The race
- Race: The Hills Gravel Race
- Distance: 180 kilometres
- Altitude metres: 2200 metres altitude
- Winner: Morgan Aguirre (PAS Racing), 07:26:38
- Winner: Toby Perry (Classified X Rose), 06:14:28
The Hills was Luisa Keller's first gravel race
Luisa Keller, known on Instagram as @lulu.on.tour, has been active in sport all her life. Formerly an ambitious triathlete, she has also tried out ultracycling. Now a mother of a two-year-old child, she juggles her family, job, training and involvement with Female Cycling Force for women cyclists. Now she wants to race again. The Hills was her first gravel race.
Interview with Lulu on Tour
TOUR: How was the race for you?
Luisa Keller: The race was an incredible physical and mental challenge! The spectacular scenery of the Prosecco Hills captivated me, but the night before the race brought persistent rainfall that turned the course into a muddy field. The crisp climbs, the narrow, winding roads, the wild descents and the cross-country sections through vineyards and forests made the race a real adventure. It demanded a lot from me! But the moment I reach the finish line, I quickly forget all the suffering and my body is pumped full of happiness.
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TOUR: What went well?
Luisa Keller: I was surprised how well I coped with the muddy conditions and the bad weather. There are always mental lows in such a long race, but I managed to motivate myself again and again and get out of these troughs. This meant I was able to complete my race and be proud of my performance at the end.
TOUR: What went wrong?
Luisa Keller: My choice of pedal system was a mistake. I opted for road bike pedals, even though everyone told me not to - I wanted better power transmission and a watt measurement. Long story short: After a fall and the first few metres in the mud, I couldn't click in and had to carry on without the usual movement sequences. That was a challenge!
TOUR: What is your biggest learning from this race?
Luisa Keller: I regained confidence in my body's ability to perform and suffer - it was incredibly liberating! It was the longest distance I've cycled since my pregnancy. It was one of the toughest races of my life. I also learnt how crucial the right nutrition is before and during the race. You really should never underestimate that!
Next destination: Traka
TOUR: What are your next goals?
Luisa Keller: I'm determined to step on the gas at Traka and improve my performance even further, this time with the right pedals. I'm also very keen to get more women interested in racing. I hope that I inspire some ladies to dare to sign up for a cycling event so that more female cyclists are at the start in general!
Sandra Schuberth
Editor
