Only in rare occasions are races won by hero pulls. “Wheelsucking” can obviously be a derogatory term but it’s also a widely used tactic in all levels of racing.
Anyway… These guys complaining about not winning, or how others win, is tiring. Racing is racing. There’s a good amount of money and opportunity on the line. People are going to race to win. Always have… Always will.
I don’t know exactly how this went down, but I doubt Roberge was “sucking wheel” for 9+ hours! If he did, that’s kind of amazing and funny at the same time.
I completely agree with another poster above, that this comes off as folks not playing by the rules setup by ex pros on their retirement send off from “real racing”.
It’s silly to complain but I also get it. When you are in a group in a few are mooching off of everyone else’s work and then they are fresh for the attack at the end. Adam and Dylan are both on Team Jukebox so I’m sure he didn’t mind or at least won’t complain.
There were people saying the same about Slik at unbound last year. They said Keegan worked more than anyone all day and Slik did hardly any. Then Slik beats Keegan in a sprint. Not sure what would happen if everyone in a group tried to sit on? Grind to a halt?
Doesn’t look like he minded in the slightest. Saw a post video thing on IG from him defending Adam.
No idea how to link or view it again mind you!
This is what happens. When the group is too big, it usually doesn’t stay away because, basically, what Roberge said in his IG post. ‘Free riders’ are annoying and you usually need a selective feature to drop them.
The ‘road race’ tactics would be to slow down a lot, cat and mouse, and keep flushing a few out of the group until it dwindles. Idk if they did that or not. I don’t think anybody is ever happy about the people who do that stuff, whether it’s in a cat3 race or pro level. People are always yelling at eachother. Why would it be different here?
They are teammates and good friends. Doubt he would post that if it was someone else. Dylan didn’t make a post when people were complaining about Slik last year at unbound.
Seems like there’s a lot of whinging in American cycling at the moment. Particularly gravel.
Boswell’s comments are fricking hilarious…talk about being passive aggressive. It’s crazy - it’s not called Gravel Amigos or Gravel Caballeros, it’s Gravel Locos! I’m going to agree with Roberge on this one.
Here is the other thing: In Ian’s comment he only mentions one rider who didn’t miss a pull. Ian’s logic would imply that only Dylan deserves to win (which he actually says). Therefore, the lead group should always agree to let whoever pulls the most win. In other words, if Ian wins a race and doesn’t pull the most he is losing integrity.
What an exciting race finish this would lead to - a group of 15 riders coming in and 14 slow down to let the rider who pulled the most win the race.
I’m a huge fan of Ian Boswell, but this is just ridiculous. Adam won and should be celebrated! Especially coming from the “amateur” Cape Epic winner! Sure, Ian hardly rode at MTB, but there was nothing amateur about that World Tour engine. Bit hypocritical, no?
Gravel is racing. Grand Fondos are what the Spirt Hunters are really looking for… right?
Boswell wants the “spirit of gravel” to be a literal spirit award. Those who pulled the most have the most spirit.
Right. Maybe these guys should be putting their “spirit,” and sponsors, towards charity rides if racing isn’t to their personal taste.
or are they battling for position to get that one last pull in? 
So, by Ian’s definition, does this mean world tour sprinters are just wheelsuckers with no integrity??
The dynamic with Dylan (who mentioned using this as an Unbound prep race) makes what happened even less ‘outrageous’.
They’re both on the same trade team and while it’s an individual race the idea of having one teammate pull hard so the other can rest in the wheels is like peloton management 101.
Not only are Dylan and Adam teammates, they are likely friends. Dylan is often on Adam’s youtube videos.
This really is only a slightly relevant post, but I get to tell a self-aggrandizing story, so … 
The only race I’ve ever won (a 60 mile road race) I attacked off the front with 7 miles to go and promised myself I wouldn’t look back to gauge the situation for 10 minutes. At about minute 8, I saw a shadow on my wheel and I assumed the whole group had caught me. I looked behind and it was just a single rider who had bridged to me and the rest of the group was far behind.
I gave him a minute to recover in my draft and then swung off and he didn’t budge. He just coasted and sat on. I asked him, “Are you going to work with me?”
Without hesitating he said, “No.”.
And continued to sit there. I honestly was startled by how matter of fact his answer was, also … kinda impressed by it.
I was faced with the dilemma that’s existed as long as bikes have been raced: play chicken and let the group catch up? Or pull this guy and end up losing anyway?
I basically said to myself, “Well, I’ve never won a race … but I’ve never finished 2nd either” … so worst case scenario I hit a personal best. So I pulled like I was riding solo.
I ended up winning by 1.4 seconds and he came up to me at the finish line and said, “Thanks for pulling me to 2nd.”
Now, if he beat me in the sprint would I have been upset? Would I have wanted to shake his hand and accept his words of condolence/congratulations? 100% NO WAY. I’d have choked down some venom to be cordial. And I’d probably be losing sleep about it to this day,
But I wouldn’t have complained and I wouldn’t have held any serious hard feelings … because deep down inside I know he was willing to finish 10th and I wasn’t willing to finish worse than 2nd. And that’s the game. That’s what we love. I would kill to be in that exact same position again. I sit on that trainer — like the rest of us — in the hopes I’m in that position again one day.
What’s the phrase? “Age and treachery will beat youth and skill” or something like that?
Spirit of gravel?.. phooey. What about the “spirit of racing”??? — if you’re wearing a number and someone is timing it, it’s a f#cking race.
Long live racing🤘
I think its funny since the NorCal2 guys is constantly told to wheelsuck more. Who knew he was just bringing the Spirit of Gravel to Crit racing?
To be fair … whining trickles down for the top 
