Took years of planning and training (Covid stopped the 1st attempt in 2020 and a collapsed wheel bearing ended my return trip in 2021) but last year I finally bikepacked from my home in Brussels to my in-laws in Sweden and back - 2850Km in 20 days on the bike. Not bad for someone that makes Dan look a spring chicken!
Thank you, GCN, for making this video not about performance but rather the cooperation of two people trying to support each other to complete a goal of finishing together. Yes, this was probably a Zone 2 ride for Alex, but it was never about Alex. It was about Chloe getting outside of her comfort zone to train and then finally completing the goal of finishing. What is the next event?
respect for you from being someone who never ride any gravel before and made it to 2nd even! @@chloepaton5115 if alex wouldnt have asked you for this, what would motivate you to ride gravel? im feel so touched by how you guys rode together the whole race and it came to my mind to bring my girlfriend to ride with me as well, i just dont know how should i convince my gf, who never ride anything like that. have you got any tips maybe to convince my gf? 😅✌
After seeing Ollie encourage Alex to finish their 312km ride round the coast of Mallorca was lovely to see Alex take the support role for his wife. Just shows you what you can achieve when given the right encouragement. Great effort Chloe, now to plan the next challenge!
Summing up Alex's commitment to Chloe, "How do you convince someone how good they really are?" although I'm sure Chloe understood more and more how good she was as her confidence built though out the course of the day. And Chloe's commitment to Alex? "I couldn't have done this without Alex"... what a partnership in love and life. Firstly, both are SO lucky to have found each other and to be able to share a bonding event like this so early in their relationship. Secondly, look for great things from these guys in so many ways, not just on the bike. THIS is what a partnership for life is built upon! One of the most inspirational GCN videos I've seen, and not just about the bike.
Racer 410 here! So good to see you and your wife Chloe! We exchanged positions a few times through the race. You guys finished so strong! Best part of the vid, how do you convince someone how good they are? So heart felt, thank you for that! I think I can to this race with 100km for a 104 mile race. Ouch! But so much fun! Definitely going next year!
Alex and Chloe - What a beautiful video - on many levels. Congratulations to Chloe for a wonderful result and Alex for being a tremendously genuine and loving supporter. We need more of this type of displays.
Chloe is for sure one of my Sheroes now! Huge respect for having so much courage to take on this very public risk, in front of the camera no less! Thanks for this STELLAR content! This is the kind of story I'm interested in watching ! Thanks too to Alex who made it about Chloe and knew her well enough to be a true support by knowing exactly what to say and how to say it to help her be the most she could be in this very difficult situation! Totally the right attitude, you both. And so good for Kasia to chime in with it too. You obviously took it to heart Chloe! Congratulations on a mega achievement!! You have completed something very few of us have ever attempted! Well done!!
Wow thank you! I was very apprehensive but so pleased I pushed myself out my comfort zone and went for it with the support of Alex and everyone at GCN! A true team effort and an unforgettable experience 😊
Chloe and Alex, what an amazing video. Well done to you both on completing the race. Chloe, you're a great inspiration to all beginners out there. Alex, the support you gave her all round the route, from the highs and lows was superb to see. And to show how proud you were of Chloe, you're last words in the video said everything that needed to be said, when you told her you loved her.
Chloe!!!! What an accomplishment. No crashes, riding through nutritional difficulty, finishing so strong. Kudos to you too Alex. I love how you are all about your wife's best interest. The pride you take in your wife's heart and effort jumps through the screen. That was was awesome content y'all.
I’ve been waiting for this video ever since the project was announced. Awesome effort Chloe - coming 2nd in your 1st ever gravel race is an incredible achievement!
Congratulations, Chloe, what an amazing journey and effort to push through and finish the race! It was beautiful to see you and Alex, especially as a married couple, getting out to train, race, and finish together in spite of the challenges you met along the way.
Feels very special, with Alex and Chloe. You captured lightning in a bottle! The energy and vibe between these two is really capturing something unique. @GCN you need to do a series with Alex and Chloe doing Girona, Calpé, Majorca, and some Gran Fondos across the Dolomites and Alps and Taiwan KOM!
Training and supporting each other in a 100+ mile gravel race probably ticks off all relationship goals. Well done to the two of you. Videos showing Chloe’s progress in the sport of gravel cycling is quite inspiring - more please (if Chloe is interested that is).
Beautiful teamwork you two! The inclusiveness of gravel is what really shines through. + we need more women on GCN! …Chloe, it would be amazing to see a companion video, or just a story about the 5 months training you did for Big Sugar.
Best video in quite some time. Very entertaining and we got to know Chloe. I agree with Alex, Chloe is a very good cyclist. A hundred mile gravel race and she's 2nd in her age group? Wow!
I know exactly how Chloe felt as I just cannot eat whilst cycling because it makes me feel incredibly sick and so I have to not eat until I bonk and then I eat, not the best but I have tried absolutely everything over the past 8 years and nothing works. Well done lass, proud of you xx Awe Alex… “I love you” at the end was truly so wonderful 🥰
Chloe, I’ve recently become a dad to a little girl. I love cycling. Whilst watching this, I kept thinking how amazing it would be if my daughter developed a love of cycling and would ride with me. Well done, and like Alex said, you are really good at cycling! Keep this up! 😊 👏🏻
Well done Chloe .It was also great to see the Gravel world champion spending time giving advice and generally having a chat, proves cycling elite athletes are still down to earth and not elitist
I've been looking forward to this video since it's been teased across GCN. And it was magical! Well done Chloe, 2nd in category is more than most of us could ever hope to achieve, so looking forward to seeing what else cycling has in store for you (if it's on GCN)!
Congrats to you Chloe! Welcome to America and for finishing in such fine fashion and form. Love that you were pushing Alex to ride faster near the end. YOU ROCK!!! My biggest cycling achievement was The Triple Bypass. 117 miles (188 Km) with 11,000 ft (3.353 M) of climbing.
Massive effort Chloe! Alex was absolutely right you did really well for a big gravel ride. It takes a while to get comfortable off road so well done! Also big thumbs up for riding with Alex as sometimes when you are tired it can be hard to sit next to a strong rider and hold on. You obviously have some training and grit.
Brilliant, Alex, to ride and stay with Chloe through thick and thin, better or worse. But she had me freakin' for a minute there, like rut-roh, is she gonna stay or go? And congratulations on our sub-eight-hour finish and if I had been there and saw you, I'd have said hello, stayed with you two for awhile, and then announced that I'm ready for my close-up, lol. And seriously, it has to be a kick for fans to spot you, like look, they are here after all. And I know some people complain about that Lauf suspension fork but I like it, it looks like a modern interpretation of a classic motorcycle springer fork or something. Thanks for riding Big Sugar and congrats again on getting to the finish in the true spirit of gravel.
Watching you both complete this challenge together was really heart warming. I bet that beer tasted sweet. Thanks for sharing and bravo for the result.
Wow! Great job Chloe! My first road century ride was 10H29M. You smashed this at < 8hrs. I’ve been looking forward to this video since I knew it was coming! Hats off!
@gcn January 1 this year. Since then I’ve ridden about 5 or 6 of them and it’s down to a little over 5 hours with the help of a Cervelo P3X. But a gravel century with elevation is still a whole other level so I’m super impressed with Chloe’s performance!
Great video, very encouraging! I love riding with my buddies and with groups but most of all I love riding with my wife. There is something special about it. When we get home the glow of riding in the morning carries us through our day.
A very well-earned finish on one of the hardest races in the U.S. if not the world, well done Chloe 👏👏👏. Big Sugar is, as far as I know, the hardest gravel-asphalt races ever designed to really test the rider, and doing 104 miles in under 8 hours as a first-timer is a wonderful accomplishment.
I absolutely loved watching this. I had the opportunity to race the Whistler Forte Fondo this year and watching the 2 of you cross that finish line brought back feeling of accomplishment and emotion that I felt as I crossed the line in my own race. My wife was a spectator of my race and she mentioned that watching you finish this race reminded her of the electric feeling in the air at the finish of a big event like that. Well done to both of you. Amazing film and series around the preparation for this event.
It was great to see you two at the "race." Chloe gets the huge kudos as that was anything but an easy race.... As one of the Pro men said, "It was the scariest gravel race of the season." The downhills were something else, technical and chunky...quite a challenge for anyone. So you may get an idea of who this is...I yelled out, "Bloody Hell! We have the GCN presenters!" With that Alex gave the thumbs up! Thank you for enjoying the gravel with us and Chloe, you are a hero!!!
Congratulations, Chloe, on managing the effort and finishing strong. What I learned with gravel riding over the years is that gravel eats up your energy much quicker than any paved road, which makes this very hard to accomplish. Well done!
Totally Superb Combination Of These Husband & Wife From GLOBAL CYCLE NETWORK...KEEPING THE PADDLE MOVING FASTER & FASTER TO THE FINISH LINE...BOTH OF YOU HAVE DONE ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCE THAT A COUPLE CAN DO...KEEP MOVING FORWARD....SHOUT OUT FOR BOTH OF YOU 😍🙌🏼🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡
This has to be one of the best videos GCN has put together, the drone footage, music, selfies etc. well done & also inspirational because I signed up for my first road cycling century for this coming February. The Jalapeño 100! I hope I do as well as you two!
Hats off to you Chloe, and Alex for his encouragement. As a life long cyclist I always tried to get my wife to join me and finally at age 55 she relented and we did our first 100km Fondo together. She was hooked and now 9 years later we always do at least one Fondo together per year and all our trips (we are both retired now) revolve around cycling and camping all over western North America.
Well done Chloe and Alpert! Chloe, simply phenomenal, exceeding all expectations! Personal achievement… Probably riding the 206 mile Seattle to Portland event in one day, 8 months after surgery to replace my severed ACL.
What a fantastic achievement Chloe. On top of that, this is one of the best videos from GCN in a long time. Had it all, including inspired choice of background music. Captured the spirit in f the gravel community.
Alex & Chloe a winning team and a true inspiration. More videos and new goals together please. We were all with you at the finish. Truly emotional good job !! And you have your own cool story to share. 👍🏼
Hats off to you guys. I finally ordered a trek checkpoint alr5 axs today coming from an old giant escape 3 😅 so I’m super excited been binging your content all day my gf sick of me 😂
Great work. Success is when preparation meets opportunity. Wish you many more. My favorite is the Tour de Tucson, every November. Goes around the perimeter of Tucson Arizona. Full course is about 110 to 120. Varies on the course each year. Fund raiser ride for different reasons. Hospitals, and others - typical. Have something to train for next year. If you go let me know. I will watch for you. Road bike- not gravel bike. But still fun.
My biggest gravel challenge was the Inaugural Frontier 300 in 2022 186 miles over 16000’ of up I did it solo, rode to the event from Dumfries, finished in 20 hours 17 minutes I’ve COPD and only have 62% lung capacity for my age at 61 and did it for the Lung Foundation. I’m doing again in 2024 to knock off 17 minutes. Well done guys. You are inspirational
I've been watching gcn for a number of years and Alex has always been one of my favorites. I love how he laughs at so much of life! And Chloe being a first-time gravel racer she was just amazing! Being that she was having so much trouble in the beginning I thought to myself this could really get ugly. But she persevered with the aid of Alex and others I'm sure to finish strong. Absolutely brilliant! It's Amazing what True Love can do for a Long bike ride and in life in general really. I'm very glad they made it through Together. Congratulations to you Both , you seem like Great young people!! 😎
I had barely seen 1 minute of the video and I was already excited, what a cool couple, congratulations to her and him, and also to the video team, that also finished the race to take those shots, and the video editing is very good too.... ride safe everyone.
CONGRATS Chloe!!! That was the hardest gravel race I have done so far!! You were spot on with everything you said- I have felt that way too! Enjoyed being behind you 2 for so much of the early race! (Hope all of my beeping didn't bother you too much!!) I stayed behind your wheel Chloe and trusted your great line choice! Thought you were a pro! :) Thank you for keeping me going!!
i'm always late to the comment game...but gosh, you two are absolutely brilliant. I would probably never have completed my cycling achievements without my wonderful husband, and I'm so glad that you finished strong and enjoyed yourself! Great training and great job`
What a wonderful success after the training program and such a lot of exposure through GCN. Chloe! Star! A well made video. Thank you, GCN AND THE TEAM.
Congrats Chloe on your outstanding achievement! It takes a lot sometimes to put yourself out there and sign up for any long distance event like this. You get the opportunity to search your soul and break down some barriers and to compete with others and your self! Thanks to Alex and GCN for providing Chloe the chance to excel!
That was great, well done Chloe. It would be good to get Chloe on the channel more often, maybe working with Manon to have ex pro and amateur rider skills videos and fitness videos?
Chloe the warrior! I remember my first big ride, the DunRun from London the the Suffolk coast. I felt everything that she did. The pain, nausea, and most importantly the elation at the end. I too shed a tear at the end of that ride. I live in the US now, but my son wants to ride the DunRun as his high school graduation present in 2025. I have ridden with him since he was 6, and he can now kick my butt on rides. We live in Miami however, so no hills. We will have to see how he does back in the UK when they re-appear!
Way to go Chloe, You are an inspiration to many. Also, hats off to Alex for providing stellar emotional support to Chloe. What an amazing time and experience you two must have together. I look forward to more videos with the two of you. Would also be cool if the other GCN presenters did similar videos with their partners.
19:17 People who are good at cycling I find have grit, determination and the ability to stay focused on the end goal. This sport/hobby punishes the body if you go past a sunday ride. Your wife has those qualities. My wife does too. On literally her 3rd "big ride" (more than 10mi) she rode 42mi with me in roughly 3hrs on a gravel bike on paved trails. I could have kept going but her prior best was only 28mi. I hope to get her sucked into it like i got this year.
Alex saying "She's so much better than she'll ever know" hit me like a ton of bricks as I thought about all of the women in my life who could be described the same way.
Getting your eating is the toughest part. Also the fact that everyone's food intake and fluids is different. Im so different to all my friends. Since getting it right, its made a huge difference
Outstanding effort, Chloe, especially pushing through the hard part when you were feeling crap. You showed real character, and the result (2nd in age group) speaks for itself! The obvious question now; when is your next gravel race??
Watched this with the wife yesterday and really appreciated Alex and Chloe's report. Looks amazing! And kudos to Chloe for getting 2nd in her age group. As a bonus, the wife is interested in participating next year. We're already looking at the registration page. :D
What's your biggest cycling achievement? 🚴👇
Did 160k on the Simcoe County Loop in Ontario Canada last Tuesday.
Took years of planning and training (Covid stopped the 1st attempt in 2020 and a collapsed wheel bearing ended my return trip in 2021) but last year I finally bikepacked from my home in Brussels to my in-laws in Sweden and back - 2850Km in 20 days on the bike. Not bad for someone that makes Dan look a spring chicken!
Vätternrundan in Sweden 300km
@@frazergoodwin4945 That is incredible!
Beating my PB on my local hill climb after recovering from heart surgery (took 6 years!)
2nd in age group is just exceptional. Congrats Chloe, that was inspiring. About time GCN got another woman on the team!
Chloe was Incredible!
Thank you so much! 😊
Spoiler!
Great job Chloe great job
Couldn't agree more with this whole comment, including about GCN getting another woman on the team!
Thank you, GCN, for making this video not about performance but rather the cooperation of two people trying to support each other to complete a goal of finishing together. Yes, this was probably a Zone 2 ride for Alex, but it was never about Alex. It was about Chloe getting outside of her comfort zone to train and then finally completing the goal of finishing. What is the next event?
Absolute respect to Chloe. A brilliant achievement.
Thank you!
respect for you from being someone who never ride any gravel before and made it to 2nd even! @@chloepaton5115 if alex wouldnt have asked you for this, what would motivate you to ride gravel? im feel so touched by how you guys rode together the whole race and it came to my mind to bring my girlfriend to ride with me as well, i just dont know how should i convince my gf, who never ride anything like that. have you got any tips maybe to convince my gf? 😅✌
After seeing Ollie encourage Alex to finish their 312km ride round the coast of Mallorca was lovely to see Alex take the support role for his wife. Just shows you what you can achieve when given the right encouragement. Great effort Chloe, now to plan the next challenge!
What should we get Chloe doing next?🤔
@@gcnvelodrome maybe ?
Thank you and so true! Having Alex by my side helped me get to that finish line for sure 🙌🏼😊
@@gcn Is it in the budget for the whole team to do unbound? lol
Except it seems that Alex didn't just ride off after a few encouraging words :p
Alex you are so lucky to have a wife to share an epic event like that with!!
They are lucky to have each other 🙌 Gravel goals for sure!
Summing up Alex's commitment to Chloe, "How do you convince someone how good they really are?" although I'm sure Chloe understood more and more how good she was as her confidence built though out the course of the day. And Chloe's commitment to Alex? "I couldn't have done this without Alex"... what a partnership in love and life. Firstly, both are SO lucky to have found each other and to be able to share a bonding event like this so early in their relationship. Secondly, look for great things from these guys in so many ways, not just on the bike. THIS is what a partnership for life is built upon! One of the most inspirational GCN videos I've seen, and not just about the bike.
Racer 410 here!
So good to see you and your wife Chloe! We exchanged positions a few times through the race. You guys finished so strong!
Best part of the vid, how do you convince someone how good they are? So heart felt, thank you for that!
I think I can to this race with 100km for a 104 mile race. Ouch! But so much fun! Definitely going next year!
Thank you and congratulations too! Hope you had a great day, I would love to do it again! 😆
Who wouldn't want a motivator like Alex to get you through this epic ride 🙌
I'm blown away by the amazing efforts of Chloe. And hats off to Alex for having her back.. Quite inspiring stuff
Thanks Calvin, it was an amazing experience
I hope one day I'll get to do something similar.. Just keep riding because you're made for it 😏👌
@@calvinknowles3299 We hope Chloe has inspired you to get out there and ride 🙌 Any events you've got your eyes on?
The Dragon ride Gran Fondo 213 km in Wales
I didn't just watch a cycling story, I watched a LOVE story. Beautiful. Well done Chloe and Alex ❤
Chloe, you probably don't realise what an inspiration you are. You absolutely smashed it out of the park 👊
Alex and Chloe - What a beautiful video - on many levels. Congratulations to Chloe for a wonderful result and Alex for being a tremendously genuine and loving supporter. We need more of this type of displays.
Well done, Chloe! Got a bit emotional alongside with you. It’s a big accomplishment and you *should* be well proud of yourself!
Thanks Jason, I appreciate that! 😊
Felt the emotions doing my first Gravel 100+ c/ my Husband last year. It’s a cool bonding experience! Congratulations to you both.
Chloe is for sure one of my Sheroes now! Huge respect for having so much courage to take on this very public risk, in front of the camera no less! Thanks for this STELLAR content! This is the kind of story I'm interested in watching ! Thanks too to Alex who made it about Chloe and knew her well enough to be a true support by knowing exactly what to say and how to say it to help her be the most she could be in this very difficult situation! Totally the right attitude, you both. And so good for Kasia to chime in with it too. You obviously took it to heart Chloe! Congratulations on a mega achievement!! You have completed something very few of us have ever attempted! Well done!!
Wow thank you! I was very apprehensive but so pleased I pushed myself out my comfort zone and went for it with the support of Alex and everyone at GCN! A true team effort and an unforgettable experience 😊
Chloe and Alex smashed this race 🙌 Not an easy route for anyone! We hope Chloe showed that big challenges like this aren't out of reach for everyone!
Well done Chloe! And Alex for being a wonderful supportive partner. What a great production GCN has made for us to enjoy.
Chloe and Alex, what an amazing video. Well done to you both on completing the race. Chloe, you're a great inspiration to all beginners out there. Alex, the support you gave her all round the route, from the highs and lows was superb to see.
And to show how proud you were of Chloe, you're last words in the video said everything that needed to be said, when you told her you loved her.
Both of them smashed this challenge! 🙌 We think there is certainly some more content to come from these two!
So proud of Chloe for tackling such a big challenge and event. Not bad to take home a trophy as a souvenir.
Chloe!!!! What an accomplishment. No crashes, riding through nutritional difficulty, finishing so strong. Kudos to you too Alex. I love how you are all about your wife's best interest. The pride you take in your wife's heart and effort jumps through the screen. That was was awesome content y'all.
Thanks Tim! Alex is the best no.1 supporter 😊
great meeting Alex and Chloe out on the course and on the group ride leading up to it
A podium result on your first race. Well done, Chloe [and Alex, of course]. Lovely to see the team work here.
I’ve been waiting for this video ever since the project was announced. Awesome effort Chloe - coming 2nd in your 1st ever gravel race is an incredible achievement!
That's amazing, thanks for following the journey 😊
She did awesome!!
Congratulations, Chloe, what an amazing journey and effort to push through and finish the race! It was beautiful to see you and Alex, especially as a married couple, getting out to train, race, and finish together in spite of the challenges you met along the way.
Thank you so much!
Feels very special, with Alex and Chloe. You captured lightning in a bottle! The energy and vibe between these two is really capturing something unique.
@GCN you need to do a series with Alex and Chloe doing Girona, Calpé, Majorca, and some Gran Fondos across the Dolomites and Alps and Taiwan KOM!
Training and supporting each other in a 100+ mile gravel race probably ticks off all relationship goals. Well done to the two of you. Videos showing Chloe’s progress in the sport of gravel cycling is quite inspiring - more please (if Chloe is interested that is).
Thank you - it's been a journey to get here but we did it! Would love to do more gravel, just looking for my next challenge 😃
Beautiful teamwork you two! The inclusiveness of gravel is what really shines through. + we need more women on GCN! …Chloe, it would be amazing to see a companion video, or just a story about the 5 months training you did for Big Sugar.
Thank you Alex and Chloe!! Great to meet you at the Stone Circle yesterday - thank you for your encouragement
Thanks Tina! Hope you had fun at the Stone Circle, it was a great event wasn't it! Keep cycling and having fun x
@@chloepaton5115 It was! Devastated that hotchillee have gone out of business since :( Amazing event though!
Best video in quite some time. Very entertaining and we got to know Chloe. I agree with Alex, Chloe is a very good cyclist. A hundred mile gravel race and she's 2nd in her age group? Wow!
I know exactly how Chloe felt as I just cannot eat whilst cycling because it makes me feel incredibly sick and so I have to not eat until I bonk and then I eat, not the best but I have tried absolutely everything over the past 8 years and nothing works. Well done lass, proud of you xx Awe Alex… “I love you” at the end was truly so wonderful 🥰
Thank you! I've never really enjoyed eating on the bike but on this day it really was a struggle 😅
Wow ! This has to be the best production, I've seen. Alex is so lucky to have a wife , that can compete at this level of cycling . Thanks KB
Thanks Ken, massive kudos to the film crew and edit
Chloe absolutely bossed it! Second in age group on her first race, is a real achievement. Well done, Chloe 👍
Especially a 100 miler on gravel!
Way to go Chloe! I did the Highlander Cycle Tour in the Finger Lakes a couple of times. 100 Miles up and down the drumlins.
Chloe, I’ve recently become a dad to a little girl. I love cycling. Whilst watching this, I kept thinking how amazing it would be if my daughter developed a love of cycling and would ride with me. Well done, and like Alex said, you are really good at cycling! Keep this up! 😊 👏🏻
Thanks Matt and huge congratulations! Lovely news 😊
Well done Chloe .It was also great to see the Gravel world champion spending time giving advice and generally having a chat, proves cycling elite athletes are still down to earth and not elitist
Amazing, well done both. Don't know what's wrong with me, I've had someting in my eye for most of this video 😭
Absolutely amazing effort Chloe you must be so proud of yourself smashed it and you are so so humble
We're all very proud of Chloe 🙌 Should we get her back in the channel?
I've been looking forward to this video since it's been teased across GCN. And it was magical!
Well done Chloe, 2nd in category is more than most of us could ever hope to achieve, so looking forward to seeing what else cycling has in store for you (if it's on GCN)!
Congrats to you Chloe! Welcome to America and for finishing in such fine fashion and form. Love that you were pushing Alex to ride faster near the end. YOU ROCK!!!
My biggest cycling achievement was The Triple Bypass. 117 miles (188 Km) with 11,000 ft (3.353 M) of climbing.
Great video. Nice ride. It was great to see you guys do the ride together. Thank you!
Massive effort Chloe! Alex was absolutely right you did really well for a big gravel ride. It takes a while to get comfortable off road so well done! Also big thumbs up for riding with Alex as sometimes when you are tired it can be hard to sit next to a strong rider and hold on. You obviously have some training and grit.
Brilliant, Alex, to ride and stay with Chloe through thick and thin, better or worse. But she had me freakin' for a minute there, like rut-roh, is she gonna stay or go? And congratulations on our sub-eight-hour finish and if I had been there and saw you, I'd have said hello, stayed with you two for awhile, and then announced that I'm ready for my close-up, lol. And seriously, it has to be a kick for fans to spot you, like look, they are here after all. And I know some people complain about that Lauf suspension fork but I like it, it looks like a modern interpretation of a classic motorcycle springer fork or something. Thanks for riding Big Sugar and congrats again on getting to the finish in the true spirit of gravel.
Watching you both complete this challenge together was really heart warming. I bet that beer tasted sweet. Thanks for sharing and bravo for the result.
Wow! Great job Chloe! My first road century ride was 10H29M. You smashed this at < 8hrs. I’ve been looking forward to this video since I knew it was coming! Hats off!
How long ago was your first centrey? Chloe really did smash this race 🙌 We think we'll have to get her back in 👀
@gcn January 1 this year. Since then I’ve ridden about 5 or 6 of them and it’s down to a little over 5 hours with the help of a Cervelo P3X. But a gravel century with elevation is still a whole other level so I’m super impressed with Chloe’s performance!
One of the best videos ever! Congratulations to Chloe!
Great video, very encouraging! I love riding with my buddies and with groups but most of all I love riding with my wife. There is something special about it. When we get home the glow of riding in the morning carries us through our day.
A very well-earned finish on one of the hardest races in the U.S. if not the world, well done Chloe 👏👏👏. Big Sugar is, as far as I know, the hardest gravel-asphalt races ever designed to really test the rider, and doing 104 miles in under 8 hours as a first-timer is a wonderful accomplishment.
Thank you 😊
Their time would be a great achievement for any rider, Chloe smashed it! More gravel soon?
I absolutely loved watching this. I had the opportunity to race the Whistler Forte Fondo this year and watching the 2 of you cross that finish line brought back feeling of accomplishment and emotion that I felt as I crossed the line in my own race. My wife was a spectator of my race and she mentioned that watching you finish this race reminded her of the electric feeling in the air at the finish of a big event like that. Well done to both of you. Amazing film and series around the preparation for this event.
It was great to see you two at the "race." Chloe gets the huge kudos as that was anything but an easy race....
As one of the Pro men said, "It was the scariest gravel race of the season."
The downhills were something else, technical and chunky...quite a challenge for anyone.
So you may get an idea of who this is...I yelled out, "Bloody Hell! We have the GCN presenters!"
With that Alex gave the thumbs up!
Thank you for enjoying the gravel with us and Chloe, you are a hero!!!
Thank you - we had an amazing time!
Just watched this again. Huge Kudos to both Chloe & Alex. Entertaining and fun video. No way I could ride that far. Well done!
Congratulations, Chloe, on managing the effort and finishing strong. What I learned with gravel riding over the years is that gravel eats up your energy much quicker than any paved road, which makes this very hard to accomplish. Well done!
Truly inspirational. Chloe’s grit and determination. Alex’s support and EQ. Must admit, I shed a tear.
Ah thank you, glad you enjoyed it 😊
Totally Superb Combination Of These Husband & Wife From GLOBAL CYCLE NETWORK...KEEPING THE PADDLE MOVING FASTER & FASTER TO THE FINISH LINE...BOTH OF YOU HAVE DONE ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCE THAT A COUPLE CAN DO...KEEP MOVING FORWARD....SHOUT OUT FOR BOTH OF YOU 😍🙌🏼🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡
This has to be one of the best videos GCN has put together, the drone footage, music, selfies etc. well done & also inspirational because I signed up for my first road cycling century for this coming February. The Jalapeño 100! I hope I do as well as you two!
Thank you, a huge team effort! Best of luck for your challenge, you'll smash it 🙌🏼
Hats off to you Chloe, and Alex for his encouragement. As a life long cyclist I always tried to get my wife to join me and finally at age 55 she relented and we did our first 100km Fondo together. She was hooked and now 9 years later we always do at least one Fondo together per year and all our trips (we are both retired now) revolve around cycling and camping all over western North America.
Love this! 😊
Wow! What a fun and inspiring story! Definitely the best video of the year. Good on you guys!
Well done Chloe and Alpert! Chloe, simply phenomenal, exceeding all expectations!
Personal achievement… Probably riding the 206 mile Seattle to Portland event in one day, 8 months after surgery to replace my severed ACL.
Thank you and well done on your achievement too, that's amazing 🙌🏼
What a fantastic achievement Chloe. On top of that, this is one of the best videos from GCN in a long time. Had it all, including inspired choice of background music. Captured the spirit in f the gravel community.
When that sort of soul number came in towards the end… wow!
A true team effort!
So cool the two of you got to share this great event. My fave event was RAGBRAI...you would love it!
Alex & Chloe a winning team and a true inspiration. More videos and new goals together please. We were all with you at the finish. Truly emotional good job !! And you have your own cool story to share. 👍🏼
Hats off to you guys. I finally ordered a trek checkpoint alr5 axs today coming from an old giant escape 3 😅 so I’m super excited been binging your content all day my gf sick of me 😂
Great work. Success is when preparation meets opportunity. Wish you many more. My favorite is the Tour de Tucson, every November. Goes around the perimeter of Tucson Arizona. Full course is about 110 to 120. Varies on the course each year. Fund raiser ride for different reasons. Hospitals, and others - typical. Have something to train for next year. If you go let me know. I will watch for you. Road bike- not gravel bike. But still fun.
What an awesome couple. Well done Chloe, what a super effort to put in the training and deliver on the day.
Very proud of you two! What you have together is special! Enjoy it!
I genuinely love this kind of content. I love seeing people challenge themselves to try new things and discover strength within themselves. Well done!
Well ridden. I really enjoy these GCN videos and you inspire people to compete themselves! Thank you.
My biggest gravel challenge was the Inaugural Frontier 300 in 2022 186 miles over 16000’ of up I did it solo, rode to the event from Dumfries, finished in 20 hours 17 minutes I’ve COPD and only have 62% lung capacity for my age at 61 and did it for the Lung Foundation. I’m doing again in 2024 to knock off 17 minutes. Well done guys. You are inspirational
I've been watching gcn for a number of years and Alex has always been one of my favorites. I love how he laughs at so much of life! And Chloe being a first-time gravel racer she was just amazing! Being that she was having so much trouble in the beginning I thought to myself this could really get ugly. But she persevered with the aid of Alex and others I'm sure to finish strong. Absolutely brilliant! It's Amazing what True Love can do for a Long bike ride and in life in general really. I'm very glad they made it through Together.
Congratulations to you Both , you seem like Great young people!! 😎
Thank you, kind words! :)
I had barely seen 1 minute of the video and I was already excited, what a cool couple, congratulations to her and him, and also to the video team, that also finished the race to take those shots, and the video editing is very good too.... ride safe everyone.
Thank you! It sure was an adventure!
Thank you, an amazing team effort 🙌🏼
Just want to add my voice to the chorus of congrats, Chloe! Thank you for letting us come along with you!
CONGRATS Chloe!!! That was the hardest gravel race I have done so far!! You were spot on with everything you said- I have felt that way too! Enjoyed being behind you 2 for so much of the early race! (Hope all of my beeping didn't bother you too much!!)
I stayed behind your wheel Chloe and trusted your great line choice! Thought you were a pro! :) Thank you for keeping me going!!
Thank you! So great to meet you last weekend and congratulations too, it was a tough day! 😊
Well done for completing it! How did you find it as a whole event?
I did not see you out there, but you rode with a lot of the people I rode with. Congrats on a good day! That was a tough course!
Really well done both of you. Congrats to Chloe to the second place. I had a tear in my eye at the end. You two really deserve each other!
i'm always late to the comment game...but gosh, you two are absolutely brilliant. I would probably never have completed my cycling achievements without my wonderful husband, and I'm so glad that you finished strong and enjoyed yourself! Great training and great job`
Thanks Anne, so kind! It definitely helps to have great support along the way doesn't it 😊
This was such a good video. A departure from the usual vibe and soundtrack, which was really cool. Loved it.
Chloe - you are a total inspiration. Massive kudos!
Thank you Linda, really kind
What a wonderful success after the training program and such a lot of exposure through GCN. Chloe! Star! A well made video. Thank you, GCN AND THE TEAM.
Good job! We need an Alex and Chloe bikepacking story now!
Sounds fun! Where would you like them to go?
@gcn Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Iceland ?!?! In the States maybe somewhere along the Great Divide route or Alaska!
How cool was this video? Cycling with the one you love in a huge Gravel event is pretty awesome. Well done.
Thanks 😊
Congrats Chloe on your outstanding achievement! It takes a lot sometimes to put yourself out there and sign up for any long distance event like this. You get the opportunity to search your soul and break down some barriers and to compete with others and your self! Thanks to Alex and GCN for providing Chloe the chance to excel!
Heck yeah, Chloe!! You rock!
Loved seeing you ride, and your sidekick seemed pretty handy to have around for backup ;)
Thanks! My domestique did a great job 😆
@@questgivercyradis8462 sidekick made his sweet girl ride much to fast in the beginning of the race, shame on him😂
Well done guys! What an amazing experience and achievement!
Just the fact that you two stayed together through the entire race is huge and the best part of the story, great job!!
That was great, well done Chloe. It would be good to get Chloe on the channel more often, maybe working with Manon to have ex pro and amateur rider skills videos and fitness videos?
Such an excellent video that really did capture that spirit of gravel at its grassroots, community-driven best! Well done!
Chloe the warrior! I remember my first big ride, the DunRun from London the the Suffolk coast. I felt everything that she did. The pain, nausea, and most importantly the elation at the end. I too shed a tear at the end of that ride. I live in the US now, but my son wants to ride the DunRun as his high school graduation present in 2025. I have ridden with him since he was 6, and he can now kick my butt on rides. We live in Miami however, so no hills. We will have to see how he does back in the UK when they re-appear!
Way to go Chloe, You are an inspiration to many. Also, hats off to Alex for providing stellar emotional support to Chloe. What an amazing time and experience you two must have together. I look forward to more videos with the two of you. Would also be cool if the other GCN presenters did similar videos with their partners.
This format is a winner. Thank you.
19:17 People who are good at cycling I find have grit, determination and the ability to stay focused on the end goal. This sport/hobby punishes the body if you go past a sunday ride.
Your wife has those qualities. My wife does too. On literally her 3rd "big ride" (more than 10mi) she rode 42mi with me in roughly 3hrs on a gravel bike on paved trails. I could have kept going but her prior best was only 28mi.
I hope to get her sucked into it like i got this year.
Alex saying "She's so much better than she'll ever know" hit me like a ton of bricks as I thought about all of the women in my life who could be described the same way.
Go tell them!
Absolutely brilliant seeing you and Alex riding as a team. Hope to see more adventures with you and Alex together. You are an inspiration.
Great achievement by Chloe👏🏽👏🏽and so special to do this together 🫶🏽
Such an inspiration! You've convinced me to take on a gravel challenge that I've been considering.
That's fantastic, let me know how it goes!
Getting your eating is the toughest part. Also the fact that everyone's food intake and fluids is different. Im so different to all my friends. Since getting it right, its made a huge difference
Outstanding effort, Chloe, especially pushing through the hard part when you were feeling crap. You showed real character, and the result (2nd in age group) speaks for itself! The obvious question now; when is your next gravel race??
Thanks John, it was an amazing experience! I'm already looking to see what might be my next challenge 😃
Watched this with the wife yesterday and really appreciated Alex and Chloe's report. Looks amazing! And kudos to Chloe for getting 2nd in her age group. As a bonus, the wife is interested in participating next year. We're already looking at the registration page. :D
Do it, you won't regret it!
Awesome effort Chloe well done!
Chloe rocks!!! Alex ain't too bad, either. Super inspiring, guys!
Absolutely inspirational. Congratulations Chloe. 2nd in age group is awesome. Keep it up
One of GCN best videos!
Great job Chloe!
Thank you! 😊
Great video folks .
Loved watching this couple do the race super positive keep them coming
Congratulations Chloe! Love, Love, Love this video. This was so inspiring. You have an amazing partner too. More Chloe and Alex adventures please!!!!