The cycling-event scene in the UK has endured a torrid few years. As we all know, 2020 was almost a total write-off. It picked up in 2021, but not by much, and it was only in 2022 that things got back to some kind of normality. Even still, the pandemic and its aftershocks continue to reverberate, with some events either folding as a direct result, or struggling to fill up as riders continue to avoid mass events.
Raiders Gravel, a three-day gravel event in southern Scotland’s Dumfries and Galloway region, has had a particularly tricky gestation. Its first edition was set for 2021, but ultimately had to be cancelled as the country continued to tackle Covid. The organisers had a freer run at it for 2022, which gave the impetus for the inaugural event to take place last August, and I was delighted to be invited.
If I was happy to be there, it was nothing compared to how the organisers felt. Along with photographer Andy, at the start of the event I met the event’s chief architect, Warren Sanders, a local bike guide
