Iowa Gravel Series

Ahhh, the time trial, the race of truth. No drafting, no sitting in, no strategy beyond “give it all you’ve got for as long as you can”. It’s one of the most revered and the most dreaded formats in cycling. Some love it, some hate it and some have a complicated relationship with this one-of-a-kind challenge.

As I’ve been watching the skilled athletes on the court during this year’s March Madness tournament, I’ve been reminded of the artistry that can come from synergy. The Ally-Oop, the no-look pass, the perfectly timed assist. All of these only exist amongst a group of finely tuned athletes working WITH one another in perfect harmony.

That kind of near-telepathic interplay can only take place when each member of a team in keanly in tune with their teammates.

That brings to mind that other, equally dreaded, equally revered cycling race format, the Team Time Trial.

Still incredibly demanding, still able to expose the weaknesses that are hiding within an individual rider or team, the TTT calls for strength, efficiency and SYNERGY. The more successfully a team can ride as one cohesive unit, the more they can spread the workload across each rider, the faster they will move and the better their result will be.

Perhaps even more satisfying than the end result is the shared experience. Research has shown that the bond that forms amongst those who experience adversity as a group is an incredibly strong one. From extreme examples, like soldiers sharing a foxhole, to far less harrowing experiences (like riding bikes together, really fast) the combination of physical and psychological stress, followed by the release of dopamine when that stress is removed creates a feeling of shared euphoria that potentially surpasses the same feeling experienced by a solo rider. The folks you struggle with are often those you form the strongest bond with.

So, in the spirit of synergy and teamwork, the Iowa Gravel Series and the folks who bring you Hogback Gravel would like to invite you to the Horseshoes and Hogback challenge.

This May, two fantastic Iowa gravel races will take place one week apart. The first of them being Hogback Gravel on May 4th, 2024. The second event will be The Kalona Horseshoe on May 11, 2024.

These two great races, just one week apart, are the perfect canvas on which to paint your portrait of shared velo-virtuosity. We invite you to assemble into groups of three and show us what your team is capable of.

Here are the details:

2 EVENT TEAM SCORING SCHEME FOR HOGBACK GRVL AND THE KALONA HORSESHOE

For each team, the top 3 times will count. Finishing times are only used once in each category.

GOLD
The top 3 fastest times per team, per race are counted

1st – 50 points
2nd – 48 points
3rd- 46 points

SILVER
The top 3 SECOND fastest times per team are counted (so this would be the teams fastest time EXCLUDING any finishing times that qualified for gold. So, for example, if a team JUST missed gold, that time would likely be 1st in the silver division.

1st – 44 points
2nd – 42 points
3rd – 40 points

BRONZE
The top 3 THIRD fastest times per team are counted (so this would be the teams fastest time EXCLUDING any finishing times that qualified for silver. So, for example, if a team JUST missed silver, that time would likely be 1st in the silver division.

1st – 38 points
2nd – 36 points
3rd – 24 points

With this format it DOES benefit a team to work together, however it limits one teams ability to clinch the first 3 golds. If a team comes in 1st, 2nd and 3rd OVERALL they would score a gold, silver and bronze 1st’s for 132 points. A team that came in behind those 3 would score 126.

This means that the competition from a points standpoint will be tight and will encourage teams to work that much harder in the subsequent race.

To participate in the Hogbacks and Horseshoes challenge, no special registration is required. Simply register for both races and include your team name, then email casey@iowagravelseries.com with the information about your 3 person team (team name, included riders).

If your club can form into multiple teams, even better! Just specify a unique team name for each.

WHAT’S ON THE LINE?

Beyond bragging rights there may be prizes awarded to the top mens and womens teams (working on these details). Be sure to designate one team captain to be the recipient of any prizes / awards.

Not part of a team but interested in working together with some fellow riders to slay the course? Let us know in an email (also to casey@iowagravelseries.com). We will work to pair you up with other participants who are also needing one or 2 teammates.

Even if the TTT is not your cup of…..well, tea, we encourage you to sign up for one or both of these fantastic Iowa races. They should be the perfect start to the Iowa gravel summer season.

Best of luck to all!.