← All eventsThe South Downs Gravel X
Accessible fully-signed gravel sportive on punchy South Downs chalk bridleway/byway from Plumpton — 75/60km, exposed plateau, feed stations, no cut-offs. Climbing estimated. Date approximate.
A fully-signed gravel sportive on the chalk of the South Downs, out and back from Plumpton in late May. Two routes, 75km or 60km, feed stations on course, a medal and a beer at the finish, and no cut-offs.
The Downs are a chalk escarpment: short sharp scarp climbs onto an open, windy plateau that rolls the whole way. Fast and grippy when dry, slick clogging paste when it rains. Flint tracks make punctures part of the deal.
It's punchy rather than a long grind, roughly three and a half to five hours on the 75km. With no cut-offs and a 60km option that suits a fit first-timer, it's a genuinely accessible first gravel day that still asks for real climbing.
Is The South Downs Gravel X for you?
- Fit first-timers eyeing their first gravel sportive. No cut-offs and a shorter 60km option mean the day is about finishing well, not beating the clock.
- Punchy climbers who pace the early scarp ramps. The climbs are short and repeat all day, so it rewards riders who hold back rather than sprint the first one.
- Riders happy to be self-sufficient off-road. Feed stations fill the gaps, but flint country means carrying spares and fixing your own punctures.
- Anyone who fuels and drinks well in the warmth. Late May on the exposed plateau can be genuinely hot and windy, and it drains fluid fast.
Training plan for The South Downs Gravel X
A training plan for The South Downs Gravel X isn't a generic base build. Beina reads the event's exact demands, looks at your specific profile and the time you actually have, and maps a highly adapted plan to the start line.
- Short, sharp scarp climbs onto the Downs, repeated all day rather than one long col
- An exposed, windy plateau that rolls between the climbs with little shelter
- Chalk that runs fast and grippy when dry but turns to slick paste in the wet
- Flint-strewn tracks that jar the bike and puncture thin tyres
- Scarp Repeats: 8 to 12 times 1 to 3 minutes at 100 to 110% FTP on gravel climbs, full recovery
- Tempo-in-Long: a 2.5 to 3 hour ride with 2 to 3 blocks of 15 to 20 minutes at tempo
- Progressive Long Ride building from 1.5 hours toward a 3 to 3.5 hour peak on chalk and gravel
- Chalk handling in both dry and wet, plus tubeless plug and tube-change practice
- Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
- Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
- Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
- One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
