Gravel racing is a sport that is still well and truly in its infancy. Just three years ago, there was no such thing as a World Gravel Championships, neither was there any interest from WorldTour riders to join in the fun.
Fast forward to 2024, and all has changed.
At the UCI Gravel World Championships, the WorldTour has seriously come to play, with the likes of Mathieu van der Poel, Connor Swift, and Jasper Stuyven all present.
Connor Swift in particular is an interesting case. Usually a super domestique on the road, Swift has seemingly enjoyed ditching the tarmac over the last couple of years, pulling off a UCI 1,2 with his brother Ben Swift just one week ago at the UCI Gravel World Series.
But gravel races are tactically alien to what you would expect from a road race.
Speaking to Cycling Weeky, Swift explained a different mindset is needed for a race such as the UCI Gravel World Championships.
"When you race on the road you get a lot more benefit from riding in the peloton, drafting behind people, and in gravel racing it's slightly different. Off road, there is less of a benefit and people in the wheel still are still riding a high power output as well," said Swift, "the result is a much more demanding and attritional day out, and that suits me".
Up for the challenging 188km course, Swift explained how his usual role at Ineos could help him today.
"You haven't really got any teammates in gravel either, so the job I do on the road actually works in my favour because I am used to looking after my self, staying at the front of the peloton."
"It's only here, the classics, and the odd stage during stage races that I get my own opportunity to race."
"I really enjoy gravel racing, it's something different, and it's perfect for me to come here at the end of the season. It gives me a goal for the end of the season for me to keep my fitness and training going."
Swift expressed some excitement for racing more gravel in the coming years, perhaps even across the Atlantic Ocean.
"America's gravel is totally different again you know, you've got bigger rocks, big wide gravel roads it's just yeah a big slog out there and I would like to go out there and experience that too."
However, the UCI Gravel World Championship is different again. Thus far, Swift has ridden gravel races this season without team support, which he explains is a little less stressful.
"As well it adds a little bit more pressure [having team staff there]. At the gravel races I have done so far this season I have been there by myself, with my wife, and my son. You have to set the alarm 30 minutes early because you've got to pack the car, you've breakfast to make, food to cook the night before, you've got a baby you need to settle to sleep, you've got the wife running around trying to find a double espresso before the start, so it's a lot more of a relaxed vibe doing the gravel races by myself."
"When you've got the team here with three staff making sure transport is organized, hotels are sorted, making sure my bikes clean, everything like that I feel like woah, Jesus - all these people are here just for me to try and win the race which adds pressure".
"Obviously I do get the team support normally, but there's usually a team leader, whereas it's very much like I am just the sole leader here. It definitely motivates me more."
Of course, the huge difference between road racing and gravel racing, is the bike technology. Connor Swift has been using the Pinarello Dogma X all season, in an all-road style build, which he says has been successful.
"I've been racing on the X all season in the UK as well. Normally it can take 35mm tyres, but I can squeeze some 40mm tyres in there, and with it being dry there isn't so much mud so I haven't got an issue with mud clearance."
"It feels very similar to my road bike the F, obviously that's what I train on and race on all the time so you know there's not a massive difference between the bikes, so yeah it's just a super nice bike and yeah really enjoyed racing with that and obviously Pinarello is trying to make a new gravel bike."
A slight Freudian slip there, depending on how you read into this, but there could be a new Pinarello gravel bike on the way.
As well as the comfortability factor, Swift was keen to add how fast this course was, with aerodynamics still being a consideration.
"I really I like it because it's responsive, aero you know, and fast", he said, adding that this should suit the course, "I think we're going to be expecting like 36-37k an hour today which isn't slow."
