I’ve seen a bit of recent debate and controversy over water stops in gravel racing and what the proper etiquette is. The core question seems to be whether we are obligated to stop with the group you are with or can a water stop strategy be used as a strategic advantage to push through when others st…

I think it’s a pretty stupid discussion when it comes to racing. It’s a competition, if someone is able to sustain longer without water, or maybe wears a larger heavier pack to not stop as often, why should they have to stop and wait. I’ve never seen the entire field in F1 take the pit if some teams…

I know nothing about the gravel scene, and don’t really care, just asking. Aren’t feed zones and nature break zones kind of neutralized in the pro peloton. I’m sure it’s not unheard of for someone to attack out of those zones, but seems like it’s not unheard of for folks to be somewhat cooperative…

Dylan nailed it: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQbPqnTBnux/

It is a tactics move and totally fine IMO. If you can hang with the lead group with an extra 10-15 kilos on you, you deserve to roll through any refueling options you deem fit. Mandating everyone stop as a group, you might as well just run the race from the last refuel point. Bikepacking races don’t…

Not at a high level, but people with social media reach have race shamed others for it.

As a non-gravel racer… It’s a strange debate and I can’t really see how it matters. If you skip the stop and ride alone, and the group catches you again, all that happened is that you wasted energy and missed out on a bit of rest. If you press on alone, and they don’t catch you, what were you doing…

I liken it to motor racing. People aren’t shamed because one driver was better able to manage their tires and fuel over another. Why should cycling be different?

[image] splash: If you press on alone, and they don’t catch you, what were you doing in pulling them along in the first place? You are conserving energy knowing that after the aid station you will be alone. This isn’t a spur of the moment tactical decision, you know you’re going to do this fr…

Thats not what I mean - I mean it’s like a solo attack in a road race, if you’re strong enough to stay away, you’d be stupid to ride in a group instead and chance a sprint. Irrespective of how much you rode in a group before that.

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Water stop etiquette for gravel racing

Racing

Pbase June 22, 2021, 6:07pm 3

There is already a long thread discussing this here. UNBOUND GRAVEL predictions

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