Geerike Schreurs: Fair play – women’s gravel races need their own start line

If you haven’t listened to the latest Voxwomen podcast, I would suggest you do so. I had the chance to talk with Rebecca Charlton and my gravel colleague Danni Shrosbree. We could have talked for hours about gravel, not only our adventures (because I can guarantee you, they are way more exciting than the road ones), but also about the development of gravel cycling. 

When I started to participate in some gravel races last year, I was working full time, had no time to ride while I was at races, stayed fit by mostly running, and didn’t follow training plan. Besides that, I was able to race for the win and had some good results in the couple of races I did. I would have been nowhere this year in gravel races if I didn’t get the opportunity from Specialized and SD Worx – Proime to race gravel full time. It feels the level is growing more and more every month. Not only the physical strength of riders, but also the support that teams show up with at races. And what might have started out for most of us as racing for a fun day out, has now become business. We all must fight for results to attract sponsors; in the hope that we can make a living of it and be a full time gravel racer. 

That the level is becoming more professional doesn’t necessarily mean race organisers are taking this as an opportunity to give female racers their own start. 

Gravel used to be an event where everyone, female, male, elite pro, amateurs, and all different ages, started the race together. Usually there was no race distinction between men and women. Over the years, this concept has changed slightly. I started the season in Santa Vall, a race 20 min from Girona. It was, after last year’s Gravel Earth Final, the first race where the women had their own start. On the 3rd stage we started an hour ahead of the professional men and we finished our race before them. This year at Unbound, it was the first time in history that the women had their own start in this event, the most important and biggest race of the year. From start to finish (330km) we had our own race, and no men really got involved. Yes, we picked up some dropped men from the professional elite men, who started 15 min ahead of us. Most of these guys respected our race and stayed out of it – and otherwise we would have made sure of it! The race ended up with a sprint for the win between nine riders. I took second, which I could have only dreamed about beforehand. What I liked most about the 10h 26 mins I spent on the bike was racing with only women. It gives such a different dynamic and suddenly tactics are involved. I was so proud that we could show the world we are able to make a race exciting and we don’t need the men. 

You would think, as a woman you’d be proud, and want to show your strength and race in fair conditions. Unfortunately, I have seen in races this year that not everyone has the same mindset. I have heard stories and seen in races where boyfriends or teammates wait for the girls to drag them around all day to win the race. In the Oregon Trail, I had no chance, for example. Every day was a mass start. On mostly every long climb I got dropped. I am not a pure climber and especially not against tiny little bike riders, with my 1.86 meters. But I am pretty good in the downhill and technical parts of gravel races. I would make up minutes in the downhills and technical parts, would pass the climbers with so much speed that there was no chance for them to follow, or would drop them beforehand. But then I’d look back, after putting a big effort in to maintain the gap to some of my gravel colleagues, to see them coming back in the wheels of the men. If this happens repeatedly, you can’t help but get very frustrated. 

In Iceland we had a separate start, and they made very clear that drafting behind the men wasn’t allowed. I don’t know what is difficult about this rule, for me it sounds clear. Apparently, some of my gravel colleagues found it hard and were still sitting on. 

I can understand that for the race organisers it is hard to patrol drafting during the race. I think as women, the responsibility belongs to us. It is such an easy rule, why is it still not being followed? Why can’t everyone ensure the race is fair? Why do you want to win a race by sitting on the wheel of the male racers? Do you not believe in your own strength? We don’t need the men to race well, we are stronger than that. I am a fighter for separate starts and said to myself that next year I’ll pick races where a separate start is guaranteed. I hope more and more race organisers will take the opportunity to separate the men from the women, and more women take this chance to compete in a fair race.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to race anymore this season. The readers who follow me on IG (gee_schreurs), might have seen I had a nasty crash on the last day of a bikepacking trip I did with Anna van der Breggen, Kirsten Wild and Lisa Scheenaard. I landed on top of the metal barrier alongside the road, which made a deep cut in my armpit. I cut two nerves and two muscles and need to have surgery. I am in full recovery mode and hope to ride the bike very soon again. 

Thanks for reading,

Geerike