The Traka 200

Here is a brief update from Girona following The Traka 200, which is considered Europe's main gravel event of the season.

Unfortunately, my race ended early and goes down as a DNF.The Race Everything started well, but about one hour into the race, I suffered a severe puncture. I tried to fix it on the side of the trail using two plugs, but the hole was simply "unpluggable" and I ended up emptying my two CO2 cartridges without success. Being totally out of options to seal the tire, and having lost almost 15 minutes from the lead pack, I eventually had to accept outside help to install an inner tube and inflate it with a pump just to be able to ride back. In an instant, I went from riding the line at the front of the race to simply cruising back to the start.

Takeaways It is obviously a frustrating outcome. There is not much else to say, it was just one of those days where luck was not on my side. Mechanical issues are part of the game in off-road racing, and you have to accept them.

Despite the result, my physical condition remains excellent, and my form is still exactly where it needs to be following the California block. The week spent in Girona was also very productive and positive overall.

I am now shifting my focus to the next objectives on the calendar.