‘I need to learn everything again’ – Fresh from road retirement, Thomas De Gendt discusses next big two-wheeled challenge: a gravel racing debut

The very first thing I can say about my first gravel race is – I must study every little thing once more. However that is truly very nice. In highway biking, I could not actually do something for the primary time anymore, as I would carried out all of the necessary races a number of occasions. So whereas it was at all times thrilling to begin a Grand Tour, it was much less so once I needed to begin Paris-Good for the 14th time.

Right here, although, every little thing is new – even the riders. You’ve got by no means seen most of them earlier than as they had been by no means in highway biking.

How you’re employed with the bike itself is completely different, too. You need to deal with it your self and take into consideration issues like tyre stress and tyre alternative. Plus, once I had a flat like within the second race, there was no automotive behind me giving me a brand new wheel. I had to determine methods to repair the tyre myself and pump it up, too.

In order that’s fully completely different, nevertheless it’s a giant enjoyable issue as nicely. One other great point is that no person cares in case you are twentieth or one hundred and twentieth, so long as you go all out the entire day, you may get the outcome you deserve. In order that’s very refreshing, not less than.

General, I used to be anticipating a troublesome begin to my gravel racing and truly, it was a bit tougher than I used to be anticipating. It was like the beginning of a highway Traditional, with everyone testing one another even earlier than the primary climb, then on it was a struggle for place. All this was on roads which are generally single monitor and the blokes that reside and prepare right here in Girona knew the course very nicely, too and knew the place to be in entrance, in order that was a giant drawback for me.

I used to be at all times pushing forward the entire time, I used to be sitting within the first ten of the primary bunch, and it wasn’t simple to remain there.  The facility ranges are the identical as within the WorldTour, so the extent is sort of excessive. However then after 50 kilometres, there was a component with single monitor and everyone needed to get off the bike other than the primary six or seven leaders. That was the place it break up into three teams and I used to be on the unsuitable facet.

So I had good legs, however the distinction between outcome and a mean outcome comes all the way down to these types of issues and at last, I obtained twenty ninth.

Sunday was rather a lot tougher, with an extended climb earlier than the midway level. I used to be nineteenth within the second group however then there was a one-kilometre steep uphill, single monitor. So everyone needed to keep within the place that they had and the primary 5 had been already 40 seconds away once we obtained off it.

I used to be nonetheless combating for place, seventeenth or 18th, pushing good numbers, attempting to catch as many guys as I might. However then I obtained a flat tyre, so I needed to look ahead to the group behind. So once more, not a giant outcome –  however a whole lot of expertise discovered, all the identical.

For the primary hour and a half on Saturday I used to be pushing 350, 360 watts on common so it isn’t similar to being in a bunch, cruising round. It is a actually arduous tempo. Plenty of the blokes who’re racing right here would do nicely within the WorldTour as nicely and it stunned me a bit of bit that the extent was actually so excessive. 

If you’re in a workforce you’ll be able to trip collectively, the place there are assaults earlier than the climbs and in case you have a teammate they’ll shut the hole. However sadly certainly one of our teammates was sick final week, so he did not begin, one other’s simply coming off a cyclocross season so he is not in nice form anymore, a 3rd one was simply getting sick and did not begin Sunday, and I used to be principally alone. 

Different groups that had been there with three or 4 guys might actually assist one another to shut gaps, get into place, and let one another cross. If you’re alone you must struggle for each spot, they do not simply allow you to in since you’ve gained some races prior to now. You really want to struggle for place.

I discovered a whole lot of small issues in the present day, however the largest one is you at all times must struggle in your place. On Saturday, I had a very good feeling by means of the entire race, and I used to be at all times within the high ten, however then within the feed zone, I went again into the group a bit of bit, after which out of the blue there was a whole lot of single monitor and I discovered myself in place 25. And that was actually arduous, I actually needed to struggle for a entrance place once more.

It is a bit like within the Classics, however you must try to keep within the high 10 the entire time so you’ll be able to soar within the strikes which are occurring and that method you do not have to dash after each nook, both, as you do additional again.

In order that’s the most important lesson for subsequent time, not less than for races the place there’s a whole lot of uphill and downhill: at all times keep on the entrance.