racer he’s Punchy this is like you have to be Punchy but then you have to it’s like a horrible over under session I think you have to go above threshold and then back to threshold above threshold back to threshold just this like horrible chugging and just churning all day and and with the technical aspect throwing in it’s exciting to see how excited Nathan is about it so um yeah anyway I’m going to get showered put my bike in the bike box I go home to my girls and we get a dog then we get a dog on Monday which is exciting but yeah I am gutted about today to be honest really I’m not felt this disappointed about a bike race in probably since European championships in 2021 2020 so that’s the last time I was dis annoyed all this yearo in 2022 yeah 2022 anyway enough of me doom and onwards and upwards positivity on to the next one and all that [Music]