Gravel racing: 6 tips for your first time

Gravel pro Rosa Klöser has four tips for rookie racers. Although Luisa Keller has only taken part in one gravel race herself, she has already learnt a lot. Her many years of triathlon experience also give her a lot of racing expertise.

Tips from Luisa Keller

Luisa Keller is known on Instagram as Lulu on Tour. She took part in her first gravel race at The Hills Gravel. Thanks to her many years of experience as an athlete, she has a few tips for rookie racers. She talks about her most important learning in the interview.

Train your skills and familiarise yourself with mud and loose surfaces! Invest time in choosing the right tyres and the optimum air pressure (I can recommend the air pressure calculator from Sram for this) - this is the most important tuning for every race! And don't be afraid of carbohydrates, both before and during the race. Plan a rough nutrition strategy for long distances and you will finish well!

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Tips from Rosa Klöser

Rosa Klöser is one of thousands of female corona cyclists. But who can claim to have become a professional gravel cyclist and to have taken part in the Women's World Tour?

>> Portrait of Rosa Klöser

We asked Rosa for tips on gravel racing.

1. local races

For your first race, see if there's a smaller local gravel race near you - don't overdo it on your first race by choosing a race that's too long or technical.

2nd route check

Take the time to check the route and make a note of potential risks and bottlenecks.

3. know your equipment

Choose equipment that you know and feel confident on. I recommend using the widest tyres you can get on your bike - at least 45mm. Wider tyres not only offer more comfort, but are often the fastest choice and offer better puncture protection. Nobody wants to fall out of their first race with a puncture. Ps: The MTB tyre trend is definitely one that you should look to the pro riders for inspiration.

4. nutrition in the race

Take enough gels and other sports nutrition with you for the entire race. Please note: don't try out the food on race day, but beforehand during training to make sure you can tolerate it.