COLLECTIONS

16/05

Aachen, Germany: UCI Gravel World Series

Aachen, Germany: UCI Gravel World Series In the 8th century AD King Charlemagne decided to place the small spa town of Aachen in the heart of the Holy Roman Empire; and build his palace there. The story goes that he fell in love with the hot thermal springs present in the region and the small chapel built in the heart of the town. He wanted to make Aachen a leading political and cultural centre. Located along the borderland of Holland and Belgium, this German enclave can still be considered today at the centre of Europe, and it will in any case be at the centre of Planet Gravel for a weekend. ‘Three Rides’ in Aachen is the UCI accredited event for the Café du Cycliste GT to attempt qualification for the World Championships. The big race will once again take place near Veneto (Italy) at the beginning of October, a grand finale to a season of undoubtedly true and testing grit. The rules are simple, to qualify athletes must be ranked in the top 25% of their age category. The increase in the number of participants in the discipline is proportional to the rise in the level of performance. So going for a qualification this year is more difficult than ever. The topography of the Aachen course contrasts radically with the other events of the Gravel Earth Series that the Gravel Team will be embarking upon in the 2023 season. Aachen takes our four warriors around seven laps of 19 kilometres each, on an undulating course. It totals 130 kilometres with 2000 metres of elevation that “the girls” will play their qualification. The heavy rain that has fallen in the region over the past few days will spice up the proceedings. With the terrain particularly greasy, conditions only get worse with the passage of the 800 racers competing. So after their reconnaissance lap, the Hutchinson tyres mounted on the Lauf Seigla are switched from Touareg to Tundra, as gripping the ground is a priority. Racing here at Aachen is also rubbing shoulders with the best in world cyclocross. Belgians, Dutch, and German off-road specialists appear en masse, and from the first lap of the course it will not take long to understand that the race is going to move at a hellish pace. Today it will be necessary to grit the teeth just to finish, pure concentration not to slip, and guts to hang on at all costs and keep the rhythm of the linked laps. Once out of the ‘washing machine’, the girls tell us that they had no respite, that this race, shorter than usual yet at a different intensity, turned out to be exhausting. Usually when a group is formed, riders quickly become companions in the chain, taking turns one after the other to progress collectively. A state of mind that we will not find here, each for himself, in search of the opportune moment to place an attack. A dogfight. The pro cyclists in attendance will share the podiums today, the qualifications will be fiercely contested. On the side of the Café du Cycliste Gravel Team Annabel Fisher won her qualification and a very good fourth place in the GC. A real accomplishment at the end of a demanding race and an unfavourable starting grid. If there are to be qualifications for the UCI race in October, our other three riders will have to pick them up individually at the remaining events this season. For now, all eyes are on the next encounter in a few weeks, the Migration Race in Kenya. Until then, long training sessions will follow to shine under the African sun. FURTHER READING The Lauf Life Conceived on the windswept and desolate trails of Iceland, Lauf are the bike sponsor of the Café du Cycliste Gravel Team. Having begun their journey as a suspension fork manufacturer, this fledgling brand now also produce beautiful carbon fibre bikes for gravel racing across varied terrain. VIEW MORE The Café du Cycliste Gravel Team A new year and new season on the horizon for the Gravel Team. The all-female squad will once again test their endurance, spirit and commitment on an international circuit. VIEW MORE Gravel Advice: Women of the CDC GT We sat down with the CDC GT, our female trio of Gravel racers, to talk about women’s racing and community, and how it feels to be a female athlete in a traditionally male-focussed sport. VIEW MORE The Traka: The reference for European gravel For the Café du Cycliste Gravel Team, arriving at The Traka is a little like visiting an old friend. There’s a familiarity born of previous experience and two of the team were winners last year (Annabel Fisher in the 100km and Lydia Iglesias in the 200km). VIEW MORE

COLLECTIONS

10/03

ROTM Mimosas

Touching Spring with the Mimosas Every Spring brings an enchantment here in Provence, when the famous yellow Mimosa trees bloom on the Tanneron and in the Esterel. Located just a few kilometres from Cannes, the massif overlooking the Mediterranean is ablaze with gold, exhaling a sweet scent of honey and vanilla. The paths on which our machines carry us are transformed into tunnels of flowers, a natural guard-of-honour standing proudly against the blue of the sky; this wonderful display is a remedy for the senses waking up from hibernation. Native to Australia and Tasmania, the mimosa scabrella blooms in early spring in temperate climates, such as the Côte d’Azur. Brought here in 1789 by the French botanists Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle and Aimé Bonpland during a trip to South America, the mimosa [for the brunch-time cocktail, see also ‘Buck’s Fizz’] has almost 600 species. The genus has established itself here in southern France as a favourite decoration in gardens and parks, cultivated by local horticulturists making use of the pleasant temperatures and chalky soil. Its flowers are delicate and sensitive to light and touch. The Route des Mimosas, a 120km journey dedicated to the plant, welcomes thousands of sightseers every year. We load our bikes on the regional express train from Nice, heading to Mandelieu for a loop of about 40km. The forecast says sunshine and a gentle 15°C, a promising morning ahead. Leaving Mandelieu station, the bikes rise up the steep slope of a dirt track, set back from the dwellings that ‘flowered’ here in the mid to late 20th century. Everyone has a clear view of the sea as we ride southwards and, judging by the vehicles parked outside these modern houses, this is a resort reserved for a privileged clientele. The Grand Duc elevates us to more than 500 metres in altitude, gradually revealing the scintillating blue from Nice to Fréjus. Our chunky tyres have left the populated areas and posh cars to find small farms belonging to local people, families who have lived up here for generations. In this natural setting, life has not yet yielded to the siren song of holiday properties, their fields of mimosas, olive trees and chestnut trees remain a much more precious commodity than euros or air-conditioning. Fabulous trails and small winding roads that make us extremely happy take us to the small road of Bagueiret, in the direction of Les Adrets de l'Esterel. At the bottom of the valley, the path would be more suitable for mountain bikes rather than our gravel bikes, which now resemble frail dinghies upon a rough sea. They resist the terrain entirely, so we dismount instead of flying over the handlebars. But then we find wide tracks once more, dirt boulevards that are entirely dedicated to us, at high speed, faces in the wind, we wish this would never end… By crossing Route Nationale 7, we leave the Tanneron massif to enter the Estérel. Its characteristic red rock has propelled us into an Arizona canyon; this place would be a perfect setting for John Wayne, regardless of his choice of horse. Here we find ourselves in the promised land of gravel and mountain biking on the Côte d'Azur, the feeling is magical. Here the mimosas have given way to lentisks and arbutus trees, whose glowing fruits are just waiting to be plucked. 40 clicks later and more than 1200m of ascent, we are approaching the coast. Our precious mimosas have reappeared. The name derives from the Latin mimus which means ‘mime’ – as the flowers fold up when touched, which mimics animals and their sensitivity. You cannot help but be drawn towards these enchanting plants, an invitation to enjoy the intoxication of the Côte d’Azur in all its early springtime glory. Further Riding Ride of the Month: March May is the season of the markets in Provence, where a cornucopia of open air stalls appear each week in most towns and villages. VIEW MORE Ride of the Month: May In the world of cycle racing, Milan–San Remo is one of the most prestigious events of the season. To win this trophy is to have your name chiseled into history. But only if you’re a man. VIEW MORE Ride of The Month: July The Col de Vence is an unforgiving climb, renowned for it's desert-like landscape, beautiful views of the Mediterrean Sea and the absence of an escape from the blazing sun. VIEW MORE Ride of the Month: September A 1300m climb to explore the wild animal reserve of the Monts d’Azur and ride the thrilling descent down the other side, through tunnels cut in the rock. VIEW MORE

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