The Majestics — the race the calendar calls Gravel Suisse — is 105 kilometres and 2,656 metres of climbing above Villars-sur-Ollon, and I finished ninth. Elena Hartmann won it in 4:15:22, and I came home 22:14 behind her.
That winning average speed tells the story of the day: 24.67 km/h. On a course with that much elevation, nobody is cruising. The official course figure is 2,656 metres of climbing; my own Strava file reads a little lower, as it always does. My finish time lands exactly where the results sheet says it should — a little over four and a half hours.
The Numbers
| Distance | 105 km |
| Elevation | 2,656 m |
| Result | P9 — Elite Women |
| Winner | Elena Hartmann — 4:15:22 |
| Gap | +22:14 |
| Location | Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland |
What It Told Me
Ninth in a field that included Tudor Pro Cycling’s gravel squad and a genuinely international start list is a solid day, but it isn’t the result I want. The gaps in a climbing race are honest — nobody bluffs their way to a good position when the road goes up for five hours — and 22 minutes is a real distance.
I’d rather be ninth at a race this hard than higher at a race that’s easier. The climbing races suit me; they suit the way I train and the way I suffer. The things that cost me time in Switzerland are the things I already know about: technical descending, and the sharpness that only comes from racing gravel for years rather than months.
Nota bene: this race’s official name is The Majestics (UCI Gravel World Series WE). You’ll also see it called Gravel Suisse.
Supported by Merlin Cycles, Ventum Racing, OGT, Spatz, Coros, ABUS, and Kenetik.