[Zest28]

Quite interestingly, someone on a Trek Madone won a 217km gravel race with standard road tyres.

 

[Gliding_serpent]

If the roads are good, it would make sense on a crr level

 

[PoshJosh]

Not a gravel race.

 

[Crankout]

Quite interestingly, someone on a Trek Madone won a 217km gravel race with standard road tyres.

What race was it?

 

[mack_turtle]

"Gravel" means different things in different places. I'd like to see details about this, but OP didn't share any.

 

[jmctav23]

was the prize a piglet? if yes, I'm not surprised. Looks like a great race though!

 

[fissiontofallout]

Looks like it was the Belgian Waffle Ride. Per this interview, the winner says the race was about 2/3 road, and he used 28mm tires.

https://www.cxmagazine.com/winner-interview-peter-stetina-2019-belgian-waffle-ride

 

[Chippertheripper]

This **** again??
https://forums.mtbr.com/gravel-bikes/road-bikes-faster-than-gravel-bikes-gravel-1099463.html

 

[ljsmith]

I think just about every bike in that race was a road bike, so not a real gravel race. Zest just has no life so he likes trying to make people think road bikes are better in gravel. If he spent more time actually riding gravel he might realize he’s an idiot.

 

[NordieBoy]

My fastest times on my normal 1hr gravel loop are on my road bike with 28mm tyres.
If the gravel is mostly swept and hard pack, no problem.
The gravel is almost never swept and hard pack.
The difference for me is on the gravel bike, I'm looking for more riding after. On the road bike I'm looking forward to a hot shower, ibuprofen and a lie down.

 

[Sidewalk]

I did this race. I would not consider it a "gravel" race. My coach won this race last year, on a road bike too. I would call this a "mixed terrain" race. A gravel bike was faster in the dirt, tubeless was ideal, but with 90 miles of road riding you needed to be able to climb and work in a pack.

I used my road race bike with 28mm tires (and tubes!). I think it was the ideal set up.

 

[Crankout]

This **** again??
https://forums.mtbr.com/gravel-bikes/road-bikes-faster-than-gravel-bikes-gravel-1099463.html

I'm faster on my ebike.

 

[mikeridesabike]

What the OP neglected to mention was that the "someone" who won the race was Peter Stetina - a Trek pro rider. He could probably have won it on just about any bike he chose to ride.

 

[NordieBoy]

He could probably have won it on just about any bike he chose to ride.

Not according to the interview. He was really pushed all the way.

 

[Sidewalk]

Not according to the interview. He was really pushed all the way.

He broke away with 5 minutes remaining in the race, and won by a minute. Beat 3rd by two minutes. Whether or not he conserved all race for that break away or if he was maxed out the whole time we will never know. But given a 7.5 hour race with 40 miles of dirt and 10k feet of climbing, it definitely wasn't a massive gap.

Now what is crazy is, Brian Scarbrough. He is a local MTB racer (and National Champion I guess) finished 7th, 18 minutes back. However, he had TWO flats in the race and raced solo for 40 miles! He lost 9 minutes repairing flats.

Also routinely kicks my ass at local races

 

[ddoh]

OP:

There is no such thing as a Gravel Race with 90 miles of pavement.

 

[life behind bars]

OP:

There is no such thing as a Gravel Race with 90 miles of pavement.

(stirs the pot) it depends on the pavement. Have you seen Arizona roads?