Michigan's Largest Gravel Race: the Barry-Roubaix
I couldn’t believe It; the end of the season was nearing; this was my main thought during the weeks leading up to my last race of the series. Barry Roubaix has been the race that I have been most excited for this season, not only because it’s dubbed as the “largest gravel race in the world” but because the course is designed by Matt Acker which from what I’ve gathered this year he is known to be a routing wizard. I was told that Barry was going to be a very challenging course which included rolling gravel roads, pavement, punchy climbs and super sandy two tracks. So exciting!!
Race day was finally here but this time I prepped to arrive extra early because due to the magnitude of this event I wanted to find a spot close enough to the venue. I was blown away at how organized everything was, all the parking spots and important areas were clearly marked on a very nice map we were given at the packet pickup. I was lucky enough to park right next to some very nice people, we chatted for a minute while getting all the gear ready, during the conversation they told me they drove all the way from Chicago after flying from Japan, it was a couple of weeks after that I come to realize It was Kae Takeshita who I met that morning. Kae is currently a pro gravel racer for the Abus team, she won 1st place women category on the 2019 Barry Roubaix, it was a great experience to have met them.
After finding a place in my wave I was in awe of how many people were ready to take on the 36-mile Smith Optics “Thriller. My plan was simple, find a group that I could hang with and have fun! As promised the race was a rollercoaster full of punchy hills and a very memorable sections like Sager Rd, known for its technical sandy sections, it was fun to try to stay upright before having to hop off and hike. Even though I hydrated and fueled well, I was not feeling 100 percent an hour or so into the race, a very steep hill which I dubbed Scottish Pipe hill due to the nice band playing at the top really took a toll and took me a minute to recover. Overall, I was excited to cross the finish line at 2:28:46 with an avg pace of 14.52mph, given the conditions I was very please with the results.
The semi-truckload of award-winning Founders beer and great stage setup made for the most fun gravel race afterparty I have ever experienced. It was great to get to see some familiar face and hang with a couple of guys/gals from my local cycling group sharing stories while enjoying the party, food, and the stage animation. I could not have asked for a better way to end the last race of the series!
“Scottish Pipe Hill” PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Meendering Photography
I truly believe that I will cherish the MGRS experience for the rest of my life, it allowed me to join the wonderful gravel community which I plan on continuing to be part of wherever I go. All the gear that I was given worked flawlessly, the Thunderhawk with the velocity wheel combo and Panaracer tires proved to be a true gravel steed , performing race after race without any hiccups, just a little squirt cycling lube and go!
At last, I want to thank Michigan Gravel Race Series for supporting this scholarship and allowing people like me to be able to fast track into the world of gravel cycling with the help of all the amazing sponsors. I only wish that whoever wins the scholarship in 2022 has as much fun as I had during my year as a scholar. Thanks to all the friends and strangers that reached out and helped in any way, even though the scholarship ends I will carry on finding new adventures and challenges for years to come!!