Two gravel experts on racing, gear and tips for big days on rough roads

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Ahead of gravel racing’s biggest event, Unbound Gravel, two racers discuss the discipline of riding the bumpy stuff. Former pro-roadie and coach Andrew Randell will be racing Unbound for the first time. He talks about his preparation for the 200-mile event. Canadian cyclocross star Michael van den Ham, who started racing gravel in 2018, looks at how much the sport has changed in four years. He was second at his first gravel event, Mid South, after he finished his cyclocross season that year, took a short break and did a bit of training. This year, after CX wrapped up, van den Ham tried a similar strategy and says he was blown out the back of the pack at Mid South. Still, he’s not doing too badly this spring. He won Paris to Ancaster in April. Just recently, he took the win at Grinduro in California. Soon, he’ll be competing at Lost and Found instead of taking on Unbound.

Interview: Michael van den Ham on winning Grinduro and the ‘spirit of gravel’

This episode also features interviews with two up-and-coming endurance track riders. From the infield at the Milton velodrome during the most recent Nations Cup, Ngaire Barraclough and Sarah van Dam discuss their races. Barraclough competed in the scratch race. Later, during the omnium competition, she won the first event, which was another scratch race. Van Dam had a crash in the elimination race, but was able to get back on her bike and finish in an impressive sixth place.

Ottawa’s Alex Cataford checks in from the Giro d’Italia. No pizza for him during the stage in Naples, nor any wine after a winery visit. (Fantini is a major sponsor of Cataford’s Israel-Premier Tech team.) Grand Tour racing is truly hard.