The Circus | The Tour outside our door. It was a week in Nice like no other week. As the Tour came to its conclusion outside Paris for the first time in over a century, the cycling world descended on our home town for a period of revelry and racing. A celebration of everything bike, an ode to the power of pedalling fast. Unusual, almost unprecedented and certainly unforgettable. The old port and the calm before the storm. Yellow is the colour. Riders from around the world, hills of home. Runners refusing to be upstaged. The best seats in the house and switchback heaven. Race faces from the elite. The crowds are out in force and everybody is looking for a hero. Eyes front and total focus. From admiration to exultation and standing ovation. The man, behind the mask. Nothing else to say. The final knockings. Gone but never to be forgotten.

DREAMS WITHOUT END | UNBOUND GRAVEL Living an experience you've dreamed of can often disappoint or leave you wondering why you longed for it all this time. In our minds, we build up all facets, the scenery, the atmosphere, and the result, but is it ever really what our dreams think it will be like? We were worried we had hyped up Unbound Gravel too much. Isn't it just another very long bike ride? In an area most often referred to as being part of what people in the USA call "Flyover States"? How could this race ever live up to the hype that preceded it? Well, it did. Months of careful preparation led to that one Saturday in June when nearly 5,000 cyclists embarked on their adventure in the Flint Hills, creating stories and leaving with memories that would last a lifetime. The start-line nerves hit differently than at other events, but as soon as the gun went off, a bike race's oh-so-familiar rhythm and cadence took hold of our minds Riding 203 miles in 10 hours and 13 minutes was an almost zen-like experience. Never in a million years would I have thought I would be capable of the ride I did, while appreciating the beauty of my surroundings, connecting with people along the way and digging deeper than ever. For Jess, riding 108 miles in 6 hours and 14 minutes was filled with big and small wins. When you've spent all winter training for your goal race, there's no room to quit, even when persistent calf cramps are trying to slow you down. Everything was left out there on those dusty Kansas gravel roads before the finish line, which brought sweet relief with a heavy dose of emotion. Did we end up overhyping Unbound? No. Did we have to deal with derailleur-destroying mud and otherworldly weather conditions? No. Would we recommend this event to anyone driven to push themselves and experience something truly unique? Absolutely. The physical emptiness you carry across the finish line is met with a mental and spiritual fullness that can only be experienced and understood by those who have completed this event. We will for sure be back to chase after that satisfying feeling again.

TOUR DE NICE | AN INSIDERS GUIDE TO THE HOME OF CAFÉ DU CYCLISTE The Tour de France is coming to town in the summer of 2024, and we’ll be showing the race every day on our big projector screen. The Étape du Tour is being held in Nice too, but in truth cyclists are always coming here – for the Nice Ironman, a cycling boot camp or simply a weekend’s riding. For the best cycling out of town, you can find our riding guide to the Alpes-Maritimes here, and our gravel guide here, but here’s a few other things to do in town and further afield. TOURIST SIGHTS A stroll along the Promenade des Anglais is always a treat, and the colline du château (castle hill) in between the port and the old town has great views. The Cours Saleya flower market can be charming, but for a real working market with great fruit and vegetables head to the marché de la Libération at the Libération tram stop every morning from Tuesday to Saturday. And if you want a dip, head away from the main beach and swim with the locals off the rocks and in little coves just around the corner at the Plage de la Réserve. DINING OUT For good pizza, try Made in Sud. Like many of our recommendations, it’s in the buzzing old port area of the city, close to Café du Cyliste. Thanks to the city’s proximity to the Italy there are hundreds of pizzerias in Nice, but this one is run by a lovely Neapolitan family and makes some of the best dough and tomato sauce this side of the border. Chez Davia, meanwhile, is also close by and does high-class Niçois specialities and French bistro food. LUNCH AND LIGHT BITES Try Hely, housed in an old petrol station, and Panineria Ceresola, in the antiques quarter, for amazing paninis in fluffy home-made bread. ICE CREAM Showing the Italian influence, most of the good ice cream in town is gelato. Fennochio in the Old Town is a favourite, and has a vast range of flavours. Arlequin, near the main train station in the Libération area, is perhaps even better, and it has the best chocolate ice cream in the world. DRINKS There are a thousand terraces to sit on in Nice, but for classy wine there’s Les Oeillets bar à vin. And the Brasserie de Castillon has a good selection of local craft beer from the passionate owner of a local brewery. It does very good food too! COFFEE If you’re not near the Café du Cycliste and need a caffeine fix, head to Brume in the Old Town or Hug Café in the Jean Médecin main shopping district. If you’re out on your bike, we can recommend Nomads in Antibes, but really any cafe with a nice terrace is worth a stop – and the average coffee is 200% better once you cross the border into Italy! BOULANGERIES France wouldn’t be France without a world-class baguette, and our favourites include Les Petits Marchands in the port and Bakery Jean Marc Bordonnat nearby. If you’re out riding, try Saines Sauveurs in La Turbie, Boulangerie Alexis in Levens and Pan d’Aqui in L’Escarène for a sugary tart or a savoury snack. HIKING Take the bus up into the Mercantour National Park from the Grand Arénas stop for a wide range of hiking routes. Saint–Étienne–de–Tinée, Isola 2000 and Roquebilière (for a shuttle up to the Gordolasque valley) are good starting places, and the bus only costs €1.70 for a single ticket (find the timetables here). Alternatively, the sentier littoral (coastal path) leads eastwards from Nice to Monaco and beyond – pick it up at the plage de la Réserve. Or the Sentier Nietzsche (Nietszche path) takes you straight up from Èze-sur-Mer (where there’s a train station) to the picturesque Èze village high up on the cliffs. It’s also good for trail running ! Don’t forget that there are road and gravel bikes for hire at Café du Cycliste. Or just come in for a coffee and a chat and to watch all the racing action!

BIKING NICE AT BENICE Back in January, I received a call from Alex about an event they wanted to launch. I knew it would be the kind of event I would enjoy. I met his crew from Valencia last year, and I couldn't be more grateful to the bikepacking community we are building in Spain and around the globe. When I started traveling by bike some years ago, I never expected this incredible feeling of belonging – no matter where you are, you always feel close to your ‘tribe’. These guys from Valencia were my tribe. BeNice was introduced to me with a mix of joy and doubt, knowing it involved a risky decision: investing not only money but also a significant amount of work on an inclusive event, in their free time outside their jobs. It wasn't an easy decision, but people were always asking how they could join the gatherings we’ve had over the last few years around Spain. I was eager to enjoy the event from the moment I first heard about it. June came quicker than I expected, and soon enough, the event was here. From Bilbao to Valencia is just over 600 kilometres, but there are some differences in climate and the character of the people. I love that in one country there is so much diversity. BeNice not only brought together people from these two regions but also from various parts of Spain and Europe. We had our most international member, Sara, who came from her native Scotland, and Iñigo, who lives in Brussels. The rest of us came from Andalusia, Aragon, Madrid, and other parts of Spain. Some of us already knew each other; others didn't. The mission of the event was to bring together more members and create a small community. On the first day of BeNice, on our way to our basecamp Alex says to me "Now is your time. We have already enjoyed creating this." The basecamp, Mas de Cotanda, was a few hours away from Valencia. A masía or mas is a type of rural construction common in the eastern regions of Spain and derives from the Latin word mansus, meaning "country house". These historical buildings have been central to agricultural life for centuries, serving as family residences, farms, and production centers. Beyond their function as simple rural structures, masías symbolise a deep connection to the land and local communities. Mas de Cotanda offerz incredible views of the Sierra de la Batalla and the adjacent massifs. This area is part of what is commonly known as la España Vacía (Empty Spain). This term describes the depopulation and ageing of many rural areas in Spain, the migration to large cities and the abandonment of rural regions. Arrived on bicycles or in vans or cars we were happy to meet familiar faces and pleased to discover some new ones ! The magic of BeNice was bringing together people beyond our small community of cycling friends. Almost sixty people gathered in front of Alex and Will, who explained the basic rules. We immediately began discussing which route we would choose for Friday - Alex and Will planned 8 differents routes with various difficulity levels - as well as our anticipation for dinner and the delicious food being prepared in the kitchen. The incredible aroma of baked vegetables made our stomachs growl even more. The first dinner gave us a wonderful preview of the incredible vegan recipes we would enjoy over the next few days. Leek cream, curried tofu, hummus with various ingredients, and excellent coffee were just a few of the breakfast, lunch, and dinner combinations. Hooray for the cooks! Some slept in tents, others in vans, and the rest in the rooms of the Mas. We woke up to sunshine and a bit of morning freshness after a rainy and stormy night. We started the day with a yoga session led by Cris from Surya Bikepacking. Cris's class was enjoyable, interesting, energising, and relaxing, giving us the opportunity to stretch our stiff bodies after the humid night. A delicious breakfast followed, bringing with it the first BeNice connections at the long table outside the house. The first departures are starting. I joined the group on the route 7, because it was one of the longest and most demanding routes, leading to a deserted town, La Estrella. After dressing in some of the clothes from the new Café du Cycliste collection, I prepared my bike with food, snacks, and enough water for the 79 kilometres and 1,500 metres of elevation gain ahead of us. We had the whole day ahead and needed to return by 6:30 p.m. We shared the start with route 4, which the organizers had designed to take the most direct paths with the least elevation gain to reach the town of Mosqueruela. To avoid the road entirely before reaching the town, they included a small stretch of path. The first section was rideable, but it soon became rougher, and more than one person had to dismount and walk for a short distance. The downside of this route was the lack of water points, shops, or bars to refuel or buy food at. We passed by farmhouses and skirted gentle hills before beginning the descent to the Monleón River and the Estrella neighborhood Reaching La Estrella was special. We had high expectations for this place because we had heard many stories locals. Martín and Sinforosa had been the only inhabitants of the remote village of La Estrella for over thirty years, but the only residents today are the cats that Martín and Sinforosa cared for. After a lunch break, we had to climb a few kilometres and some steep slopes to leave the Monleón River and reach the Vistabella plain, then head back to the camp. After dodging some mud, we arrived back at the Masía with big smiles on our faces and exhausted bodies. The large group had divided into two, so we gathered to share experiences before Juan's talk. Juan has been dealing with multiple health issues all his life. He has been a long-distance racer against the tumours forming in his digestive system as well as a real ultra-marathoner, and a long-distance cyclist. An incredible person, we were honoured to hear his experiences as he presented his book, Vacío (Empty)! We woke up early to light rain and a grey day – this wasn't pleasant news for us, but it would be beneficial for the area – but Cris managed to brighten it up with the first asanas of the day. After breakfast, we geared up for Saturday’s adventure: tackling route number 5. A group set off to explore the slopes of the Vistabella plain. This place was truly a delight to experience. Following a section of the GR7, we crossed several farmhouses nestled between the Sierra de Boi and the depths of the Monleón River, eventually reaching the San Bartolomé Hermitage. With origins tracing back to the Templars, at the foot of Boi Castle, it offered a unique and beautiful balcony with views of the town of Culla. After climbing back up to the Vistabella plain, the trail led us directly to the town centre, where we replenished our energy at one of its bars and a pastry shop, nearly emptying its shelves of sweets. Slightly soaked from the persistent rain and sugared up from the treats, we returned to the camp. After completing the second route, enjoying a hot shower and some snacks, it was my turn to speak. It was incredible to share my experiences surrounded by people with the same cycling vision, souls who understood the journey on wheels and sparked debates about today's world. I am still grateful to the organisation for this wonderful opportunity. After a delicious dinner, it was time for the raffle drawing, with incredible prizes from all the brands that supported the event. Nervous and intrigued, we gathered in the main hall for the show. Some lucky winners walked away with up to three prizes! Sunday arrived, bringing shorter routes to ensure we could savour the giant paella at 2 p.m. With a group of girls, we strolled around the Masía, stretching our legs and enjoying relaxed conversations. We didn't want to miss the paella or the chance to pack up camp early and air out the tent. Although the rain had stopped, the humidity lingered in the air. Two large vegan paellas arrived at the table ahead of schedule, concluding a few days of connection and reconnection that wouldn’t have been possible without all the hard work by the BeNice team. Goodbyes are always bittersweet, but none of the organisers said no to a future reunion, so… see you in a few months! Thank you, thank you and thank you. Much love!

WISH ONE AND ALL After kicking off the season with Santa Val and then high tailing it to Traka in April, the next stop for the Café du Cycliste Gravel Team was the Wish One Millau Grands Causses. The only French stage of the UCI Gravel World series and a qualifying event for the related World Championships. Run in the shadow of the famous Millau Viaduct, the race takes place in the heart of the Grands Causses Regional Natural Park. Famous for its impressive cliffs and rock formations - the causses - the course includes part of the Templière du Larzac trail as well as passing through the Causse Noir. Moonlighting from their day jobs with the Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur Pro Continental squad, it is the first time we’ve had all four male members of the team together on the road (or the gravel come to that…). It is a change of scene for the guys, and equally a change of atmosphere. Illustrated by our race preparation which included a spot of fishing in the Tarn. When in Rome, or in Aveyron. Preparation also included a more classic course recce but only the day before. The exact route was kept under wraps until twenty-four hours before the start due to it passing through a military zone, a quirk just crying out for inappropriate battle analogies somewhere down the line. Compared to other races on the calendar, and at only 145km, the format is short. But still intense. Once finally unwrapped in all its glory, the route is revealed to feature mixed terrain and a 50/50 split between gravel and road surfaces. The course is designed to be fast. In theory this split should suit Andréa, Noah, Paul and Axel down to the smooth(er) ground but gravel sections in general are not what they are used to. The main difference is, in their minds, the level of concentration required. While zoning out or zoning into autopilot, relatively speaking, is possible out on the road it is down right impossible when racing on the rough stuff. Gravel is unforgiving and demands concentration for every moment of the five plus hours in the saddle. And as the riders roll of the start, the challenge begins. Andréa held the leading group as much as possible but unfortunately wasn’t able to hang on from gun to tape. An 18th place finish was nevertheless an excellent result in this field, and it gained him qualification for the Elite category in the Gravel World Championship. A save the date for October. While Andréa had raced with the team at Traka, it was the first outing of the season for the other three ‘Nicoise’ riders. “It’s more fun than the road” Axel said after he finished 49th overall. “But it’s still competition and the rhythm is the same as among the pros”. His mountain biking background certainly helped him quickly feel comfortable on the technical sections. Paul rode hard throughout and came home a very creditable 27th but unfortunately Noah was all out of luck on this occasion. A double puncture led to an early exit from proceedings as he was forced into a DNF. However our vigil at magnificent arrival under the Viaduct, in front of the building where the bikes of the French Gravel brand, Wish One, are designed, ended on another positive note as Stephan Mifsud crossed the line. Wearing Café du Cycliste colours he finished 122nd in the general ranking and 3rd in his age category, like his son Andréa qualifying for the gravel world championships. The next race for the team will be in Finland in mid-September. The Falling Leaves Lahti, part of the Gravel Earth Series and the scene for what will surely be another unforgettable adventure.

SIERRA ULTRA | DESERTUS 2024 WITH SOPHIE GATEAU Café athlete Sophie Gateau got down and dusty at Desertus Bikus for the third year in a row, riding from the Basque country to the Costa del Sol by way of a selection of Spain’s most desolate and dusty deserts – and this time she brought some friends. Desertus is a 1,350km (840 mi) ultracycling race that pays homage to the first days of the Paris–Dakar Rally in the 1980s. Desert areas this year included the Bardenas, the Siberia Extremeña and the Ruta de las Caras. Desertus is about speed – but is also concerned with orienteering and self-sufficiency. Riders must pass through four crossing points on their journey across Spain, verified by GPS tracker. How they get between them is up to them – as long as it is without assistance – and dotwatchers of the world scrutinise their choices. Sophie describes her Desertus experience as a ‘challenge’ rather than a race. Since it’s her third participation, she took the scenic route, taking photos and discovering new roads. More than 300 people took part this year. About 5-10 per cent of the ride is on gravel, depending on each individual’s route planning but these are ‘rolling tracks’ and can be ridden on road bikes. Last Desertus Sophie rode a gravel bike, but this year she switched, in part to prepare for VIA Race in July. Café du Cycliste also kitted out a bunch of Sophie’s female friends, to help them on their adventure. Among them was Hélène Fromenty, who finished third woman! Among Sophie’s ‘must haves’ for this kind of adventure are: the Annette jersey, for its breathable, quick-drying and odour-free merino; the Mona jersey for its super light weight and large pockets; and the Edith windproof jacket for cool mornings and evenings. For Sophie, the stand-out moment came near Toledo, around halfway through, when, to the sound of cicadas as the sun set, she shared the road with another Desertus rider she had encountered and they improvised a bivvy together in the Parc des Cabañeros, where the soft-impact flooring of a children’s playground gave them just that little bit of extra comfort. Sophie admits that swapping the grey skies of Paris for the ultra-dry deserts of Spain was a bit of a shock to the system – but it was worth it for the incredible variety of landscapes the journey from the north to the south of the Iberian Peninsula presented – whatever route the rider chose. Café du Cycliste is partnering with ten events this year, taking in road, gravel and bikepacking, including Desertus and July’s VIA Race. For a full list click here.

HITTING THE HEIGHTS | THE MONTMARTRE VÉLO CLUB Montmartre is perhaps the most romantic neighbourhood of the world’s most romantic city. It sits on a hill of the same name on Paris’s northern edge, commanding an unrivalled panoramic view of the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame and all the other attractions of the City of Lights. Home to a famous community of bohemians and artists (and now tourists too), it also houses vineyards, Paris’s last functioning windmill and the white-domed basilica of Sacré-Coeur. During the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the steep cobbled streets will play host to the final circuit of the men’s and women’s road races. When that comes around there will be a few local cyclists who will know the climbs better than most. The Montmartre Vélo Club was founded during the big lockdown of 2020. At that time in France, people were only allowed out to exercise within a kilometre radius of their house – which definitely presented a challenge for cyclists who wanted to keep fit! It started with a small group of friends who lived in Montmartre, who previously had met every Saturday to ride out of town. Instead, they began to get together and loop up and down and around the historic roads of the neighbourhood – rue Blanche, rue Lepic, rue Azaïs – and spend their allotted hour of recreation in some semblance of normality. Antoine Ricardou, was one of the first to call this informal gathering the ‘Montmartre Vélo Club’. Every time they passed a cyclist on the road, he’d ask him or her to join them. “We’d meet a bunch of guys,” Antoine says, “and we’d say to them, ‘See you next Saturday.’” And little by little it grew. So Montmartre became a social space as well as a training ground. The streets were otherwise deserted, leaving plenty of space for the Montmartre Vélo Club to take shape. A place to make new friends. Riders all had nicknames – the ‘President’, the ‘Landlord’, the ‘Pilot’, the ‘Swiss’ – and it wasn’t all about sport: group discussions might range over cultural or political subjects, and not only the last Strava KOM. The club became ‘renowned for its good spirit and frank camaraderie’ – or so its motto tells us. The good vibes and the camaraderie are real, but watch your back: MVC members are likely to turn on the afterburners on the hills. These days, with life more or less back to normal, the club still meets on Saturday, starting off together to head out of town and finishing a little more spread out – although you’ll find many of them at the local bar Au Rêve for an après-beer. The biggest group rides out on the road, but there’s a gravel contingent too. Each year it’s been possible, they head out on a training camp: Mallorca, Switzerland and, this year, the hilly Cévennes region in southern France. This year they’ll be wearing their new kit – bibs and jerseys designed and made in collaboration with Café du Cycliste. If you see them on the streets of Paris, or further afield, give them a wave! Picture credits : Luc Frey

TRICKY TRAKA All eyes were on Girona, one of the homes of cycling in Europe, in the first week of May, for the eagerly anticipated Traka, the largest race on the European gravel calendar. But the week started ominously, with significant storms and rain – a forecast that led to the organisers cancelling the 560-kilometre ‘adventure’ route that had been due to debut this year. Never had the race taken place in bad conditions, but Café du Cycliste was there – for the third year running – with athletes in each event ready to compete come what may. For our gravel team women, this was the second race of the season after Santa Vall, the first event in the Gravel Earth Series, of which Café du Cycliste is a title sponsor. Meanwhile, it was the new men’s gravel team’s debut outing of the year. Check out both teams here. The gravel team women were taking on the 360km and 100km races, alongside some athletes from the extended Café du Cycliste family, while the men’s gravel team were riding the 200km event; and employees, including our founder, Rémi Clermont, had signed up for the shorter distances. In the event, the Friday morning dawned cold and very wet underfoot, but the blue skies would return as the day went on. And so the gun was fired to start the 360km event – reduced slightly in length to avoid flooding – only an hour behind schedule. Every race brings something new, and new to the Traka this year was the mud! Gravel riding has many faces, from smooth and dusty to large and rocky, but one thing is certain: when it’s been raining, there will be mud. Riding in mud brings its own challenges, as does keeping an eye on the changing ground conditions. Add to that navigating by GPS – the races are not signposted – and the potential for mechanical problems, and it’s easy to see vigilance is required at all times. After a long day in the saddle, gravel team riders María Ögn Guðmundsdóttir and Heura Piñol finished 15th and 32nd women respectively – María smiling all the way and Heura coming in after midnight! Male Café athletes Hafsteinn Geirsson and Thibault Viarengo, meanwhile, finished 25th and 81st. The women’s race was won outright by Poland’s Karolina Migon, and the men’s by Peter Stetina from the USA. On the 200km race, a lightning-quick start meant a competitive selection right from the gun. Andréa Mifsud established himself in the second group, battled to stay in contention on the technical sections and came in 53rd. Noah Knecht started fast but a series of punctures, and 10km rolling on his back rim before a change of wheel, left him in 101st place. The men’s race was won by the Czech Petr Vakoc and the women’s by Germany’s Carolin Schiff. In the women’s 100km race, our Maria Capdevila came in 32nd, breaking her 100km personal best on the way. And Café employee Marvin Gruget podiumed in the 50km race, coming third! Next on the schedule for the men’s gravel team is the Wish One qualifying race for the UCI World Championships, in Millau, south-central France. Check out the new gravel team kit here!

YOUNG AMERICANS | RIDING THE CAPE EPIC Noah Warren, a USA cycling development programme – and Café du Cycliste – athlete lined up at the Lourensford wine estate in Cape Province, South Africa, last month, for 605 kilometres of the toughest mountain-bike racing possible. Over eight days, competitors in this celebrated and infamous Cape Epic climbed more than 16,050 metres and journeyed into the heart of South Africa. He was riding in a two-person team with fellow American Griffin Hoppin. All competitors must ride as pairs and team-mates must stay within two minutes of each other – and repair any mechanicals they have on course. Every year the harsh weather and unbelievably rugged course take their toll on both riders and equipment, leading many to drop out before the final finish line. Noah has never had a DNF (‘Did Not Finish’) in his racing career, and he did not intend for this to be his first. Warren is only 19, but he was bitten early by the cycling bug – and bitten hard. While in high school he raced in the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, and the National Mountain Bike Championships; and in 2021 and 2022 he finished on the podium of the USA Cycling Marathon. But, for him, it was never all about speed. Noah was always looking for adventure too. The young American made his first long trip at 15, riding east to west across the USA. His bib short of choice for this 5,200 kilometre feat? Mathilde, from our Audax range – his first ever Café du Cycliste purchase. In 2019, at the age of 14, Noah went to spectate at the Cape Epic, where he met the legendary champion Nino Schurter. This inspired in him a dream to participate in the race as soon as he could. Little did he imagine that a few years later he would be on the start line with Schurter. The minimum age to enter the Cape Epic is 19. In 2023, at 18 and four months, he participated with pair Hadden Beykirch alongside Schurter and became the youngest UCI rider to finish. In 2024 Warren was due to take on the adventure with team-mate Patrick Balls, but two weeks before the race, Balls injured his knee and dropped out; Griffin Hoppin filled in. For Noah, it’s this team aspect and atmosphere that makes the race special – that sharing of emotions, helping out and overcoming things together. “Cape Epic is less about the race and more about the community and the culture,” he says. Now back on the Côte d'Azur, where he moved to study, he looks back on the experience. A stand-out moment was on Stage 3, between Saronsberg and Wellington: another rider, Casey South, found himself out of the race when his partner was injured, and so helped Noah and Griffin, sitting in front of them to keep them out of the wind. “Having that support from somebody who had no reason to help us was just amazing, and reflects the mentality of the Cape Epic,” Noah says. Noah did all of preparation for the race around Nice, and admits he spent more time on his road bike than his mountain bike while training – so good are the region’s roads. He gives special mention to the road up to Gourdon, one of the famous ‘perched villages’ in the back country, as well as the coast road from Antibes to Nice, which he rides most days to get to university. The Côte d’Azur cycling community has, he says, welcomed him with open arms, and in particular the regulars at our café on Nice port. Thanks to the friendliness of all the local cyclists, he’s got to know the roads. Next up: the region’s trails. Noah’s goal is to win the Cape Epic one day; and with a few more years’ riding in Nice, that could become a real prospect… Picture credits : Nick Muzik

FROM SNOWPARKS TO GRAVEL FLOAT | GRAVEL EARTH SERIES Gérard Freixes is the brains behind Klassmark, the company that organises the Gravel Earth Series – of which Café du Cycliste is one of the title sponsors. He sat down with us to give us some insight into the events, and where they might go next. Are you a cyclist through and through? No, I wouldn’t consider myself a pure cyclist. Though I raced mountain bikes from a very young age, my career took a turn towards snowboard and constructing snowparks. That was where I began as an entrepreneur. How did you start riding gravel? I took my first steps in gravel via mountain biking. In 2014 I tried a gravel bike and fell in love with the discipline, and I haven’t stopped riding gravel since. I’ve always combined it with trail running, I appreciate the contact with the natural world. How would you define gravel? For me, ‘gravel’ evokes that special sensation of floating you get when you’re on gravel roads. It’s about adventuring on gravel tracks and feeling that combination of technique, float and contact with the earth that speed gives you. How did you get the idea for Klassmark and the Gravel Earth Series? The idea for Klassmark goes back over 15 years, a time when I was deeply involved in organising action sports events. The idea for the Gravel Earth Series came later – an attempt to capture the original essence of gravel and launch a world circuit that would recognise all athletes. The Gravel Earth Series has grown rapidly, why is that? How do you see it changing in the future? It has grown due to the growth in gravel enthusiasts around the world, and because our series of events foreground the fundamental values of the sport – and the discovery of diverse places. Tell us about the shape of the 2024 GES… For the 2024 season, we’ve come up with a more inclusive format, with more events on each continent, so as to reduce the number of long-haul flights – above all for the professional athletes. We’re also seeing longer formats (650km on the Migration Race). At the moment, our events tend to reward pure performance, but our vision of the future is to include more ultra events, long-distance challenges that require planning and organisation. What were you hoping from the season opener, the Santa Vall, and what about the season as a whole? We were pleased to hit our target of 300 entries at Santa Vall. We’re sure it’s going to grow, which is how it has to be for us after the first year of a new project. Next season is looking bigger and better – we’re planning to change the format to include three pure gravel stages, to attract even more participants. Anything more to add? It’s so important to me not only to work in something I’m passionate about, but also to try to contribute positively to society in general. I think that the Gravel Earth Series is well received by the community, and this is the most rewarding thing for me. I truly value being able to go to bed each night knowing we’re making a contribution to the sport and to the community, it brings a lot of satisfaction to our work. Read more about our 2024 gravel teams, and the first event in the 2024 series, the Santa Vall, where Café du Cycliste was a headline sponsor.

SOPHIE POTTER RIDES THE ATLAS MOUNTAIN RACE. Intrepid adventurer Sophie Potter has just finished the Atlas Mountain Race (AMR), an ultra mountain-bike event that crosses Morocco’s Atlas Mountains and passes via the Anti-Atlas to finish in Essaouira. It’s a serious business: 1,300km and 21,000m of elevation over sand, stones and colonial-era gravel tracks. Sophie explains how it went… You set off for Morocco three weeks early – was it all just tagines? Before getting there I’d spent two months on my home trainer, so I really wanted to get used to the bike again, without bags on. The time allowed me to refine my riding position and get an idea of the temperatures in Morocco at low and high altitudes, to choose the right clothing and sleep system. Unfortunately, I was ill those three weeks and ended up coughing so hard I cracked a rib. I had to rest a lot, and couldn’t recce as much of the route as I’d hoped. Tell us about the equipment you rolled on… I took a Scott hardtail that I’d bought second hand. Before the race I’d ridden around 3,500km on it, including the Silk Road Mountain Race and the Pamir Highway, up to altitudes of 4,700m. It’s specially equipped with lightweight but reliable parts… I added aerobars to take the pressure off my hands, but even so I lost feeling in six of my fingers. With my lightweight René Herse Fleecer Ridge tyres and custom cargo wheels, total weight was around 10kg." And what was in your bags? I took the lightest possible equipment, without skimping on the essentials to finish the race. Some people take risks because their goal is to finish first, but that wasn’t me. Nevertheless, I didn’t take anything ‘just in case’. In the frame bag I mainly had electrical equipment: two 10,000mAh battery packs, a charger, cables, a multitool, pump and a tubeless repair kit, as well as my documents, money and some food (I also had some supplementary food pouches). In my top tube bag, essentials for on the move – sun cream, sunglasses, moisturiser, lip balm. In my saddlebag, a first-aid kit, sleep system, warm jacket, leg warmers and gloves. I didn’t take a change of clothes. Every 12 hours I changed and washed my bibs, leaving the other pair to dry on the saddlebag. Because there’s not much water in Morocco, I used taps outside the little shops I passed to both ‘shower’ and wash my clothes! What couldn’t you do without in a multi-day race like this, in terms of repair kit? Chain oil – no hesitation! A tubeless kit, an inner tube fixed to the frame and tyre levers; two pumps (including a 30g back-up); multitool, cable ties and duct tape; two pairs of brake pads; pliers, a quick link and a derailleur hanger. And for sleeping? I prefer sleeping inside during races as I recover better. However, I knew that for the AMR this wouldn’t always be possible. So I opted for an ultra-light inflatable sleeping mat and a 450g sleeping bag rated to 2 ºC. How were the vibes pre-race? The afternoon before the race, Nelson, the race director informed us that the police had ordered a 24-hour delay to the start, because of storms that were about to hit. I’d been very stressed and hadn’t slept properly for three nights, so the news came as a relief – I’d have another night to try to rest. The start was uncertain even up to 16h00 the next day: Nelson said it wasn’t guaranteed, but we should go to the start line for 17h30… Did you have any rituals for the first intense 24 hours? Night fell quickly, so you naturally got tired straight away, but I forced myself not to sleep in the first 24 hours. Around 3h00 in the morning, after 120km, I took a mini-break at Checkpoint 1. The hours after that were the most difficult until the sun rose around 7h30 – when the adrenaline kicked in. I had an idea of where I wanted to stop, but I stayed flexible – I made decisions on the fly based on how I was progressing. Did you spend much time riding with other people? With more than 200 people racing, the first nights seemed busy, but then the gaps built up. In the first 24 hours I was often with a rider called Romain who shared a similar rhythm to me. Over the third and fourth days I regularly saw the same five riders; then, after a long break at Checkpoint 3 on the fifth day, I encountered new faces. Sometimes we chatted, sometimes not, sometimes sharing a place to rest. It was a first for me, and very enriching! What did you eat and where did you sleep? How did you manage your water in the desert? Food-wise I had 24 hours’ worth at the start, and then I relied on what I could find on the road. Little shops sold a range of biscuits, often individually wrapped, and I went for ones containing dates, which are rich in carbs. In the big towns there were restaurants and fast food, whereas elsewhere it was mainly Berber omelettes and bread. I slept out under the stars three nights and twice at checkpoints, around 4-5 hours each time. As for water, I planned it according to the distance between resupply points, but always had 2-3 litres with me, and sometimes more if I’d bought fizzy drinks. We followed you via the tracker and social networks, and saw you suffered from some health issues that slowed you down… I tried always to eat, drink and sleep well, but nevertheless some serious problems started on the fourth day: a lung infection, which I thought had healed, came back with the fatigue, effort and the dryness of the air. This changed into an asthma attack in the last couple of days. By the time I stopped at Checkpoint 3, I’d had swollen legs since day two, and was having an inflammatory attack, which I tried to manage with medication, but it didn’t work as I hoped. I never thought about abandoning. If I stopped, my inflammation would have won, so I got back on the road despite the pain, cutting the bottom of my bibs to relieve the pressure. I rode for a while with a guy called William, who was in jeans and Vans, and I began to get control. In the last 90km a headwind added to the challenge, but I gave everything I had left in my legs and overtook five people before finishing. At 5h00 on the morning of the seventh day Sophie, physically tired but in good spirits, crossed the finish line where her friends were waiting for her. After stamping her brevet, she rode to a hotel where fellow Café du Cycliste athlete Adrien Liechti bought her a delicious hamburger. Only the next day did the aches and pains get the better of her and a trip to hospital confirmed the asthma attack she’d been suffering in the race final. After a few days, however, all that remained were the good memories of rising to the challenge of this incredible adventure. For Sophie, the finish line was only the beginning: with Adrien in tow, she is now heading for Dakar, and is currently somewhere in the middle of the Sahara. Bonne route Sophie!

ROAD RACERS OFF ROAD For 2024 the Café du Cycliste women’s gravel team have some new teammates: four men from Team Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur, a UCI Continental team based in our home city of Nice. They will be seconded from their usual road racing duties to explore with us both the amazing gravel tracks of the Côte d’Azur backcountry and the growing calendar of competitive gravel events across the globe. Like the women (and we will be announcing the 2024 women’s team very soon) their programme will be based around the Gravel Earth Series, and will take in the Traka one-day race and Ranxo stage race in Spain, plus two other events from the global series. Given our long-time love of gravel, we’re excited to see the scene grow and evolve, and are super pleased to be sending along a double contingent of racers to this year’s Gravel Earth Series. We’re also sponsoring some key events – firstly the season opener Santa Vall stage race in Girona in February, and Ranxo, the finale, in October. Our women’s team has been winning gravel events since 2022, so perhaps they’ll be able to give the guys some tips – the four men, ranging from 21 to 25 years old, have long experience racing and are now in the upper echelons on the road, but are new to competing on the rough stuff. “I love gravel when I’m bikepacking, but I’ve never experienced it competitively,” said team rider Noah Knecht, a 23-year-old originally from Monaco just down the coast. “I don’t know how I’ll measure up, but I know I’m going to love it!” Gravel has been Café du Cycliste’s thing since before gravel bikes even existed, and we’ve also long supported local riders. Another team rider, in fact, recalls being given a jersey by Rémi, Café du Cycliste’s founder, at the (cycling) Grand Prix in Monaco when he was just 13 years old. It just shows that in cycling what goes around comes around, and that, sometimes, you really do get back out what you put in! Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur rose to the professional ranks after Nice hosted the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2020. Since then, it has represented the city over 90 days a year on the UCI calendar, investing in local talent and the future of cycling in the region, so it seemed natural for us to partner with them. More than just teammates, our four conscripts to the wild side are friends and true comrades on the bike, and are looking forward to expanding their horizons beyond the tarmac and getting lost in a new world of adventure. To find out more about the guys, their thoughts on gravel and hopes for the season, read our interviews here.

Café du Cycliste Gravel Team Café du Cycliste Gravel Team Women Café du Cycliste Gravel Team Café du Cycliste Gravel Team CAFÉ DU CYCLISTE GRAVEL TEAM 2024 For 2024, Café du Cycliste is bringing double trouble to gravel racing Our long-running female team is being joined by four men conscripted from the Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur Pro Continental road racing squad. All aged from 21-25 and based in and around the Côte d’Azur, the men will be taking time out from racing UCI road events to bring their athleticism and focus to the gravel arena. By bringing them into the Café du Cycliste fold, we’re investing in promising local talent – as well as showing the world the gravel playground that is the Nice backcountry. Needless to say, we will again be supporting women’s racing with a four-strong team of female riders. Returning for her third year is María Ögn Guðmundsdóttir, and she is joined by three new teammates. Read on for news on their race programme and interviews with all eight of our team athletes. So, men and women, bring it on in 2024! The Race Program 2024 This year the teams’ programme is again based around the Gravel Earth Series, where our women riders have scored some notable successes, including winning the Rift and the Traka (100km), both in 2022. In total, each team will race four events, including the infamous Traka, in Girona in May, and the series finale, Ranxo, also in Spain, in October, with the other two yet to be announced. On the women’s side of things, our veteran team member María Ögn Guðmundsdóttir will pass on all her experience to three new teammates, and hope to inspire them to new successes. For the men, top athletes as they are, the learning curve will undoubtedly be steep, but they are all eager to take on a new challenge in the dynamic world of competitive gravel racing. RACE CALENDAR 2024 16 Feb Santa Vall, Sant Gregori Spain A gravel stage race during three days to launch the season. + 01 May The Traka, Girona Spain Europe’s most coveted race and home to incredible tracks. + 15 Jun Wish One, UCI Race, Millau, France Qualifying round for the UCI World Championships in the heart of Aveyron. 20 Sep Falling Leaves, Gravel Earth Series, Lahti, Finland A Nordic race of the Gravel Earth Series in the heart of the Salpausselkä National Park. 12 Oct Ranxo, Ponts Spain The series final to decide the very best riders of the Gravel Earth Series. + FOLLOW THE TEAM Sign up to our Newsletter and follow us on social media to stay up to date with the team. Submit

LE PILGRIMAGE | DE SAINT ROCH | A GRAVEL JOURNEY INTO THE ALPES ‘I'll fear not what men say,
 I'll labour night and day, 
to be a pilgrim.’ The inaugural edition of Le Pilgrimage took place in auspicious circumstances, setting off in mid-September from Puy-Saint-Vincent, a small village in the Ecrins Massif, part of the Haute-Alpes. For this premier edition, Café du Cycliste was one of the official partners. St. Roch is the patron saint of Le Pilgrimage, an icon who allegedly took on ‘towering mountains and lush valleys’ during his time on earth. He was also rumoured to be a very nice guy, and Le Pilgrimage places a lot of emphasis on conviviality as well as incredible riding. 22 pilgrims in all set off on a journey across the most breath-taking terrain the high Alps can offer, pushing through mental and physical boundaries, and making friends along the way. A spiritual test and tribute to the gravel gods of Europe and the pursuit of happiness on two wheels. Did they discover any deities out there? They certainly needed to draw on their faith for good legs… This four-day gravel journey comprised of three self-supported stages out and back from the event’s basecamp Chalet AlpeLune, and one of these riders was Café du Cycliste’s very own Lucie Denis, from our HQ in Nice. Our woman on the ground takes up the story. The Pilgrim’s Progress I decided to take part in this event rather carelessly. Without looking too closely at the map and the figures indicating the climbs and kilometres to be covered. But I was enchanted by the concept. I just knew that I would feel at home there, in the heart of the mountains – ‘the sanctuary of the summit’ – in a rather intimate setting and an event with only a small group of people. I loved my time on the bike, because the longer the days in the saddle, the happier it made me. Pass after pass, despite the bad weather and sometimes tired legs; there was always a warm-welcome at the checkpoints, and on the way back to the chalets we all shared a moment together – chatting, dreaming and clinking glasses over good food. And even if some of us arrived as evangelists and others not at all, we were all there, and we all made a date for next year. DAY 1 STAGE 1 - 119 km / 3,510 m Checkpoint at Fort Janus (one of the Forts around Briançon on old military roads) The first day, predictably, we all set off like children, excited by majestic surroundings, the mountain air and new faces. On the way there's a delicious bakery in Briançon where we all stopped for pizza, pain au chocolat and coffee (of course) before dispersing, each at their own pace. A good pace is important on such an outing. The first climb is steep, in a forest on an old road that turns into a track. We climb higher and higher and see in the distance a little point with a flag flying – the checkpoint, that's where we're going. I look down to see that my giant 10-50 cassette has only one sprocket left… DAY 2 STAGE 2 - 131 km - 3,010m Col du Galibier + Vallée de la Clarée We reach the checkpoint called refuge des Drayères with hot coffee, slices of pie, a small omelette, cakes and more coffee. They also had a fire place, and Crocs shoes seem to be mandatory. It was hard for my body to get into the rhythm of a hilly first day and the ascent of the Col du Galibier in the rain and fog was no picnic. I just focused on pedal after pedal. I feel alone at this point, barely able to make out the silhouette of my route partner, Matthieu. But at the top, through heavy rain we see an open restaurant and bicycles in front of the door. Superb. Big smiles all round after a hard climb. We drink one or two cups of coffee and eat Snickers, since that's all we have left... Some of us buy expensive waterproof gloves. A smart move as now we have to descend into the wind. We take a track to a lake and a wild expansive landscape . “C’est beau” … The wind is blowing hard, but we don't care. Now we have to walk, run and hop, AKA ‘hike-a-bike’, along a long-distance footpath to get to the checkpoint. DAYS THREE & FOUR STAGE 3 - 250 km / 3,700 m Serre Ponçon, Ubaye & Tunnel du Parpaillon The checkpoint to be hit is up at the Tunnel du Parpaillon, a mythical place, between two valleys carved out by military engineers at an altitude of over 2600m. It is the fourth highest pass in the French Alps. A two-day tour with our saddle bags, we booked a refuge near Barcelonette with other pilgrims so that we could get together in the evening and share a bowl of soup, a bottle of wine and a night of snoring. The first day sees some beautiful roller coaster climbs through the woods, and a ‘chute’ on the first descent but nothing serious. Carefree, playful kids, that's what we are. We came across a few fountains but no coffee, it being Sunday in France. Almost in the middle of nowhere we meet a group of friends and family having a huge picnic. They offer us homemade apple juice, fresh water and cake. They laugh, they ask us questions and wish us good luck. At the end of the day we meet up with our refuge mates, with whom we make our way to our host for the night. We are nearly devoured by eight ferocious patous (big sheep dogs), but the situation was well managed by Matthieu, our dog whisperer. In the evening, we share the table with platters of local cheese and meats. We are drunk with tiredness and raise a toast to tomorrow’s final stage and the long-awaited magic spot – the Parpaillon tunnel. We wake up, aching all over, and spread our slices of bread with jam while it's still dark outside. Everybody is quiet. Two of our crew have already left at 4am to escape the forecasted thunderstorms, the brave ones... I tell myself it's going to be a long way to the tunnel, the only way is up, up, up. In the village of Barcelonnette we stop at a bakery. It's the only one we come across today, so we might as well make the most of it. Some of the other pilgrims have slept in town, so we'll pass each other and then naturally go our separate ways. It's 8am and we won't reach the summit before at least 1pm, just to give you an idea... Once up there though, you forget everything, the whole climb, the rain, the mud. An incredible view impossible to forget. Friends by the fire at the refuge lit by Simon (the organiser) our very own Saint Roch. The smiles, the victory, the beauty all around us. And two big Patous puppies who were much friendlier than their bigger cousins and followed us for cuddles in this wild and isolated place. We really have escaped up here. The storm is coming though. The thunder rumbles, the rain intensifies and we have to leave. We put on everything we had so as not to feel the cold of the mountains and not let the rain penetrate, but the long descent won't spare us. We were drenched. But another 80 km and we reach Basecamp at the AlpeLune chalet of Mountain Hotel Saint Roch. Welcomed by fellow pilgrims, a shepherd's bell, hugs and a plate of pasta. See you next year, my fellow pilgrims. Photo Credit: Yorit Kluitman READ MORE SOPHIE GATEAU | Adventure in the Ardennes. Forests alternate with steep valleys, peat bogs with verdant pastures, moors with rocky escarpments, and multiple rivers with ancient stone villages. The Major Seven - 3 riders, 7 mountains, 24 hours. Yes, it’s the adventure of the summer, the Forever Outsiders spirit, an unforgettable experience with a little bit of a laugh (and maybe some tears). Runpacking the Route of Nice Côte d'Azur by UTMB. In August we run-packed some of the route of the world renowned Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB, an off-road 100 mile race through the Mercantour mountains. Ride of the Month: Tracing the tracks of the 2023 Ironman. The Ironman World Championship, which usually takes place in Hawaii, relocated to the French Riviera for the 2023 edition.

Ends of the (Gravel) Earth, Annabel Fisher reigns supreme So here we are. The finale of the Gravel Earth series marks a full stop for Team Gravel Café du Cycliste. While some of the girls will still compete individually in the world championships in a few weeks’ time, this finale represents the setting sun for the team in 2023. It's been a season full of highlights and high drama, with exceptional races ridden around the world – Traka (Spain), Migration Race (Kenya), The Rift (Iceland), Octopus (Switzerland). Each battle fought on challenging terrain, each seemingly more difficult than the last. In pure sporting terms some of these races were successes while others were less so and gave rise to moments of doubt. But all of them united the team, drawing them closer from a common understanding only available to those who appreciate the secrets of supreme physical and mental effort. Traka, run a lifetime away last April, marked the beginning of this Gravel Earth adventure. And from that very first race, American Amity Rockwell has been holding a solid series lead. At this point it would take an extraordinary effort, a combination of factors, a black swan if you will, to upset the overall standings. It's not a possibility uppermost in anyone's mind but Annabel Fisher, the leader of Café du Cycliste's team, certainly wants to shine in this final event. She’s been preparing well and her victory in Octopus and her consistently high rankings have shown she deserves her place in the top 4. Clearly there will be a battle and, in retrospect at least, perhaps even an extraordinary achievement. Cardona, Catalonia. The small town exudes history, culture, and Mediterranean charm. It’s famous for its salt mines, once among the largest in the world. What remains is a vast, earthy expanse marked by long whitish tracks; salt is still omnipresent, but its exploitation no longer seems to interest many, as illustrated by the abandoned facilities. Its impressive medieval castle perched on a hill overlooks the rugged terrain and numerous trails and paths, a veritable playground for Gravel riding. An impressive storm shook the sky the day before the race, soaking the already churned ground. The terrain will be muddy in places, adding to the challenge of this demanding 189 km course with 3100 meters of elevation gain. A first climb of 1500 meters awaits the riders and will set the scene. After a long flat section of nearly 100 kilometres, 40 more kilometres of steep slopes will greet those still racing. More than 1600 meters of elevation in this last section, testing legs, lungs and willpower. The men will start first and 5 minutes later the women will set off in pursuit. The field is uber competitive; the best from the series are here, with several having at least one victory on the circuit. For a handful of them, the overall podium remains a goal, and they will have to give their all today. After the first long climb a pattern is already emerging. Up front, a group of three women have engaged in battle and Annabel Fisher is at the heart of it. Behind them our the other team members are fighting their own battles. Lydia, still feeling the effects of the 760-kilometer Badlands race is struggling with weary legs. Isabelle maintains a steady pace and will not relent in her effort to conquer this gruelling day. Completing this race at the speed they are going is an achievement reserved for very few. Maria turns back shortly after the start, a worrying sign as her heart is pounds and won’t slow down; For her it's time for her body a rest. After more than 100 kilometres of toil and trouble, the leading group reaches the feeding station where all teams can assist their riders. Annabel is still among them and the report is good. She’s feeling fresh and good in the saddle. Filling bottles, greasing a struggling chain, and then charging into a decisive section – the leaders do not linger long. There is a race to be run. And on this final stretch, the last section, this end of the end of season is where magic begins to happen. Annabel pulls away from her competitors, increasing her lead as the elevation unfolds and track rises ahead of her. And as she crosses the finish line she is still pulling away. Winning this finale is no small feat and she has done it with both style and grace. There is jubilation, warm tears and big smiles fuelled by the knowledge of the effort and sacrifice it takes to experience moments like this. Back on the course Amity Rockwell, the leader of the overall standings, is struggling. She will finish only 8th and soon after she does, the loudspeakers come to life to announce Annabel Fisher as the champion of the Gravel Earth Series. Unexpected and almost unbelievable, the team celebrate together at this perfect ending to the year they have lived side by side. Gravel riding is exhilarating. Whether racing or shooting the breeze with friends. In racing the format itself is an enormous challenge, clearly evidenced by the special atmosphere at events and the bonds formed among riders and all those involved. Positions and places or winning and losing are not the only lines entered into the ledger at the end of each day. Determination, dedication and downright bloody mindedness are what it takes for anyone to complete these incredibly demanding events. They are, and have always been, a race against oneself as much as against others and long may that continue. 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 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 Gravel Team | 2023 Season So Far. So far, so Gravelled. The Café du Cycliste Gravel Team are well and truly off into their second season of racing. And it’s obvious they’re well-seasoned. 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

The Rift: Into the Fire Travelling to the start of a race can often be an epic journey. Six hours earlier, the girls stood in line and looked on nervously towards the tarmac where their bikes, packed tightly into their cases, were waiting to be loaded onto the Airbus A320 which we were anxiously boarding. After a rough night between airports and hard plastic seats, the pilot has just announced the Airbus is beginning its descent to Reykjavik. And there, under the left wing, a bright light glints for our attention. It takes us a moment to realise what we are seeing through tired eyes... It’s perhaps the most dazzling thing anyone can witness – fire bursting out of a mountain. Fagradalsfjall erupted less than two weeks ago. The volcano is just a few kilometres from Iceland's main airport, and is now directly below us, spitting lava from its molten rivers skyward. A rare and hair-raising spectacle for visitors, to which the natives have nevertheless become accustomed. In under 15 years the natives in southwest Iceland have witnessed four eruptions across the Reykjanes Peninsula. As we swoop towards the landing strip we can barely believe it, magma bursting from the centre of the world is beyond magical, and simultaneously quite frightening. I don’t think we will forget this arrival to an airport in a hurry. The Icelandic landscapes are otherworldly. The flowing lava just adds to this extra-terrestrial vision. The ‘land of ice and fire’, is home to an incredible variety of geological formations: volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, glaciers, lava fields. And it is also the setting for one of the world’s most majestic gravel events, The Rift. A unique race, not only for the geological properties of the terrain but also for the effort it requires. 200km with 2200m of up, the route flanks Hekla, one of the 130 volcanoes on the island known for the extent of its black lava fields as far as the eye can see. Over the distance, wheels cross a wide variety of landscapes and come up against notable difficulties, with gradients whose percentages force even the leading riders to dismount and push. The bodies of all the girls on the team are still marked by the Migration Race, a multi-day event that they rode three weeks ago in Kenya. Other riders have certainly come here fresher and more combative, like Carolin Schiff who will be the first to complete this 2023 edition. Annabel Fisher, defending champion, was unable to keep her crown this year. The rain has been a stranger lately and the wide tracks of fine black sand are crispy, rutted and undulating. These repeated bumps will leave their mark in the organisms and the posteriors of the competitors. Rémi Clermont, creative director of Café du Cycliste, came to see the race last year, handing up bottles, cleaning bikes and encouraging our riders. Rémi decided to return on a bike himself this year. Not only a great test of the comfort of shorts or the breathability of a jersey he has helped to design, but a deeper understanding about this passion we are all sharing. He completes the race and declares to be ‘rinsed’, but with his eyes full of northern lights. The spectacle exceeds the promises of even the best-written tourist brochures. The effort highlights the desire for more preparation, more hours in the saddle. But that is often the case for a lot of us. Rémi will testify that The Rift is more than ever one of the most beautiful events in the Gravel Earth Series. Respect is paid to everyone involved. Lauf Cycling, the Icelandic bike brand and our partners, are at the helm of the race’s organisation. By coming to race here, we understand even more why their bikes endure the most punishing tests. And we especially recognise how their very particular suspension fork was designed and why it has gained such a reputation today. The land on which the equipment is developed and tested is incredibly demanding, unique, and a lot of fun, provided you have the correct tools. An appointment is now made for the final of the Gravel Earth Series in September. Until then rest will be necessary. Some time to cool off. The Rift has once again been burnt into our legs and forever our memories. Further Riding 2023 Season So Far So far, so Gravelled. The Café du Cycliste Gravel Team are well and truly off into their second season of racing. And it’s obvious they’re well-seasoned. VIEW MORE The Migration Race The Migration Race is a 600km Gravel race over four stages/days taking place in the territory of Masai Mara in the south-west of Kenya. 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. VIEW MORE Aachen, Germany: UCI Gravel World Series 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. VIEW MORE

The Gravel Team | 2023 Season So Far ‘My blessing season this in thee.’ So far, so Gravelled. The Café du Cycliste Gravel Team are well and truly off into their second season of racing. And it’s obvious they’re well-seasoned already. Not that they’re too old or too salty, but very well-conditioned you see. Our four intrepid women have each competed on two continents already, collectively clocking up over 5000km (don’t forget those thousands of climbing metres too), with numerous sharp and treacherous turns taken with grace. Mixed fortunes over the last three months, but then fortune inevitably favours the brave. From Spain to Kenya the riders have hopped potholes, topped podiums, spotted giraffes and got lost. All this makes a rich and vital experience that is ultimately what Gravel is all about. The journey, no matter what the outcome or choice of direction, will always be remembered. Following on from the 2022 season, where the team's riders reached the top of the rankings, 2023 has been a continuation of that spirit and determination. So, it’s worth taking a quick recap. TRAINING CAMP | PARIS–ROUBAIX Unveiling the team with an official get together and training camp, the group travelled to northern France to experience another kind of ‘off-road road-riding’ on the cobblestones of L’Enfer du Nord. Talk about mental and physical conditioning. A cold, damp and blustery time was had, but paying homage to the hundreds of riders (and thousands of soldiers) who suffered in this hallowed territory was just the wakeup call everyone needed ahead of a testing season on the rough stuff. LA TRAKA | SPAIN This was one bullish ride to kick things off and the first in the Gravel Earth series which makes up the lion’s share of the itinerary for this season. The location of La Traka in Girona is a cycling paradise, and the race is to gravel racing what Wimbledon is to tennis (minus the royal dignitaries); a real party atmosphere and very special terrain. Local favourite and last year’s winner of the 200km category, Lydia Iglesias, was hoping to make an impact in the 360km category. Our Catalan ace really got stuck in, rallying for almost 18 hours in the saddle and finishing in a very respectable eighth place. ‘The toughest race I've ever done.’ The rest of the team – Maria (who was also in the podium with Lydia in 2022), Isabelle and Annabel (who won the 100km category last season) – all competed in the 200km course. Maria rode home in 14th position with Isabelle coming in a few minutes later to take 15th. Maria it should be noted came 2nd in her age category but knowing her, this is irrelevant… Annabel took fourth spot and, knowing her, was somewhat disappointed. She would make up for it soon, however. AACHEN | GERMANY Two weeks later the team were off to Germany for a UCI qualifying event (to qualify for the Worlds in Italy at the end of the season), in Aachen on the border with Belgium and rubbing elbows with some of the best in world cyclocross. This circuit was a relentless and muddy affair suited to punchy type riders. 130 kilometres of undulating and increasingly sloppy terrain thanks to a shed load of rain the day before. A very tough race by all accounts, shorter than usual yet at a brutal intensity, where it was every rider for themselves. Annabel placed fourth on GC making qualification. Not your typical ‘Gravel’ encounter, but good for the legs and a great test of kit and hardware. The Lauf Seigla bikes and Hutchinson tyres performed effortlessly, and Petra Shibori jackets and Elsa cargo shorts stood up to the conditions in style. THE MIGRATION RACE | KENYA The next stop on the Gravel Earth Series was something special – a stage race in the territory of Masai Mara in the south-west of Kenya. The Masai Mara makes up one of the largest nature reserves in Africa, a vast expanse of grassy plains, savannah and hills, and home to an incredible diversity of wildlife. Over four days, the Café du Cycliste Gravel Team rode 650km with 8000m of climbing. A truly unforgettable journey. Mixed fortunes here, but nothing worth doing is easy. The first day of racing saw Annabel ride the 140-kilometres to first place, with Lydia in third. Our Icelandic warrior Maria and Belgian adventurer Isabelle finished in the top ten – a superb start. Day two is mountainous, 170 kilometres long with 2800m of climbing. 10km in Lydia crashes and buries any hope of finishing the day in contention. Annabel also suffers misfortune, falling ill. But Maria remains focused on the race, and over the next two days draws on her vast racing experience and steely spirit to take third place in the GC. A beautiful result that can only be matched by seeing a herd of giraffes wander across the horizon on the penultimate evening at camp. What an experience for everyone involved. From the cobbled farm roads of France to the dusty hills of Spain; tough laps in the mud to the vast African plains. The Café du Cycliste Gravel Team have already covered a lot of varying terrain, epic distance, and myriad conditions. And they’re only halfway there. Next stop is the formidable topography of The Rift in Iceland, Maria’s home gravel, on the 22nd of July. Stay tuned and stay out there. READ MORE The Migration Race The Migration Race is a 600km Gravel race over four stages/days taking place in the territory of Masai Mara in the south-west of Kenya. Aachen, Germany: UCI Gravel World Series 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 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). 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.

The Migration Race There are certain rides and races that truly leave their mark. The Migration Race is more than just Gravel cycling, more than a race, it is a miraculous human experience, for the participants, organisers, and communities of Kenya (human and animal). Rare moments of life shared. The Migration Race is a 600km Gravel race over four stages/days taking place in the territory of Masai Mara in the south-west of Kenya. The Masai Mara makes up one of the largest nature reserves in Africa, a vast expanse of grassy plains, savannah and hills, and home to an incredible diversity of wildlife. Beyond its extraordinary herds of zebras and giraffes, the Masai Mara is home to the rich and vibrant culture of the Maasai (note the difference in spelling) people. Traditionally semi-nomadic, the Maasai tribe, despite the oppressive creep of modernity, succeed in the 21st century in preserving their ancestral traditions and enjoying a way of life in harmony with their natural habitat. This week of racing would not be possible without men from the Maasai, omnipresent in the organisation, piloting the motos for photographers and journalists, setting up camp, watching over the whole entourage established in wild spaces that they know like the back of their hands. These men would also brighten up our evenings with their songs, dances and beautiful demeanour, always smiling. A curious contrast to the Maasai’s simple approach to life out here, the cyclists from all over the world arrive with bleeping mechanisms and technological paraphernalia. The natives casually stoic, draped in their tartan shukas, machete on their belts, observe our trivial concerns for tyre pressure and GPS battery life as ‘modern’ humans a thousand miles from their own daily lives. They are constantly confronted with these quirks – their homeland attracts tourists from all over. Yet these two-wheeled tourists bring commerce, and this bike race happens to be one of the more curious (and dare we say it beneficial) forms of tourism that invades the pastoral life they have inherited. The first day of racing for the Café du Cycliste Gravel Team was a thunderous affair. British racer Annabel Fisher rode the 140-kilometre-long stage to first place, with Spaniard Lydia Iglesias in third. Our Icelandic warrior Maria Gudmundsdottir and Belgian adventurer Isabelle Beckers rank in the women's top ten – a superb start. For the male competitors, the race is even faster, with many of Europe’s top Gravel aces making the trip. The African riders are breath-taking, with Team Amani showing many how it’s done on this incredible terrain. The first night’s camp felt like it had magically appeared in the middle of nowhere. Individual tents were set up, with showers and toilets, a refectory, and enthusiastic cooks already in action to feed 200 very hungry bellies. Over four days the organisation also succeeds in the remarkable feat of washing every rider’s bike, offering hot showers, and a mechanical service. The quality of the logistics is very impressive considering how everything must traverse difficult terrain – often steep, stony and muddy to places that aren’t often easy to find. Day two is a mountainous one, the equivalent of a stage of the Tour de France but on tracks. 170 kilometres with 2800m of vertical that promises much for our riders. 10 kilometres after the start, however, Lydia falls. With hindsight, seeing the depth of the hole, the state of the smashed rim, the violence of the impact, the accident could have been much worse. Exhausted, she knows it means leaving her third place in the mud, and she cannot contain her tears. She can get back on the bike the next day though and that's all that matters, she didn't hurt herself too much. At the same time Annabel has struggled with food poisoning; she will maintain her first place but not for long, the bug has made life difficult. And then Isabelle gets lost; a victim – like many during these four days – of a temperamental GPS. Lost in the bush without a GPS, she confessed to us on her arrival at the camp her anxiety out there in the middle of the wilderness. But Maria remains focused on the race, and the next days will smile on her...even if her bruises make her suffer. She finishes the stage in the top three. Annabel understands that her intestinal problems have got the better of her excellent form, and Maria and Isabelle ride steady, Maria for the classification, Isabelle for the pleasure. That evening at camp a spectacle of rare grace, like a hallucination, presents itself. Over there on a ridge sway a tower of giraffes, the elegance of their wandering is sumptuous. The athletes have their tired eyes glued to the horizon. Our Maasai hosts are more numerous than usual too. The women have improvised a craft market, the men have lit a fire and are grilling meat for the group. A beautiful atmosphere for the penultimate night out here under African skies. The fourth day offers a final stage of contrasting fortunes involving numerous occurrences and wild animals: Maria sees her steady efforts pay off and takes third place in the GC, thanks to her vast racing experience and determination. (The team is more than proud of her.) Annabel will endure another exhausting day – with just under 20km gone of the course her derailleur breaks and she is stuck in one gear for the remaining 150 kilometres. The stage also has some 1800 metres of elevation. But Annabel being who she is, she wants to finish, and arrives at nightfall. Mixed feelings, but a truly memorable experience, nonetheless. These racing memories will occupy our minds for a long time, an indelible journey. What landscapes, what encounters, what emotions... The Migration Race is special, it's much more than just a Gravel ride. READ 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. 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. 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. 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).

NEW BIKEPACKING COLLECTION 2023 Somewhere between a smouldering campfire and rolling along the banks of a tree-lined river, bike-packing is an experience of pure freedom. There are no bills to pay or deadlines to meet out here, the grid has been truly shaken. Your closest companions are your bicycle, your bib-shorts and your bivouac. Of course, you need other tools and cargo, so what you take with you and how you pack is key to a successful voyage into the wild. To help you with such adventures, Café du Cycliste have an expanded range of bike-packing luggage for 2023. Designed to endure whatever conditions may appear on your journey, there is everything you need to get lost: a 10-litre Saddle Pack, 4-litre Frame Bag, Top Tube Bag, Small Tool Pouch and new Handlebar Bag – all constructed with weatherproof fabrics and durable components for functionality around the clock. Each piece is finished with updated branding, featuring the Flying Fish motif – a symbol of the spirit of adventure that fuels Café du Cycliste design. READ MORE The Ultimate Bikepacking Guide How to, what to, where to. You can too. VIEW MORE Tracing the Torino-Nice Rally A legendary gravel ride travelling from Italy to France. Sophie Gateau and Mathias Riquier explore the route ahead of the start of the Rally this September. VIEW MORE Bike-Packing Conférence - Riding Above and Beyond French bike-explorer Axel Carion wheeled into town last Thursday night to discuss his feats of ultra-distance cycling across the globe. Axel’s stories of adventure also included advice on kit and equipment choices, plus the all-important bike preparation. VIEW MORE Giro di Cappuccino : Bike-packing in northern Italy Friends Clara and Melli embarked upon a summer bike-packing vacation into northern Italy. Fuelled by cappucini and armed only with a camping stove and sleeping bags, their adventure was a whistle-stop tour of Southern Tyrol and Lombardia, finishing in the fair city of Verona. VIEW MORE

The Traka : The reference for European gravel As dawn breaks over the small town of Girona it is not only the birds which are warming up. Barely past 6 o'clock and the clamour that rises around almost any start at almost any event like this bursts into life. Hundreds of riders jostling for position and mentally jousting for a clean line, some of them knowing that taking on the 360km route means they’ll still be in the saddle as darkness eventually falls again. 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). But this familiarity breeds the polar opposite of contempt with all four riders fully aware of the steep challenge ahead. The Traka is perhaps one of the most rewarding Gravel races on the European calendar. It’s an event where everyone seems to be having a great time, an event where, if the word is still allowable, the ‘vibe’ is just consistently good. Of course this doesn’t happen by accident and Gerald Freixes, who leads the event organisation, has to take a lot of the credit. He’s a constant presence on the course and around every corner, greeting and encouraging, helping and fixing. Ensuring not only that everything runs smoothly but that the unique identity and atmosphere that has been built up since its inception is nourished for the years ahead. At a time when Gravel, now an official UCI event, begins to enter the realms of pure competition, it is reassuring to find such a large number of people determined to ensure it doesn’t lose its original renegade spirit. Traka is certainly an event where this holds true and the approach is proving successful as it lays claim to becoming perhaps the most important European Gravel rendezvous. This year saw over 2500 riders heading to the start line and what greeted them was nothing like the plethora of road bikes and 32 tires along with the much too clean and far too smooth paths of the last world championships. Here, Gravel reasserts its roots, taking riders on the type of course which built the genre, alternating between ascents, single tracks and long dusty tracks. Time to roll; The Traka marks the first race of the season, an important step on a four month long journey. For some preparation has been going on for months while for others, as they hang up their skis or wait for blue skies, this will be a baptism of fire to begin the new racing year. Either way the course will be long, and ultimately it will be tough for everyone. When Maria, Annabel, and Isabelle start the 200km and the Costa Brava sun starts to make itself felt, they are under no illusions about the task ahead. And as for Lydia, at this point she has already been riding for an hour. Along with 500 others, she is tackling the 360km course. A group of riders for whom the length of the effort is directly connected to the pleasure gained. She will have to stay in the saddle for more than 15 hours, braving not only the sun and the wind but also the rain that will sweep in as night falls. When she crosses the finish line around midnight, many of fellows will still have to spend long hours in the darkness to complete the race. Lydia Iglesias finishes in eighth place. "The toughest race I've ever done," she tells us. Not discouraged though, because after all that often only holds true until the next time ...For our three other warriors, the 200km are just as demanding an adventure. The pace at which they must be ridden is impressive, an average speed of 25 km/h to 28 km/h on a route including 2000 meters of elevation gain and an omnipresent wind. They will complete the race in under 8 hours, placing them all in the top third of the race. Annabel Fisher places fourth in 7H13, narrowly missing out on the podium.The Traka is done for another year. Box ticked and far far more than that, memories created. Of the landscapes that start to feel a little like home, of the friends found, the experiences shared and the event itself. A race that will continue to go from strength to strength, delighting both the best and the amateurs, as long as it continues to plough its own unique farrow. The Gravel Earth series is run very much in the same spirit and will play a big part in the team’s 2023 season but next stop is Germany. A UCI qualifying event which will present a whole raft of different challenges to our four exceptional riders. More from the Gravel Team 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 The Traka 2022 Girona’s location and laidback atmosphere make it irresistible to Gravel enthusiasts. The surrounding countryside is riddled with trails as far as the eye can see and, unsurprisingly, The Traka has established itself here as the benchmark European Gravel race. 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 - Sound and Force Café du Cycliste’s Gravel racing trio tackled their first event in Girona on Saturday May 1st 2022. Annabel Fisher took top spot in the 100km distance, her first ever Gravel race. VIEW MORE