As the first installment of many for the 2024 season, professional gravel cyclist Pete Stetina provides a debrief on his first big event of the year: The Mid South. Pete is kicking off a new series of race recaps and fueling debriefs that will continue through the season – tune in!
The Mid South marks the unofficially official start of the big gravel calendar. This year, pro cyclist Pete Stetina is taking us a bit deeper into his preparation and execution at six key events this season. From "what's in his pocket" to how the race broke down, Stetina will provide a glimpse of his fueling and performance through the year.
Pete
I’m pleased to tell you that for six races this year, I’ll be contributing to The Feed Insider in the form of a pre-race fueling strategy and a post-race debrief! My aim in doing so is to share how a racer gunning for glory might use all the tools that The Feed can provide to give oneself the best chance for success.
Training and equipment are all crucial elements for a successful day on two wheels, but in endurance, nutrition is just as paramount. Gravel racing is hyper-nuanced in this regard because it’s a blend of high performance but also rationing supplies over many hours as we don’t have access to the endless buffet a team car provides in road racing. Contradictory, I know! I hope you can use some of these insights in my installments this year to better help you fuel, prepare, and execute your own pursuits to your maximum potential.
Mid South is traditionally known as the season opener of the American gravel calendar; the first A-list race. Sure, races are happening earlier, but Mid South is the first showdown where the nation’s top gravel racers are primed and peaked. A result here can make an entire season a success.
Stillwater, Oklahoma has a very fickle climate. The wind has been a factor in past years and the smooth red clay roads feel like pavement in dry years but even a passing shower turns them into unrideable chain-gobbling gunk-shows. Luckily we were treated to the best day possible to ride a bike; a cool mid-60s with light and variable winds. Race-wise this would mean the course would become less selective and would play out like a road race.
If you caught my “What’s in Pete’s Pocket” video installment before the event, you’ll see how I predicted such a race and planned accordingly. Knowing the racing would be tight and attacks could launch at any moment, there wasn’t much time to enjoy a tasty solid bar, I’d have to save that for the post-race food trucks. The race would be all about high-octane sugars. Riders are allowed one aid station with support personnel right at the 50-mile halfway mark. So, I planned to have my mechanic Big Tall Wayne provide a musette hand-up with a bottle reload and a few more gels.
The cool and overcast weather and early start meant extra hydration wasn’t as crucial either. The winning time would be around 4.5 hours. I could survive the entire day on four tall 26oz bottles (two at the start and two at the checkpoint). I could also get a lot of my carbs in the form of drink mixes because sweat and electrolyte loss wouldn’t be as high as a warm sunny day.
In the end, I’m happy to report I nailed the fueling! I didn’t finish with any extra food in my pockets but I also didn’t need more. I didn’t cramp either, meaning the hydration was on point.
Race-wise I was able to be a protagonist at crucial moments but was also put on the back foot a few times in the final hour. It came down to a six-man sprint for the win. I didn’t fancy my chances against the bigger, more powerful riders on the flat run in, so I went all in on a small hill 700 meters from the line. It was a big gamble and an all-or-nothing move. If I got a small gap and they hesitated, victory would be mine. But alas, the others were quick on my wheel and snaked around me as the road leveled out and the finish line was upon us. 6th for me, a bit of a bummer as I feel the number doesn’t reflect the ride but no regrets either: I had a clean run all day and played the game my way.
Below you’ll find what I carried to get me to the finish line:
Start:
2 x 26oz bottles: 1 with Victus 45 mix, 1 with Styrkr 60 mix
1 x 400ml Feed Run Bottle with 3 x Maurten 160 sachets
1 x Clif Bar Bloks Salted Watermelon (sodium)
1 x Styrkr 50 Gel
Aid Station:
2x 26oz bottles: 1 water, 1 with Styrkr 60 mix + Styrkr SLT Caffeine sachet
1 x Styrkr 50 Gel
Totals:
Total fluids: 104oz / 3,000 ml
Total Carbs: 517g
Race time: 4.5hr
Carbs/hour: 115g/hour
