Update!

The Hills, Video Shoots and Austria!

The past couple of weeks have been very hectic and busy so I thought it was time for a proper update on what I have been up to and the races I have been at. I started this trip at the Hills Gravel Race. This was a “home” race for the team organized by my Enough Cycling teammate Mattia. Located in Lago le Bandie, Treviso, the race was 182 kms long with 2200 meters of elevation gain. The course featured 16 climbs, various terrains, technical and fast descents and a handful of single-track sections. Going into this race my goal was a top 10. I knew it would be difficult with the level of riders and especially the terrain of the course, but training had been going well, I felt strong, and I felt ready to tackle this course. However, I did not expect how hard the race and conditions were going to be. With heavy rain the day before and the day of the race, the entire course was one big mud pit. I have never experienced a day like this before of riding in such tough conditions. It took me 7 hours and 55 minutes to complete the course, which was MUCH longer than expected due to the mud on the course and multiple sections I had to walk due to mechanical problems. I had two big problems that I dealt with in the race which pushed myself and my bike to the absolute limit. First was the issue with my eyes. From KM 0 the rain was coming down hard. As we entered the first gravel and mud section, the water and debris from the road got under my glasses and in my contacts, which meant my sight was almost entirely gone. At that point, I needed to take off my glasses and try to get the water and dirt out of my eyes. I stopped quickly, put some water in my eyes, and kept going. This helped a little but the rest of the day my eyes were causing me a lot of pain and I had a really difficult time seeing. I was very happy to finish the race and clean my eyes! Thankfully, the paramedics at the race were super helpful with cleaning out my eyes and helped bring down the swelling!

My next big problem was some mechanical issues due to the muddy conditions of the race. However, I am not the only one!! To be honest, I am thankful I was even able to finish the race. There were so many DNFs due to unfixable mechanical issues. From KM 60 to the finish my front derailleur snapped, and I was stuck in my big ring. This race is called “The Hills” so with that there were many steep climbs and being stuck in my big ring is not ideal. Long story short, I had to walk up a handful of climbs and grinded at 30 RPM to get through some sections. In the last 10 km my rear derailleur was working on and off but in the last 500 meters to the uphill finish my bike finally gave up, my chain was in my spokes, and I walked to the finish. In the end, I finished in 9th. My goal was a top ten given the level of the field, the terrain and length of the course, I believed that was a good goal. Although I am always pushing for more, I am happy with my result. I also wanted to give a big kudos for everyone who rode that day. It was a wild day, and it took a lot of mental and physical strength to make it through!

After the Hills I had the opportunity to do a video shoot in Sienna with Pirelli! This shoot took place on the gravel roads of Strade Bianche. I have never been in this area before and I was super lucky to have this opportunity with Pirelli. I had an amazing couple of days riding around Sienna and exploring the white roads. There is not much more I can say about this now but make sure to keep an eye out later in May for a new release from Pirelli. A big thank you to Pirelli for having me!

After a few days in Sienna, I was back with the team getting ready for my next race, Worthersee UCI Gravel Race in Austria. After the Hills, my body felt completely empty. I knew it was going to take me a little longer than normal to recover. I took the day completely off after the race and stayed in bed most of the day in my hotel in Bergamo. I rode a bit on Monday but mostly easy as I was shooting. Tuesday morning, I shot in the morning, then the afternoon went on an easier two-hour spin and my body felt like it was coming around. On Wednesday morning, before leaving Sienna, I was able to do 3.5 hours with some efforts and I started to have good feelings again. It is hard to know with such an intense effort how your body will recover. I learned you really need to take it day by day. Most importantly, I just needed to make sure I ate well, hydrated, slept and took care of my body and mind. With my next race around the corner the most important thing was to listen to my body, know when to push and know when to slow down.

After a bit of a hectic week, I went to Austria to race the UCI race, Worthersee Gravel race. After 135km and 1,533 meters of elevation gain, I finished in 13th place in the lead group. This race was not really suited for me. It was fast, windy with a few short and steep climbs. In the end, a pretty big group of us finished together. I was not sure how I would feel after the Hills but overall, I felt that I recovered well, and my legs felt back to normal. Although it was not my favorite course, I really enjoyed racing on a fast course, as it allowed me to work on other areas I am not as strong in, and I also proved to myself that I am better riding on the flat roads and in the wind than I thought! Other than the race, the landscape in Austria was beautiful and reminded me how lucky I am to see so many amazing places! In the last week, I have been in various places across Italy and finished the week in Austria. I am so grateful.

Thank you for reading my update! My next race is only two weeks away. I will be racing a new race in the UCI Gravel Series in Monaco. I am pleased to say there will be a lot of climbing and I can’t wait!

First Race of the Year!

Gabby Traxler

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