The race starts at the “Borgoluce” winery in Treviso, between Venice and the Dolomites—where wine and Prosecco have been produced for over 1,000 years. But instead, hundreds of athletes are now lined up at the start here to race gravel.

The race kicks off at 8:30 a.m. After 35 km, the two Pushbikers riders Kilian and Jaro pass through the feed zone just two minutes behind the leading group. A Berchtesgadener bottle is tossed, a new one picked up. Contents: 120 g of carbs from our sponsor Maurten.

In the end, it’s enough for Kilian to take 42nd place—fifteen minutes behind the winner, Bradyn Lange (Canyon x DT Swiss All Terrain Racing). That puts him between Lukas Pöstlberger and Alban Lakata—no small names in cycling. Jaro Bräunig finishes as the second-best Pushbiker with a time of 4:55:51.

For us, it’s a successful start to the racing season and to the world of gravel racing.

Now it’s time for everyone to get the race machines back in shape, recover, and start packing again soon—because the second race of the season, the “Wörthersee Gravel,” takes place in less than two weeks in Austria.

“Pretty demanding descents and river crossings. It felt like full gas right from the start. But overall it actually went quite well for me—up to 100 kilometers, then I hit the wall. I had lost a bottle earlier and didn’t drink or eat enough. The last hour was very tough with cramps. But overall, I’m satisfied with my first gravel race of the season.”

(Kilian)

“As sisters at the start, we lost each other on the first real climb. Even though we couldn’t find each other on the course, we still knew the other was fighting the same battle. A very special kind of motivation over six hours: being able to hug at the finish, share the wave of euphoria, feel a bit of pride and the joy of having made it—along with a whole lot of pain and fatigue, but without any crashes. That embrace at the finish makes up for so much: the pain in the back, in the arms, in the hands.”

(Sarah & Laura)

“I honestly don’t know if I should put myself through this again. I did a lot of silly things along the way—I’ve learned: stick to what you know, maybe I shouldn’t do anything that’s not on asphalt. Still: I’m looking forward to the next races.”

(Leon—at the finish. A bit angry after several crashes. But he made it through.)