F1 star Valtteri Bottas rode Scottish gravel race with his girlfriend: "Most importantly we had a great day out"
Cycling
Formula 1 star Valtteri Bottas traded four wheels for two at the weekend to take part in a gravel cycling race in southern Scotland. He was also there to support his girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell who won the women's race at The Gralloch event.
"Different kind of race weekend," said Bottas on his Instagram account. "Really enjoyed challenging myself at the 113km UCI world series gravel race. Hero Tiffany Cromwell won the women's category. Most important we had a great day out." Bottas finished 114th overall in a time of just over four hours for the 70 mile course at Gatehouse of Fleet.
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The men's race in the event at Galloway Forest Park - the first ever UCI gravel world series race in the UK - was won by Connor Swift. More than 800 riders took part on Saturday, including the F1 driver.
Co-founder of the Gralloch, Maximilian Wussler, said it was "very exciting" to see a sporting superstar like Bottas take part in the proceedings. "It shows the rapidly growing appeal of gravel cycling," he said. "The town of Gatehouse was abuzz as the news emerged of Valtteri being a late addition to the start sheet. Down to earth, courteous and kind, it was a pleasure to have Valtteri join the Gralloch. We hope to see him back in future."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Yes, Roglic could theoretically have beaten Sepp. Jonas must have had complete confidence that he could come back and win the Vuelta another year. Visma had not allowed Roglic to ride the Tour that year, so his future did not look so bright, despite his narrow Giro win..Hills3315-11-2026
- So far, a good series about riders before my time, even if the text feels AI generated like so much on this site. About the rider, he seems like one of many who are active fan favorites but don’t survive in the stories of cycling, a few decades later - I didn’t really know anything about him and this was a good read, thank you!RidesHills15-11-2026
- A calm, honest documentary, a bit of hagiography but mostly not too much. When he talks about a coffee shop, it aligns with several things in his world - he might want calm, but he does (more than a little bit) have someone near him (his fiancee) who makes sure that things happen the way he expects. Many atheletes have retired only to find out just how much others were taking care of their lives for them. If they work out (I'm old, things happen), I am sure it will take a renegotiation, which is a good thing. I truly enjoyed watching it, seeing him, seeing her, seeing the whole system built around him.RidesHills15-11-2026
- You do? My mother grew up around Bleiburg (Pliberk), across the border in Austria . My grandparents lived close to the train station in Bleiburg, and I spent a lot of the 70s and 80s there. The "Jugo" train of my youth went to Dravograd or Maribor, exotic places (behind the wall) at the time. What a moment that was, the 10 days war of '91 - times sure have changed.RidesHills15-11-2026
- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
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- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
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