2023 Southern Cross Gravel Race
A quick rundown of the stats for Southern Cross Gravel Race:
- 50 miles advertised distance 48.46 miles recorded.
- 5991 ft of elevations ride
- 4 hrs 3 mins official finish time with 3 hrs 45 mins moving time.
This race was put on my Mountain Goad Adventures. They host MTB and gravel races around the North GA area.
Race Start
The start of the Southern Cross Gravel race was a total mess. I am quite disappointed again with the start of this race. Riders were told to line up based on estimated finish times. I was close to the front, and I made sure to line up early to have a good starting position.
I would love to see the promotor enforce some order at the start of the race, specifically to those riders who line up late.
As the time neared the start of the race, more riders lined up on the side of the road near the front riders. Everyone needed to squeeze through and over the time strip, which was only the width of the road. Once I finally crossed the start line, even though I was 5 rows back from the start, it seemed like I was a quarter mile back already.
Remember, if you are planning on finishing on the podium or somewhere near in this race, make sure you line up on the front couple rows and expect to fight for a position from people squeezing in on the sides. You will need to bolt-off right at the start too.
So far, my recent two gravel races have had a much different experience than road/crit racing. I have been in some crit races that go from the gun, even some road races that put in some hard efforts at the start. Gravel racing has a much different feel that is probably more similar to a mountain bike race or a cross race where you need to win the hole shot.
I will be interested to experience a long gravel race, 100-miler or more, to see if the start is the same. Tactically, most likely one would need to race a long (6+ hr) race slightly different than a 2.5 hr race. And I would imagine that the race would still start off fast, but people would be slightly more relaxed since there is plenty of time to put some hurting in.
The Course
Southern Cross Gravel race started and finished at Montaluce Winery in Dahlonega, GA. The course winds through the start of the Appalachian Mountains and into the Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area. The course was shaped like a figure-eight with the pinch point in the middle for the junior race turn-off and to server as a double aid station and bail-out point.
The course had two main climbs. The first one was about 7.5 miles long and about 1700 ft of climbing and the second was about 10 miles long with about 1350 ft of climbing.
Much of the gravel roads for Southern Cross Gravel race were quite similar throughout the entire course. The roads were hard packed roads with small chunks of gravel and there were no soft or muddy sections. They were typical service roads that you will find in most nation parks and forests.
Race Report
Southern Cross Gravel race was led out by race promotor. I was kind of expecting a slow/neutral roll out to let everyone get moving first, but they gunned it from the start, allowing the front riders get a huge head start (everyone has the same start time once the first person crosses the start line).
The start of Southern Cross Gravel race was a road section with some small punchy climbs into some quick descents. That road section led into the first gravel section and into a short but steep climb. Right away everything splintered.
There were about 5 short punchy climbs before hitting the first climb (mentioned above). This climb took me about 40 mins, and I was riding close to threshold for that climb. I felt like walking a few times, but I pushed through to the top and began the first descent.
The first descent section took about 25 min. It comprised of a quick descent then an undulating section of ups and downs and into another quick but longer descent.
The first descent section was quite epic. It was fast and a bit technical at times. It had some tight chicanes with a steep drop off on one side. There were large rocks in the road that you had to be careful of and there were large ruts in some turns. It was a blast. I topped out at 38 mph on that descent.
The next climb was longer but did not have as many steep sections and took about 52 mins to get to the top.
Next came some punchy climbs and some short quick descents followed by the last long descent of the course. I was a quarter of the way down, passing people like crazy, flying around turns, and floating over bumpy sections.
And just like that, my Southern Cross Gravel race was over!
I hit a rock going around a turn. I heard a hiss, and I knew something was wrong. I was able to safely pull off to the side and I noticed my tire pressure was low. I quickly grabbed by CO2 to see if the sealant would seal the hole, but no luck.
Unfortunately, I got a pinch flat. I had a small cut on the side wall close to where the edge of the rim and tire meet. I had a tube with me and placed the tube into the tire. I watched people that I had passed a while back zoom by me. All that work for nothing.
I was running about 40 psi in my Specialized Pathfinder Pro 42 mm, so low tire pressure was not the fault.
A few riders stopped to check on me, but I had everything I needed. 20 mins later I was back on the road. I was not quite ready for getting a flat. I took me a little while to realize I should put a tube in (forgot I had a tube on me). Also, I did not rush with the repair. If it were a longer race, I would have tried harder to fix it faster.
Once that happened, I lost all motivation. There was no hope of finishing well since I was only about 10 miles from the finish. I soft pedaled my way to the finish line and just enjoyed the ride.
Apart from the start of Southern Cross Gravel race, I was quite slow on the climbs and was passed by quite a few riders. Once I reached the top of the climbs, I was flying down the descents and pass a lot of the riders that passed me on the climbs.
If it was not for the flat tire, I think I would have finished around 3 hrs 20 mins.
Race Thoughts
The course for Southern Cross Gravel race was quite amazing even though it did not suit my style of riding. Also, compared to top-level cycling events, this course is way too short. Gravel is an endurance sport, and if the event isn’t 4 hrs minimum it will not be a top tier event.
The location is awesome, the venue is great, and the event is nice. The front riders finished in 2 hrs 37 mins which is blazing fast, but if you are driving more than 1 to 1.5 hrs away, it is not worth the drive. I would love to see this event be at least 75 miles long if not 100, then see how things shake up.
Post ride event
It was quite warm for early March and the sun was hot. There were no trees or shade and there was nowhere to sit apart from the ground. The was music blasting and it seemed like people were socializing. The post event was decent, but the food saved it mostly.
The food for Southern Cross Gravel race was catered by Moe’s Southwest Grill. The food boxes included a large burrito with your choice of steak, chicken, or veggie and with chips and salsa inside. It was quite good and really hit the spot. You could also get 2 beers, but I do not remember the brewery.
There were a few venders, Maxis and Torq, but I did not notice the Maxis both. Torq had some of their products available for sale.
Ranking
This is a larger-scale event with quite a bit bigger budget compared to Border Wars Gravel. I have done another Mountain Goat Adventures event, but it was an MTB course. They offered 100 miles and 60 miles, so I think the same could be offered here.
Cost – I would say this race is in the typical range of what most gravel events cost. There was quite a bit of swag provided for this race: a shirt, hat, chain lube, and some stickers. I would be ok with less swag to lower the cost of entry.
Course Distance Options – Only one option. This event should be at a minimum 75 miles, but probably closer to 100 miles. It should also have 50- and 30-mile options available too.
Race Category Options – Plenty of age groups for and open categories for everyone.
Pre-Race Communication – Only 1 email pre-race, but there were some updates on the Facebook page.
Ease of Entry – It sells out quick.
Ease of Travel – If you are trying to get here from out-of-state your best bet would be to fly into Atlanta airport and make the short drive from there.
Lodging – Quite a few camping areas close by and there was onsite camping available.
Competition Level – Quite a few heavy hitters. No former/current world tour pro riders but some fast road and XC racers.
Course Difficulty – This course had quite a bit of climbing with some steep sections. The downhill sections can be a bit technical and fast. Make sure you have good brakes.
Sag Support – There was sag support available, but I didn’t notice them.
Aid/Feed Station Availability and Supplies – There were feed stations were well stocked by Torq. There was plenty of food options, drink mixes, and more. I didn’t stop, but I was told they were good.
Live Race Coverage/Photography – Two locations with photographers. You will need to buy any pictures afterwards. I did not notice any pictures or coverage by race promotor.
Prize Money – Only the open categories paid out 5 deep and top prize was $250. 4th and 5th paid $100. It’s not a relatively huge payout, but it is decent.
Post Ride Party – There was a large gathering afterwards and an awards ceremony for each of the categories. There were a few vendors afterwards, but it seemed like a lot of people left quickly.
Post Ride Food – Catered by Moe’s and really hit the spot. There was a large sized burrito with your choice of steak, chicken, or veggie. 2 post ride adult beverages were available too.
Overall Ranking (coming soon)
I would love to come back to the area and do some more riding. I do not think I will do this event again unless the distance is longer. Though, this is a great event for people who are looking for an awesome ride and a well hosted race.
If you are a rider that is here just for the race, and live quite far away, it might not be worth the effort to get to this event.
Check out my other race reports too.
Southern Cross 2023 Race Results
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4 thoughts on “2023 Southern Cross Gravel Race Report – Beautiful Views Killer Descents”
Bike Looks good! Those Fidlock bottles stay put eh? Keep up the great work!
Thank you Nick. I’ve been trying to bounce them off, but no luck lol. These bottles are rock solid. I saw one person lose a regular bottle within the first few miles of the race.
This race probably isn’t as long as not everybody lives down South where you can ride tear around. That is my good guess why it is a shorter race because 😂 f it being an early season race. I did it a couple of years ago and it rained so hard it took out my drive train eLy. B 4 15 miles.
Thank you for reading. The race is definitely hard and add it rain then it would be super intense. Yeah, there are probably a few different reasons why the race is relatively short. There is probably a logistical component too. There is a race earlier in the season that is 75 miles (Border Wars). Everyone is peaking at different times during the year, so I don’t see why a 65-75 mile course wouldn’t go well. I’m sure plenty of people would choose that one over the 50.