With fog, mist, sun, and rain—mixed with plenty of rutted dirt fireroads and some smooth pavement, Belgian Waffle Ride Asheville was a true "Four Seasons in a Day" gravel event. We were there to dial in Litespeed bikes at our BWR expo booth ahead of the race, and were there to catch all the action and cheer on riders as many Litespeed owners took on one of the toughest new courses out there.
With several days of rain ahead of the Saturday event, the 98-mile course beckoned with tacky dirt, and cool temps. The day started with an ominous mist hanging like a wet towel over the venue as athletes gorged themselves on waffles and coffee to kick off a big day in the saddle.
Riders were greeted at the start with perfect conditions. In the shade of the trees in the Great Smoky Mountains, riders took on the relentless hills the course provided, diving from smooth pavement to unkempt dirt fireroads, made even rougher and more rutted from recent rains. While many kept it rubber side down, a few found elbows and knees scraped thanks to the ragged conditions.
While midday saw sunny skies, clouds rolled in late afternoon, followed not by rain, but a torrential downpour. With riders eking out the last miles up the final pitches and over the tree rooted finish with warm tropical rain soaking them to the bone only made the accomplishment more epic.
Litespeed congrats all finishers and look forward to seeing you at the next event!
