Gravel Desert Race: First win of the season

On Thursday, we left home and headed to Spain. It was a long journey—around 15 hours—but it was absolutely worth it. Together with a few others, I had the chance to arrive in a truly beautiful place for gravel riding.

As soon as we got there, we went out for about an hour on the bike, and I immediately understood that it was a special place. The day before the race, I rode a section of the course, and I loved it.

The route was fast and dusty, almost entirely on gravel, with really stunning landscapes.

On Saturday, the race started, and I chose the 85 km course. At the beginning, I felt good, but after just a few minutes I dropped my chain—it had gotten stuck. I managed to fix it fairly quickly, even though I had already lost some ground.

I got going again and found my rhythm. I tried to do my best and enjoy the race. I felt good on the bike, and the course was really fun to ride.

At the finish, I wasn’t sure about the result. Shortly after, I found out that I had won the 85 km—and it was a beautiful surprise.

I take this experience home with a lot of gratitude—for the feelings I experienced and for the people who support me and make all of this possible.

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