Gravel Diary: Sea Otter Classic

15.04.2025

The first Gravel Diary takes us to the USA, where Simon Pellaud officially launched Tudor Pro Cycling’s gravel racing season. His debut came at the legendary Sea Otter Classic — the opening round of the Life Time Grand Prix Series and one of the world’s most iconic cycling festivals.

Dive into Simon’s reflections as he shares his firsthand experience of this unique and demanding race.

"After months of preparation, analysis, and… apprehension, it was finally time to break the ice and discover what Gravel really is in the US — and what the Life Time Grand Prix (LTGP) is all about. Everything here feels miles apart from road racing. In road cycling, bikes arrive at the race neatly packed in the team’s mechanic truck; in gravel, the bike makes the journey with the rider. This time, my travel companion to the other side of the world was my trusted BMC Kaius 01. Fortunately, I'm no stranger to this part of the globe — that made the leap into this new adventure a little less daunting.

Last week, I was lucky enough to stay with a friend who lived nearby (and who could lend me a vehicle), which helped me get a bit more familiar with this new American environment before BMC took care of me here for the race. The jet lag hit me pretty hard, and my sensations during training in the days leading up to the race were not good.

That friend was Cameron Piper, my teammate back in 2017 and 2018 when we rode together for Team Illuminate. And that’s the beauty of cycling — beyond the racing, it’s also about the friendships that stick, even after the jerseys change.

The course — a 50 km loop full of sandy turns in the wild hills behind the Laguna Seca racetrack, to be done three times — really appealed to me. Everything was going to be decided on the final climb in the last 4 km. The morning of the race, I was really nervous — fear of the unknown, I’d say. But as usual, all that stress disappeared with the first pedal stroke, turning into focus and concentration.

After one well-paced lap, there were only 8 of us left at the front, but I quickly realized I wasn’t having a great day. So I decided to take some risks and use a headwind section to anticipate the upcoming difficulties, which allowed me to pace my effort better. I rode 30 kilometers solo at the front, before being caught by the same 5–6 riders.

Everyone was watching each other closely, and I was on the verge of cramping. After catching my breath for a bit, I managed to break away again and built up another 30+ second gap before the singletrack section. I was caught with less than 10 kilometers to go — this time with my legs completely empty. I couldn’t hang onto a single wheel on the final climb and ended up in 10th place (6th Life Time rider).

All in all, I’m proud of my race and the way I raced — aggressive cycling is my specialty. I didn’t get rewarded for it, but I made a name for myself. On the technical side, the progress I made between the first and last lap was huge. My bike was amazing! Very happy with my setup for this race.

Sea Otter is much more than just a gravel race — it’s a true cycling festival. All the brands are there on-site at Laguna Seca. After the race, I got to meet most of my sponsors (BMC, Schwalbe, SRAM, Assos among others) and finally “put faces to the names” of the people who have supported me for years.

Gravel is a world of its own in every way, and the technical level is no exception. Every race has its own unique characteristics, and riders have to adapt their equipment, tire choices, gearing, etc., to the terrain. I still have so much to learn — and I’m keeping my eyes and ears wide open!"

Photo credit: Wil Matthews & Simon Pellaud