April in cycling in the USA means just one thing: the Sea Otter expo and its racing programme. Everyone who’s anyone is there to kick off the season. New products, old friends… and plenty of racing.

This year, the marquee event for elite men and women, the Life Time Sea Otter Classic, switched from mountain bike to gravel for the first time. 143 kilometres and 2,487 metres of climbing for both sexes. We sent Numéro 31 par Café du Cycliste to compete.

Both Axelle and Hugo would be racing with gravel royalty. The cream of the US scene. Plus Olympians, a Giro d’Italia winner, and road and mountain-bike pros.

From the gun the racing was raw, fast and ruthless. Technical sections, open racing and tactical moves, one after another, under a beating California sun. Sea Otter lit the match!

The women’s race was won by the American Haley Batten, mountain-bike silver medallist at the Paris Olympics, in her first gravel race. Axelle, who came 13th, said it was “an aggressive, attacking race that unfortunately didn't pay off in terms of results, but allowed me to get my bearings for this first round of the Life Time Grand Prix. I wanted to race at the front from the start, I attempted a solo breakaway and perhaps burned my wings for the rest of the race. Despite everything, there are a lot of positives to be gained from my very good form, and there's no doubt that when everything falls into line, the results will be there!"

In the men’s race, meanwhile, Keegan Swenson, from Midway, Utah, wrapped up his third successive victory on this course, while Hugo came 19th. “I had bad feelings from the start and knew it would be a long day,” Hugo said. “I focused on staying in the lead group of about twenty riders and racing as intelligently as possible, but the final climb was fatal for me. A long way off my goals, but for an off day, I salvaged what I could. It was the first time we had the Café skin suits, and on such a fast and hot race it was a very important factor!”