Loretta's Southern Cross Reflections; An iconic gravel race/ride out of the Montaluce Winery in Dahlonega.
The vision of the event always gives me pause. My first So-Cross was pre–Mountain Goat Adventures, pre Strava & pre gravel bikes (I think). In 2009 a couple of cool, fast riders decided it was a good idea to spend some time climbing dirt roads. The Trails that come off the gravel are part of the stellar Bull mountain trail system.
What you get riding the trails are lots of distractions with roots, rocks and encroaching Appalachian flora. Welcome distractions from the burning in your quads as you attempt to pedal up extreme grades. And slick as snot are those distractions.
You also get the “stoke and street/dirt cred” along with great personal satisfaction of cleaning the tough sections at a speed so slow you wished you were a gymnast in high school.
The current race promoter Lisa Randall of mountain goat adventures and former Sorella likely could not have envisioned that her tween daughter would be lining up to start one of her races!
The course footprint has changed very little since then. What changes yearly is the road surface. You just hope the forest service has not laid down a new coat of jagged gravel. The famed winding stair gap climb also has a changing surface created by the power of rainwaters on a 19% grade in some places.
For me, this year’s race was the first of the season; March 7th. I try so hard to be prepared but the reality is I’m not a long ride girl, so inevitably it will be one of my longest rides in any given year.
This year they added a 30-mile option that was very enticing. I just decided that I need the miles and would look at it as a training ride to boost my fitness. Well…if there is a start line, no matter what I tell myself, the racer's mind goes online.
As is with most events, there will be warm friendly Sorella’s to take the edge off.
This year I chose a mountain bike as I am lucky enough to have a pretty light one and had taken a trip to the hospital on the last attempt on my gravel bike. It was the best choice for sure for me. I give up the ability to go out with the frisky gravel machines but boy it pays off when I hit the winding stair climb. The super large cog allows me to inch my way up without blowing through my watts too early.
I was hoping to feel positive at the first aid station and enjoy the AMAZING group of Sorella’s that were there to cheer us on. It was uplifting and I was super proud to be part of such a group. My race brain only allowed me to enjoy it for a moment.
From that point what it felt like was more climbing and more climbing. I know there were fun downhills along the way, but they add up to so little in time compared to the climbing.
When you think you are on the run in for the last miles and have cleared the majority of the uphill’s, which might be true, luckily survival mode kicks in because it’s somewhat of a death march being that it is so spread out and you are primarily alone.
FINALLY, the finish stretch is routed onto grass that feels like quicksand to exploding quads…. along with a mote crossing to keep the spectators happy, I FINISHED….
The warm welcoming Sorella crew as always, there to congratulate and resuscitate if needed, is the icing on the cake.
THANK YOU all who were there as racers and spectators.