# Will there be more gravel and dirt segments in road racing?



## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

I was watching one of the recent races (forget which one) and there were some dirt segments. One of the commentator said that the riders don't like it. He also said that perhaps they're putting in more dirt/gravel/cobble segments (into races that traditionally don't have them) because of the industry push into the "gravel" bike segment. First time I had heard of such mentioning, but interesting thought.

I think it would be every interesting if the put in some more cobble/dirt segments in these Grand Tours to spice things up and break up the monotony there at times. What do you think?


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## KoroninK (Aug 9, 2010)

Giro and Vuelta don't need those. The Tour needs at least a cobble stage to make things more interesting. Personally I think it's because of how popular Strade Bianche has become so quickly. However it's that popular because it's mostly the classics specialists who love it. Similar to the cobbles, but to where the handful of hilly classics specialists can still race it and have a chance, unlike the cobbled classics where they are really too light to have a real chance.


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## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

I can see why the industry would push for it... it's what non pro riders are doing. Gravel bikes sales are soaring in comparison to road racing bikes, and new gravel events are popping up all over the place. Get the pros to do it, too and will keep the tide going.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Jwiffle said:


> I can see why the industry would push for it... it's what non pro riders are doing. Gravel bikes sales are soaring in comparison to road racing bikes, and new gravel events are popping up all over the place. Get the pros to do it, too and will keep the tide going.


Difference being...99% of the miles of "road" in the midwest are unpaved MMR or dirt farm roads....it has gotten so bad that the federal government stopped even counting how many miles of MMR or worse there are in the USA...no one wants to admit.

I suspect in the EU they have a much more reliably paved infrastructure....so finding similar routes that aren't a farmer's driveway will be hard.


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