Can I Survive A Pro Gravel Race?

Alex is in Australia and has decided to take on a new gravel race, 'Radl Grvl'. With over 2000m of elevation, this 100km course pushed Alex to his limits. Follow him as he attempts to race AND win the pro category, taking on the monstrous gravel climbs at insane speeds!
00:00 Intro
00:49 What is the Radl Grvl race?
01:30 Gravel race preparation
02:24 Gravel race start
03:26 Big climb to start
05:05 Catching up with the second group
05:58 Middle of the gravel race
08:08 Last 20km of racing
09:03 Coming into the finish line
09:39 Gravel race finish
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📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sprint Cycling Agency
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[@gcn]

🤔 Are you planning on entering a gravel event this year? Let us know 👇

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

Belgian Waffle Ride. Much food shall be eaten.

Would like to try, but a "beginner event" first.

[@stefanobollini7605]

La monsterrato

[@the1mtbguy]

I would like to try a event for sure , not sure what ones are in the UK that are good though, any suggestions

[@graywake2226]

Frontier 300 in June@@the1mtbguy

[@Frostbiker]

Standing ovation to the camera and sound people. Great composition, lighting, etc. starting from the very first shot. The editor, who is also great, must be happy to work with such good footage.

[@alexpatonGCN]

It's all filmed and edited by one person! Agreed though, amazing job!

[@mommamooney]

This is what drew me to GCN in the first place. That and the banter. I wasn’t a cyclist. They changed that

[@gcn]

@mommamooney that is so cool to hear. The creators will be very pleased about that!

[@SergejGrabun]

Music was a bit too loud compared to voice over, but have to agree. Great production

[@alexshaw3910]

It's insane how much Alex managed to accomplish in Oz! Takes me a week to get over the jet lag alone, and prior to RADL he was riding with Tiffany and Bottas, cyling up Willunga Hill with Richie Porte, and riding at a 40kph+ pace in multiple crit races... Inspirational stuff! 👍

[@alexpatonGCN]

Thanks Alex, yep, it was one hell of an action packed trip!!!

[@a_scotsman_on_a_horse]

Inspirational as ever, Alex!

[@benjaminplant3734]

GCN is cycling version of top gear

[@djrlloyd]

The main thing is you said you enjoyed it. Every thing else is a bonus, so 17th is an awesome achievement. Chapeau Alex.

[@Dana-gj5hr]

Wish I could do "that bad" :) Chapeau indeed

[@luukrutten1295]

Maybe its a good idea to get a video out on the two tandem guys racing this gravel event. Looking at the results the tandem couple was Patrick bos/tristan bangma. Paralympic gold on the 4km pursuit (tokyo ) and 1km pursuit (Rio ). Also WC on the road in 2019. They finished 13th in this race. Would be interesting to learn how they experience this type of racing, while preparing for the Paris olympics.

[@gcn]

That is incredible! thanks for sharing!

[@larter_larter]

3:00 Alex totally blending in with the gravel hippies, sitting with his legs crossed on a foldable camping chair. Kudos! 👏

[@gcn]

We've tried checking Alex's passport to see where he is really from!

[@larter_larter]

@@gcn Hahaha 😂

[@dalis994]

"Why do I put this pressure on myself": A great challenge, Alex

[@larryvaught3053]

Loved this video! Super job Alex! Your attitude throughout the race was spot on. Especially reflecting at the end and putting things in perspective. 17th place was most certainly a victory! I sure haven't heard of you being in other races lately, so to get this result is magnificent ! Thanks for the entertainment! RIDE ON😎

[@Anonomyous19]

great ride, loving these videos at the moment!

[@gcn]

thanks! what else would you like to see us make? cheers!

[@danielwood6631]

@@gcn Full staff bike check series would be great I think 🤞🏽

[@tredmer]

17th is fantastic! It's the Dylan Johnson recipe for gravel success.

[@antsmands]

Chapeau Alex, 17th place is EXCELLENT for such a long trip to the Land Down Under!

[@2deaf4sound]

I´m going to race 3 Rides Aachen this May. It is a qualifier for the world championship in Belgium this year. I was sick most of the winter and miles away from a good form. But I´, soo curius to race and get that feeling Alex had. Everyone who loves racing as we do, is hoping for the best and will give his all to achieve their goals whatever they are. And yes - sufferimg is a part of that.

[@tankbirdfinder6219]

Alex, you should be proud. Secondary to your accomplishment, your narration of the event was genuine and I felt like I could truly relate. Of course we all want to win, but to beat some of the very best when you have a job/family/responsibilities is a tall order. As a ex-pro, you know you don't win many of the races.

[@essex9]

First part looked brutal , given not your normal discipline , great to compete and a 17th place not too shabby at all.

[@gcn]

A fun day out!

[@rob_cd]

Spoiler alert

[@ThisHandleIsAlreadyTaken839]

SPOILER ALERT

[@nealpeacocke3424]

Brutal spoiler. Poor form

[@cb6866]

Thanks Alex...lots of pressure there ! Congratulations , bud ....nobody fails who tries ! Be well .

[@01FozzyS]

Well done,Alex! You should definitely be proud as a retired pro to still be able to hang with the big boys!

[@wurzlitzer]

Alex you done yourself proud and think this is your discipline now you have the motivation plus the fact that any mechanicals and punctures you are sure fire going to be in the top twenty fastest to repair/hack please consider unbound! You could hone your amazing tech skills to tackle that peanut butter mud, absolutely amazing effort

[@MarrafaCycling]

Great!! Beautiful place and nice challenge. You should try out the UCI gravel race in Millau, France. Have more climbing and have beautiful landscapes! A lot of people quit because the hard parkour. Cheers!

[@user-np5dh8cu9p]

The race is always against yourself. If you meet your potential, you've won. If your potential gives you the opportunity to possibly win that's the bonus on top. Keep trying to raise your potential, you may win the race, your category, or the goal you've set for yourself. Each is a worthy achievement which feels great.

[@struancochrane753]

Alex, a) well done pulling the straw in the office to get a trip to Aus, great bit of vote rigging. b) how can you be disappointed with being 5% off the time of the winner? You lost less than 4 mins an hour. Epic effort, you will be in some form coming into our spring.

[@gcn]

a) 😂 b) Alex is as competitive as ever!

[@JSC131]

Brilliant video Alex well done great effort.

[@gerbryf]

Lovely video, enjoyed the format and Alex's commentary. Thank you!

[@MP-th4nx]

What a great video ... Well done Alex. Brilliant effort mate. Great to see you over here in Australia again. You are always welcome.

[@XavierHipolito]

This is great to see. Beautiful work guys! I asked this the other video, races, training... THIS IS BEAUTY! Congrats

[@PumpkinVillage]

Good job. Another well done video by all involved. Congrats on your finish. Take care, Al

[@jayshockey5461]

Great stuff! Excellent video! And great job dude 👊🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@krehme]

Fantastic job Alex! I'm totally impressed how well you did. Thanks for sharing your struggles and successes!

[@Real28]

Absolutely love these videos. Love showcasing different races and watching you guys go against everyone else.

[@Millicente]

Great job Alex! Always love to see the team competing

[@amandanorth6526]

Alex, you're a real inspiration -such a great spirit. Excellent video and so awesome to see Australia on GCN!

[@gcn]

thanks for the comment! He did amazing didn’t he! We love 🇦🇺

[@klx-y]

such a beautiful country ill love to visit Australia

[@Zachworthington1234]

Great video gcn love your content

[@staff0flag]

Massive respect!

[@kenslavikrealtorkellerwill6671]

Well Done! Congrats🚴🏻‍♂

[@MagicM66]

Totally awesome and great to see a new race!

[@gmoraes777]

Great content Definitely helps to get through the uk winter

[@heikkipyylampi]

Great work Alex! Hopefully Valtteri&Tiffany ensured that we'll see GCN colors also in the FNLD GRVL event

[@robertmills6772]

Great job, Alex! You inspire me to get out on my bike and go, go, go!

[@andrewdeer2147]

Great work Alex. Really well raced. And great video and editing work too. Really captured the event.

[@gcn]

Cheers!

[@luisrosano3510]

Congratulation Alex!!! Cheers from South America!!!

[@songofyesterday]

Great effort Alex, bravo. Video has banging music too.

[@danielhedo6628]

great effort Alex, well done, be proud!!

[@richardruns4cake]

Brilliant film Brilliant effort Alex

[@markunderwood6482]

Awesome ride and video! I ride a tandem with my wife and we struggle on the climbs, but we're pulling the train on the flats and descents. I see that tandem was Olympic caliber people, but I still said "whoa" when you mentioned they were up near the front. Great job, Alex!

[@mrpoobumhead857]

This was outstanding in every way!

[@andrewjohnson9896]

Fantastic achievement, you should be very proud.

[@benshannon3121]

Alex is a legend and did everyone proud. The main thing though is that you enjoyed it. I love your content Alex, you are always so enthusiastic on camera

[@Cycle9568]

Outstanding episode! You did yourself proud! Thanks for taking us along on the journey.

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidlau2467]

Well done Axle! Official results says you're 18th, and you are Aussie 😂. You also finished ahead of Valtteri Bottas 🤣

[@peterharrington8709]

Awesome performance Alex! 100k, 6000' climbing, 3 and a bit hours!! To nearly everyone watching that is mental!!!

[@gcn]

he did brilliant!

[@billyblanco8106]

Yes...Utah Gravel Series...Dirty Dino...nice bike, Alex !!!

[@brianwilson3881]

Have really enjoyed all your videos whilst you have been over here Alex!! Make sure you come back again next year

[@10hungtran]

Great job Alex! You did awesome. Great race footage and editing. Hope GCN covers more gravel races around the world! Cheers!

[@gcn]

Thanks for the comment! What other gravel races would you like us to take part in? cheers!

[@10hungtran]

@@gcn How about BWR San Diego? I'm from southern California and that's a classic gravel race.

[@chloepaton5115]

Amazing effort 🙌🏼

[@thomasb.4219]

seems like a beautiful race!

[@sjjw43]

Great effort, really well done mate

[@gcn]

👍

[@Roger47630]

Well done

[@EmanuelFuchs]

Just wanted to check if GCN still exists. Nice to see they do. Was a cool time during Corona when my feed was full of them :-) All the best guys! ❤

[@davidshardlow4369]

Amazing effort Alex, and beautiful videography 🚴

[@gcn]

Thanks a lot!

[@_J.F_]

Well done Alex. I find it hard enough to ride on the tarmacked roads around where I live in hilly Wales but give me a trip to Australia this time of year and I would be happy to give riding on broken glass a go 😄

[@ricktoth7418]

Great job!🎉🎉🎉

[@ybh9776]

Dude well done!

[@petervonl]

That looked brutal. I thought you were mighty impressive, Alex, but what do I know. Great job, and great film. It could have been a bit longer, maybe :-)

[@dugldoo]

Beautiful country, nice shots! Alex, ready for the Steamboat Springs GRVL? Twice as long, twice the climbing, and starting at 2000 meters, not sea level.

[@jansprij2858]

Respect, great job

[@Stuio505]

I think Alex did great! He seems to be comparing himself on analysis to his prime days were he probably would have been in the top group of guys. But it still looks like he finished with some very good racers there. Well done. 👏

[@bigrex3896]

Great ride Alex! 17th and you enjoyed it! Amazing venue too. It makes me miss Australia even more.

[@gcn]

He smashed it didn't he! He must have loved it as he hasn't stopped wearing his RADL GRVL cap!

[@Darylbarker]

Great content and great effort on the ride 👏

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Jdwmaguire]

Where would VB finish here…. Top 6 I’d say? Well done Alex and editing on this was TOPS.

[@randyhale4181]

Good job young man good job🎉🎉🎉

[@jellyfishsalad5926]

Nice one. I'm keen to ride the route one weekend with friends to see what it's like. Looks fun!

[@gcn]

Let us know how you get on!

[@Mububban23]

Top effort. I'm just a weekend plodder, and the hardest group event I've done (twice) is on road, 100km and 2000m elevation. And that wrecks me! The thought of doing that distance and climbing on gravel makes my skinny little legs quiver in fear 😁

[@noconnorn12]

I thought that was Average Rob behind you in the white and blue!!

[@triathlonsteve9675]

Great vid, real good watch

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Kimberlietriracer25]

Great job Alex! Maybe someday

[@Gk9311]

well done Alex!!

[@rshelmerdine]

Looks like a great event! BTW, Radl Grvl have you down as being Australian in the results, Alex - they're ready to adopt you!

[@Turretism]

Beautiful scenery

[@gcn]

It certainly is!

[@TomSnyder--theJaz]

Well done, Alex. Cheers

[@the1mtbguy]

Know that area well , amazing place, looks brutal though, well done

[@Lewuaptedama]

Nice video. Great result imo!

[@gcn]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@tonysadler5290]

17th! Brilliant - I couldn't achieve that on the bus! Bravo 🎉🎉🎉

[@bubblesezblonde]

Well done Felix!!!!

[@resparer]

Good job Alex!!🎉

[@benjihunter4687]

Well done!♥

[@jimmythelips]

Brilliant stuff... Where do you get your wahoo/GoPro dual mounts from

[@madmick9205]

Awesome effort. It certainly inspired me to get my very first sportive 100miles under my belt. My goal is to simply get round, second goal is to not come last:) Great video. Thankyou:)

[@gcn]

Thanks for the comment! Let us know how you get on doing the 100miles! It's a big milestone 👍

[@Nigel555]

Good job 👍

[@iggalan]

Incredible effort, 3h 16m is bloody fast 🚴 . A few months back I did a gravel triathlon with 93 Km and 1400 m of elevation, it took me nearly 5 hours (of course after swimming and with a trail run ahead). I want to know about fueling and hydration for this race, it seemed quite warm, so salts could have been an issue. Did you use salt capsules? Tabs? I have my Precision Fuel & Hydration kit ready for my next race 😀 .

[@mjharrisleeds]

17th is an epic result. Great ride 👌

[@clintrobison5236]

Shoot bro! Feel better. The comeback video is going to be epic. 😂

[@Tuominenko]

You should come to Finland and ride the FNLD GRVL!

[@donaldyoung8866]

Excellent! Well done Alex ….. @gcn … but white Nike socks that look like they’ve been through a red sock wash.. 😂😂

[@tschwiesow]

Thanks for a sharing a chat and a few pre race nerves at the start. You perfectly captured this race and the entire week of riding that we can all experience during Tour Down Under. 10/10 would recommend. See y'all in Finland. Shout out to Sven Burger who went solo off the front for the first 10k on an aero road bike with file tread 28s.

[@gcn]

Sven channelled his inner 2022 UCI Gravel World Champs course vibes!

[@kurre_kallkvist]

Well done Alex!

[@FlyingGravelMan]

Really fast time still: 3 hours and 16 minutes. Well done and I love the footage ♥

[@gcn]

thanks!

[@treyquattro]

Alex is a great athlete and cyclist, as anyone who follows him on Strava and Zwift knows. Great result. GCN represent!

[@billythom1]

Great work Alex, how good is South Australia.

[@gcn]

South Australia is incredible!

[@KenSmith-bv4si]

Awesome effort Chad and a cool video. On a side note do the toilets down under really flush counter-clockwise?

[@gcn]

haha, not sure about the toilets!

[@edmundhodgson2572]

boy done good