“Though our riders came from all over the United Kingdom and beyond, we were positively surprised by the number of people who used Raiders as a way to explore this beautiful part of Scotland for the first time and discover a destination they would not have otherwise explored. With great tracks and stunning scenery, the area has everything the gravel cyclist could possibly dream of. We are already looking forward to bringing Raiders back to Gatehouse of Fleet in 2023.” That was the positive message that came in from Raiders Gravel event director Maximilian Wussler, after the inaugural version of the Raiders Gravel event took place last weekend.

Gravel Union had been invited along to the press launch of the event back in 2021 and we absolutely loved it – the mix of scenery, trails, venue and great ice cream was a winning one. We signed up for the event last October, but unfortunately, like many gravel events, it fell victim to Covid19 and was postponed until August 2022. Fortunately, this time everything went smoothly and the event was able to take place. Less fortunately, Team Gravel Union were already booked up for the weekend of the event and couldn’t make it. Fingers crossed for 2023 then!

Rider feedback from the event was glowing. Maddy Nutt who won the women's category said “I’ve had a really good weekend.The courses have been pretty awesome. There was some pretty tough gravel, but on the whole it’s been such smooth gravel and the atmosphere is really good. It’s something that’s unique to gravel, the people are really friendly in a way you don’t really get in other kinds of racing.I think the infrastructure of the event would allow for having people racing at one end, but also people just going to get round. Having both kinds of riders is what brings the atmosphere and makes it more friendly.”
 

So, without further ado, here’s a selection of the fantastic images shot by event photographer Roo Fowler

Anyone interested in taking part in next year’s event can pre-register by visiting raidersgravel.com