In Unpaved Chronicles, we delve into the world of gravel racing. This rapidly growing discipline combines the adventure of off-road riding with the intensity of racing. No smooth asphalt, but gravel roads, steep climbs, and unpredictable terrain. More and more riders are drawn to this mix of endurance, technique, and tactics. Every race features fierce competition for podium finishes and qualification for the World Gravel Championships.
We follow the riders of Airom.cc closely during UCI races at home and abroad. From preparation to finish, from mud to medal—this is gravel through their eyes.
One of these riders is Esmee Peperkamp. Normally active on the road for Picnic-PostNL, she's recently caught the gravel bug. With three podium finishes in a row, she's shown she's quickly become comfortable in this discipline.
How a spontaneous plan brought new joy to cycling
How did she end up on the gravel circuit? It was actually quite simple: "A few days before the Gravel One Fifty in July, the guys from Airoman said, 'Hey, why don't you just come ride Gravel One Fifty with us?'" It wasn't a crazy idea, except that Esmee didn't even own a gravel bike at the time. But she quickly changed that. "A friend of mine owns a bike shop and had a budget bike I could borrow. Ultimately, the Gravel One Fifty was a disastrous race for me, but I hadn't enjoyed cycling this much in a long time! So, after finishing, I immediately called that friend and told him I wanted to borrow the gravel bike. Since then, my love for this discipline—and cycling in general—has only grown!"
The charm of gravel: honest and pure
With years of road racing experience, it was quite a transition for Esmee to the big tires. Esmee: "I think the biggest difference is that it's a very fair sport. The one who is physically, mentally, and technically strongest wins. It's also an individual sport, not a team sport, which makes the racing dynamics very different." Regarding the atmosphere surrounding the races, she is particularly positive: "I think everyone feels more connected. We all share the same passion and are in the same boat; we all know it's going to be a real ordeal, haha!"
Besides the technical challenge that gravel offers, it also offers Esmee much more. Namely, listening to her body and sometimes even learning to let go. "Normally, I'm super structured and a perfectionist when it comes to training. Then I'm mainly focused on following the wattage zones and executing the planned blocks. On the gravel bike, I'm mainly enjoying the wonderful feeling of freedom and the beautiful surroundings. Mentally, it's much easier, and that's why I come home feeling good even on a bad day." With women's cycling becoming increasingly professional and where details are becoming increasingly important, this last point is especially important to Esmee. "Maintaining that feeling of enjoyment on the bike. In my opinion, that's the only way to pursue a sustainable cycling career."
Gravel Desert: Suffer and Dominate
With fun as the priority, Esmee is currently traveling around Europe for exciting gravel races. Last weekend, she landed in Spain, where she started in Gravel Desert, part of the Gravel Earth Series. With only two UCI series to draw on, she wasn't sure what to expect. "On the one hand, I knew I was the strongest rider at the start, but on the other hand, I have by far the least experience and don't know the 'big names' in the gravel scene yet. So I tried to go in with a fresh mind and just dive in." She emphasizes again that "fun was the priority." "I see the gravel races as great opportunities to make mistakes and learn from them, so I don't make them in a major road race (or gravel race) next year!"
Gravel Desert consisted of two events, with an individual time trial on Friday as the starter. It was a challenging course of about fourteen kilometers, which was particularly technical. Esmee: "I deliberately didn't take any risks and therefore always felt in control. The goal was to stay completely focused and not make any mistakes. I succeeded, so I felt good about it."
Less satisfying was the fact that the time trial took place Friday evening, and at eight o'clock on Saturday morning, the "main course" was already served: 155 kilometers with 1,300 meters of elevation gain. Without a course reconnaissance beforehand, Esmee wasn't sure what to expect. But the terrain quickly taught her it would be simply grueling. "None of the roads were smooth, which made it incredibly tough." From the first real climb, Esmee decided to pick her own pace, which was enough to shake everyone off. "Then I just went for it. It was four and a half hours of riding at a steady pace, making no mistakes. At one point, I heard I had about a ten-minute lead. That helped, because it meant I wasn't stressed when I took a wrong turn and got a slight hunger pang in the last half hour."
A comfortable win in both events, confirmation or surprise? According to Esmee, a bit of both: "Although secretly it was more of a confirmation. But I didn't expect to win with such a time difference against true clay-court specialists."
Sea Otter Europe: the next challenge
Today, Esmee is ready for a new challenge: the UCI Gravel World Series Sea Otter Europe in Girona. Despite her strong recent races, the road cyclist is still a bit nervous. "I've certainly raised some expectations, and there are many strong road and gravel riders at the start. On the other hand, I also see it as a fun and exciting challenge and an opportunity to learn."
If you don't take on the challenge, you can't fail, right?
"I'm also confident that I have a technical advantage over other cyclists, since I've mainly ridden technical races lately. However, there will be riders who take more risks than I do on descents…"
Unlike last weekend, Esmee is now at the start with course knowledge. Her conclusion? It's tough and technical. "The descents are super sketchy and bumpy, the climbs very steep. Right from the start, it's a tough climb; big differences will be made here."
Performance goals are great, but personal goals are just as important. For Esmee, they are: "I especially want to finish with a good feeling again (although I'll be completely screwed). My goal is to stay in control and not make any technical mistakes; to stay focused throughout the race. My biggest problem in previous races was that I wasted a lot of energy compared to the competition by riding alone at the front. That's not a bad thing, but it pushed me beyond my limits, which led to a hunger pang and I haven't had a chance to practice my fuel strategy properly yet. Improving on that is a key priority for this race." And if all goes well, a well-deserved piece of cake and coffee awaits her after the race. "Haha, yes, I'm already looking forward to that!"
Airoman.cc for better grip
Even though Esmee hasn't been riding gravel circuits for long, she's already incorporated one staple. "I'm not superstitious, but rather very practical, and the Airo long-finger gloves from Airoman are exactly what I need. I occasionally have accidents where my hands and fingers don't come off well if they're not protected, but that certainly won't happen to me with these gloves!"
Want to keep up with Esmee (and other Airoman.cc riders)? Follow us on Instagram. @airomaniacyclingclub or read more soon on Airoman.cc !