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.
This time, we're taking a look behind the scenes with cyclocross rider Larissa Hartog, who rides for Orange Babies, is supported by Airoman.cc , and has recently caught the gravel bug. Like over 2,000 other riders, she was at the start of the Gravel One Fifty in Roden on Saturday, July 12th. She had already won second place earlier this year at 3RIDES Aachen and Eislek Gravel in Vianden, and won the Gravel Challenge. Blåvandshuk , there were ambitions for a quick victory. But there's no victory without proper preparation, which began two days before the race...
Thursday, July 10
A good knowledge of the course can make all the difference. As a rider, you want to know exactly where to be alert, where to move, and which sections can make the difference. But with a course over 150 kilometers long, consisting of a single lap, it's impossible to do a full reconnaissance the day before. So Larissa opted for a different approach: "I had rest for the two weeks leading up to the One Fifty, so I couldn't do the reconnaissance earlier. That's why I split the reconnaissance into two days. On Thursday, I started with kilometer 48 up to kilometer 138, and the rest followed on Friday."
Friday, July 11
Friday marks the second leg of the course: from the start to kilometer 48, and then continuing to kilometer 139 for the final stretch to the finish. Here, too, the focus is on finding key points that could potentially make a difference in the race. "There were a few sandy sections and singletrack where I definitely wanted to be at the front of the race!"
After the second recce, it's time to collect her race number and get everything ready for Saturday's race. Checklist: pin on numbers, fill water bottles, check that all the bike batteries are charged, lay out race clothing, and prepare the food for both during and after the race. Larissa and her father also select five refreshment stations where her father can hand out water bottles, all easily accessible for him: "On this course, it was quite easy to cut through, but we wanted stations where you didn't have to cross the course to reduce the risk of waiting."
Saturday, July 12 - Raceday
Larissa's alarm goes off early, 6:30 to be precise. "The Elite women's team started at 10:02 , and I always like to have breakfast three and a half hours beforehand. That way, I have time for a second meal before we actually get going." And so it was. Just after 6:30, Larissa is enjoying her breakfast: oatmeal with raisins, apple, lots of cinnamon, honey, and soy yogurt. "Just like apple pie. I can eat this all day long!"
Around 7:30 AM, it's time to go: cycling in the car and off to Roden. In the car, she briefly reviews the GoPro footage of her reconnaissance. "For example, at kilometer 20, that's where the first singletrack was. I really wanted to get that one in my head." They arrive in Roden at 8:15 AM . Plenty of time, and just how Larissa likes it: "I like to have some peace and quiet. And that way, you're also guaranteed to find a parking spot." At 8:30 AM , she eats a piece of homemade banana bread. Then it's time to change. "Because it was going to be a fast race, I rode in my speed suit, and of course, the Aero Short Cycling Gloves and Aero Socks from Airoman.cc were there. Both in white this time." At 9:00 AM, there's some time for socializing: "A bit of socializing with other Airoman.cc riders, and I even helped pin on a number."
The warm-up begins at 9:25 a.m .: "For me, that usually takes about twenty minutes. First, ten minutes easy, then three minutes of building up, and then a few sprints of 15 to 20 seconds." After another quick nervous pee, she—last in her category—enters the starting line.
At exactly 10:02 , the starting gun sounds for the Elite women's race, and the race begins. Despite starting at the back, Larissa quickly works her way up. "I made sure I was always in the top ten." The prep work with the Go-Pro quickly proves useful: "The Age Group men overtook us at the first singletrack, and because I absolutely wanted to be at the front there, I was in the front group and didn't get caught in the chaos."
As agreed, her father arrived at kilometer 30 with a new water bottle, and despite the large group she was riding in, the transition went smoothly. Around kilometer 60, Larissa had to let the first two women go: "It was on a loose stretch of sand. I knew this was going to be a crucial moment, but I simply didn't have the legs. The men were pushing hard, and only two girls from SD Workx and Canyon could keep up." Larissa continued riding alone between the men, until a few kilometers later, two other girls joined them. The three of them continued on for third place. Despite the chaos of the men speeding past, things went smoothly until someone made a rash steering error, flipped over, and took the women, and Larissa, with her. "Luckily, nothing serious happened. One of the girls I was riding with, Gerieke Schreurs, immediately checked if everyone was okay—she didn't jump back on her bike right away. I thought that was really polite."
Unscathed, the three women continued their journey. But two kilometers later, Larissa had another mishap. During an overtaking maneuver, her pedal got caught on a tree stump. "I flew through the air and knew immediately: this was bad. I was in a lot of pain, I could barely breathe." An Elite woman riding a bit further back saw her lying there and stopped to help. Shortly after, a male Age Grouper stopped his own race and called an ambulance for first aid. But due to the busy course and a poorly accessible forest path, it took a long time to reach Larissa. "According to my Garmin, it took half an hour. Until then, I was lying next to the course, while people were just barely riding past." At the hospital, it turned out: a broken collarbone and four broken ribs. "It really sucks. Falling is part of life, you know that, but of course you try to avoid it." She continues: "I was also shocked by how people kept driving. Some even yelled at the ambulance to pull over, 'because they were in their age group.' But come on, on a four-hour race, those few seconds really don't make a difference."
Airoman.cc in the race
Besides Larissa, Hidde (Merton) and Robbin (Zwaan), founders of Airoman.cc , were also at the start in Roden. Both were fully committed to World Championship qualification in their respective Age Groups. Hidde's race was a failure: he stopped when he saw Larissa lying down to make sure everything would be alright. Robbin, despite the wear and tear, managed to ride in the top 25% and thus qualified for the World Championships: "From the start, it was incredibly fast and painful. I was pushing wattages that were truly out of this world for me. Afterwards, I said: 'I'm never doing this again.' But an hour later, I was already feeling great again." .And now, days later, I'm still enjoying it!”
Curious how Robbin is preparing for the World Championships and how Larissa's recovery is going for the upcoming races? Follow them (and other Airoman.cc riders) on Instagram @airomancyclingclub or read more soon in Unpaved Chronicles .