GROVEL AND WHINE
MOST RACES SHOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE MADE OF. Competitors are challenged at every level, whether it's getting along while fighting for position...
... or the truly epic battles.
The internal ones.
Just today at Gravel & Wine I saw the unbelievable.
Big Kev was lined up for his first gravel race.
The start was spicy,
then settled in,
then crazy.
Massive power to get up very steep pitches,
followed blistering bombing down the other sides.
It had rained the day before, so the conditions were excellent.
Until they weren't...
... and our hero yardsaled in a deep sand turn.
When your big,
and you go down hard...
... things can break.
Crack!
The right side of his bars snapped at the stem.
Most people, me included, would uber outta that sitchyashun.
What does he do with 50 miles and 4000' of vert to go...
... he jury rigs the bars and freakin' finishes.
Riding home the point...
- things go wrong
- we get sick
- duty calls
... it's not where we start that matters, but our determination to finish.
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btw, Paul Dunlap's Gravel & Wine events are excellent, beautiful course, and a really good vibe among the competitors.
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