My first ultra gravel event
Last May, I completed my first gravel ultra event. An experience I will never forget. For some time, I had been seeking a new challenge that would test me both mentally and physically. Together with a good friend of mine, we decided to participate in La Conquista. A route that starts in Burgos and finishes in Valencia, covering a distance of 650 km with 9000 meters of elevation. We registered for the race in late January, which gave us 3.5 months to prepare.
Preparation
To get prepared, I created a simple training schedule for myself. I divided the months into three blocks, gradually building from a basic fitness level to more specific training for the event. One month before the race, I spent five weeks in Italy with my girlfriend and son. We stayed in the Trentino and Tuscany regions—the perfect training grounds to build some climbing legs.
In addition to training, I also spent a lot of time preparing my equipment. I rode my Cervelo Aspero with GRX RX-600 with 46/30t on the front and 11-34 in the rear. I had my Zipp303s wheels fitted with 40 mm Schwalbe G One Bite tires (tubeless) that I also use in the Netherlands. A good all-around tire for dry and wet conditions. The bike bags I used were from AGU. My clothing was in the handlebar bag, the frame bag carried most of my food and the saddlebag held all the sleeping gear. The spare parts included a multitool, shoe cleats, chain links, a Dyna plug, electrical tape, glue, tire levers and a couple of other items.
During the race, I had my two bottles filled with Maurten 320 and I ate loads of bars, gels and Haribo sweets. Whenever possible we stopped for lunch, which was usually plain bread with jam. Besides the two bottles, I carried a 1.5-liter Camelbak on my back. The Camelbak also contained small spare parts and food.
Do you want to see the complete list of items I brought? Send me a message and I will send it to you.
Ready to ride
At 6 am we got up, and by 7 am the race was underway with a total of 70 riders. On the first day we covered 185 km and 3100 meters of climbing. We started at a steady pace, allowing faster riders to pass us in the first few kilometers. After 14 hours, we arrived in Barlanga de Duero. Day 2 began quite misty and wet. After 150 km we planned to continue, but due to the heavy rain, we decided to stop and continue the next day. This turned out to be a good decision, as another rider who continued riding send us a message saying the route was unrideable. The next morning the weather was fine and we continued our journey in the dark. By the end of day 3, we only had 150 km left to the finish. Riders who arrived before noon on day four would receive a bronze medal. So we decided to wake up at 2:00 am and complete the remaining 150 km before 12:00 pm. Day 4 brought us closer and closer to the Spanish coast. Apart from one big climb just before Valencia, it was mostly downhill. After 8.5 hours, at 11:00 am, just one hour before the bronze cut-off time, we finished on the beach in Valencia. Our total time on the bike (including stops) was 55 hours. Out of those 70 riders we managed to finish in 17th place.
Throughout the ride, we took numerous breaks to enjoy the views and take a rest. The route took us along rivers, over mountains, and through small abandoned villages and vast fields. Overall, I felt quite strong, both physically and mentally. I did had some issues with my back and my knee started hurting pretty bad on day 4. For the next ultra, I would therefore do some more strength training and go for more gearing in the back for the steep climbs.
Looking back, I can definitely say that I found what I was looking for. An adventure that challenged me both mentally and physically. This is definitely something I will do again.
