When asked, “Which are your main 2022 goals?” Ivar Slik replied: “In 2022, I want to win a major gravel race like Traka Gravel, Gravel Locos, or an UCI gravel event.”
It seems that the (gravel) Cycling Gods have decided to make Ivar Silk’s wishes come true right away, since the Traka is considered one of the gravel races primed to become a classic in this new type of competition.
In Girona, Ivar took home a hard-won victory, in the spirit of off-road adventures, and it all came down to the final sprint. In the last thirteen seconds, five cyclists were jostling for first place after 200 kilometres with 1650 metres of elevation and 85% of dirt road.
It’s truly wonderful when a brand ambassador takes home such a hard-won and longed-for victory. Especially when that happens on a prestigious route like that at Girona, which has become one of the cities aspiring most to become a reference for all that is cycling and that does not hide its ambition to become the epicentre of world gravel racing, as local authorities stress.
“It’s great to win such a prestigious race. And like they say, it’s a really good sign, but above all it shows that my decision to dedicate myself to gravel was on the mark, and that my dream of winning one of the next editions of Unbound might actually be more within reach than even I believed.”
This is an important victory for Rave SLR as well, because winning a race like the Traka, where every detail of the route is designed to make the race an example of respect for nature and environmental sustainability, adds deeper meaning to the achievement. It is as if nature itself showed its appreciation toward Ivar Slik and his Rave SLR. And, as everyone knows, nature’s approval is the best pass for off-road cycling.