Alex Paton is taking on Dirty Reiver โ a 200km gravel epic & one of the UKโs biggest off-road races. Fresh off his pro-gravel-race debut at the Sea Otter Classic, his preparation for Unbound continues! Now, heโs back in action on the England-Scotland border. But how does UK gravel compare to the US โ and what does it really take to fight for a top finish?
In association with Shimano & Insta360 ๐ค
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โฑ๏ธ Timestamps: โฑ๏ธ
00:00 Alex’s 200km epic gravel race ๐ตโโ๏ธ
00:28 What is Dirty Reiver?
01:43 Why is Alex doubtful about this race?
02:42 Alex’s bike components & bike build
03:40 Final bike setup & kit check
04:49 Spicy start! ๐ดโโ๏ธ๐จ
07:04 Alex’s thinking mid-race
09:42 More on Alex’s bike & why he chose these components
13:18 76km done!
15:35 It’s starting to bite…
16:58 How Alex has been recording the whole race ๐ฅ
17:37 Reaching the final feed zone. Are things coming undone?
19:36 Is there any hope? Alex on battling his mind
21:32 Sprint Finish
22:24 How Alex is feeling & what this means for Unbound
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What did you think of Alex’s performance? Have you ever raced in a gravel event before? ๐ Let us know in the comments! ๐
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๐ธ Photos – ยฉ Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & ยฉ Sirotti Images
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20 Comments
What did you think of Alex's performance? Have you ever raced in a gravel event before? ๐ Let us know in the comments! ๐
Awesome work Alex!!!
Awesome effort and another really exciting production. Well done Alex. Thanks GCN.
I'm glad Alex did not skip the Dura Ace on the bike. I am disappointed the bike is not "bronze" (browm) ๐
well done Alex. Good luck at unbound.
Fantastic!!!! Fifth is an absolute sucess.
I know Alex is tall, but when he leaned in and said hello I genuinely thought mate was on a crate only to see him walk into the frame. That aside, well done mate. Love watching you grow from retired to not and seeing your progress. Keep these coming.
Great job Alex !
6:11 I guess the front group of this event was made up with those guys from every Zwift group ride thenโฆ๐ข
Very good performance & very impressed he could still summon the energy to speak to the camera. As far as unbound is concered, I am concerned for Alex in the Kansas heat. Hopefully, it will be a 50 degree day with clouds and light rain.
Wow, really nice job! Super inspiring.
Well done! The best bit is you taking lessons from performances that you didnโt like
I will admit, when you said you where going to compete with the big boys at unbound I thought you would quickly find the back of the field.
But now itโs evident that you have what it takes to achieve your goals.
I hope you do well and looking forward to race day.
What? No brown saddle on that " boss-looking gravel race bike"?
I have to admit that Pinarello is a pretty bike in that color they call it Stone Orange.
Nice finish.
200 km is like riding from London to Birmingham (roughly) bravo.
A big congrats, being at the front is incredible. And sounds like you picked up some great lessons. Pacing is critical and always tough to know when the pack you are in might let up or when it's time to let them go. One thing is for sure at some point in a long race you are going to feel terrible and usually come good again. Often that cycle repeats. Good luck in the ramp to Unbound!
Well done Alex! Keep pushing! 5th is very respectable. See you at Unbound.
While vlogging! What a beast!
Thank you Alex! Love the genuine context of the difficulty pushing through the mental doubts just as much as the physical exhaustion. And in the end, the competitive spirit
prevails. Thatโs the spirit of gravel!!! ๐
Why are you not using XTR pedals??