“Women Who Ride” (From Across Andes 2023)

Words by Sammie Dubeau, photos by Clemente Diaz Pavone and Across Andes

Before I cover the specifics of Across Andes, I’d like to take a step back to look at who was on the starting line of this race. I’m always fascinated to see who has the courage to sign up and then show up and face a challenge. What demographics did this demanding ultra-gravel race attract? The start line had an impressive international roster of riders from more than 35 countries, some of whom didn’t speak a word of Spanish. The roster had racers who’d completed the race since its inauguration and were now going on four and others who had never stepped foot in South America. One objective that brought this group together was the dream and ambition to cross the prestigious finish line of Across Andes in Patagonia Verde before the infamous 130-hour cutoff.

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Now, how does that speak to the women who ride? One of the impressive statistics that comes out of this ultra-gravel race each year is the phenomenal number of women who line up to participate. This statistic requires attention and is one I’d like to take a moment to appreciate. To give a little more background, I am a woman cyclist and was on the start line, too. The statistic I’m dissecting is the one that made me sign up for the race or at least caught my attention. It resonated so loud that I almost forgot I signed up for an immensely difficult race. I really wanted to be there with those women to battle the course together. I wanted to be a nominator on the fraction to make the statistic even more impressive.

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Why would this matter so much to me? I live in New York City, and as some of you might know, there is the saying “the ladies who lunch.” Well, I have had the privilege to be surrounded by the “women who ride” here in the Big Apple. I’d like to be even more precise and say that I was surrounded by the women/trans/femme who ride. When I say women in this article, I speak to all who identify as women. Let me talk a little bit more about those women who ride. Typically, the ladies who lunch, thanks to Wikipedia, are well-off, well-dressed women who meet for social luncheons, usually during the working week.

The women who ride do the exact same but on the bike. I’m referring to the strong and powerful community of women cyclists in New York City. They are independent women, well-dressed in their spandex cycling kits, who meet for social rides and drop rides during the workweek. You would typically see them crushing pavement in a paceline before sunrise in Central Park or Prospect Park. This community brought me to the start line of Across Andes. I hope you also find your local group of badass women on bikes and let them inspire you, uplift you, and make you stronger!

The community in New York has spread into different teams and groups, but as the years go by, the community has grown stronger and stronger. I’d like to mention the power of communities and their impact, more precisely, on women in cycling. When we say representation matters, this couldn’t be truer in our current era. Some races don’t have a women’s field, or the women’s field has fewer laps, or women are forced to compete in the men’s junior field because they don’t have their own race. We’re also in an era where the Gravel Worlds chose to not broadcast the women’s pro race. How can we inspire the future generation of cyclists if they can’t see women on bikes? How can they dream and be inspired? We’ve all heard the stories of pro athletes who once saw a race when they were kids, which got the wheels in motion for them to achieve their dream of being a professional athlete. Without representation, it makes it hard to change the current script.

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But back to Across Andes, because while some statistics make the negativity prominent, some actors play a positive role in making the world of cycling truly inclusive. I’m referring to Mariano and Paulina, the organizers of the race, who were able to bring the best out of everyone and make all riders feel welcome at their event. Again, while it’s easy to pinpoint the negative, I would like to put the marketing efforts of Across Andes under the spotlight. Their media coverage of the past and current editions was and is fair. With the help of professional photographers and videographers, Across Andes delivered inclusive coverage, making everyone the hero. Looking at their Instagram account, anyone can dream and project themselves at the race because it has an inclusive lens. I can’t express how much I appreciate the organizers’ efforts and hard work. Parenthesis closed, and now let me paint the picture for you of how amazing the 2023 edition of Across Andes was. Amazing is putting it modestly, as it was truly something special.

Emotions were strong on the start line; you could feel the energy and the passion for long-distance cycling. Everyone was hungry for the miles, the climbs, and the weather. The start line is where everyone internalized “todos estamos en el mismo barco,” we’re all in the same boat. And when there’s a depression on Patagonia Verde, it makes the boat a wet and cold one. This year, the must-have items weren’t aero but rather waterproof. Every participant dreamed of finding trash bags or dishwashing gloves at a supermarket. Did some of us look like we were going fishing? Yes, but it got the job done, and we sort of stayed dry. The temperature was below normal, and the amount of rain made us all struggle and appreciate the moments we could gather around a fire to dry our clothes.

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In a warmer and dryer year, most participants would’ve taken as little time as possible to stop and pedaled as much as they could, separated by power naps alongside the road. The 2023 version of Across Andes ruled out this strategy, as riding wet and cold made the riding much slower, and it was nearly impossible to sleep outside. The risks of hypothermia were real. This completely changed the game because no matter how fast riders were, we would all find each other in a town, around a fire, drying out our clothes. Yes, some riders did push through and made it very fast to the finish line, but their strategies still differed from their original plans. I loved how it brought many of us together and closer than we would have been had the weather been warmer. We could share our horror stories and funny stories about us battling the cold and the rain in real-time. It made it almost comical because, again, todos estamos en el mismo barco.

Did we still have a blast, even if it was hard? Yes, we did. Finisher or not, Across Andes brought magical vibes, and we all found something we were looking for during the race. We all left with a smile and stories to tell. Even with the weather, there were several jaw-dropping moments when the views were simply too beautiful to believe. The race brought us to truly remote areas of the region that not many tourists get to see. Marianao and Paulina purposely designed the route to show us those areas, and seeing them was a highlight.

Riding through so many different scenic parts of Patagonia Verde was a true pleasure. I had to pinch myself a couple of times to check if I was dreaming. The raw nature was stunning. We went from riding close to the borders of Argentina, where you ride on endless gravel rollers and can see climbs from miles away, to riding up Park Queulat, where you look up and see mountains covered in snow and green all around you. I particularly enjoyed riding next to the Fjord on our way to La Junta. I felt so small.

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Across Andes will prove to you that no climb is unclimbable. You quickly get used to the climbing and find yourself stronger mile after mile. The field is big enough that you aren’t alone for too long. This made the race very dynamic and fun because we were able to regroup in towns when taking breaks and refueling. I felt an overwhelmingly positive vibe from the participants—the kind of vibe where we weren’t going to leave anyone behind.

One memory that I cherish is from the first day when I seriously thought I would quit. Becky, who worked for Across Andes, saw me looking very troubled. She brought me to a house close to CP1 where a Chilean couple was hosting a restaurant in their living room. They’d prepared a three-course meal for the racers and were feeding us a delicious, warm, and nutritious meal. Their house was full of strangers drying their clothes, eating, and resting. They were so generous and caring; they saved many racers from quitting with this gesture. They even let many racers sleep in their house for the night as it was pouring rain and cold. The next morning, my friend and fellow racer Valerie talked me out of quitting. Juan and Beth also gave me a motivational speech, and we all got ourselves ready to start again, leaving the rough first day behind. Even if only to relive that moment, I would do it all again. People lifting each other is true power, and those are the people I want to surround myself with.

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Do I recommend you sign up? Absolutely. You will fall in love with the organization, the people of Chile, and the community of Across Andes. If you want to have more insights from inside the race, I recommend you listen to the Noise podcast, on which Mai and Pablo interviewed many race participants. They interviewed pros, finishers, and non-finishers alike, so it really brings you into the race through every possible angle. The only downside to signing up is that leaving is heartbreaking.

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Not everyone finishes Across Andes, and I was one of them. Do I regret it? I’d be lying if I said I have zero regrets. My ego likes to remind me that I could’ve pushed through and that I should’ve kept going, but I have enough wisdom to listen to my heart, which tells me that I am proud of myself for showing up and being strong. I had an unforgettable experience, and I learned so much about myself and gravel racing. I can confidently say that no weather scares me now; I can ride in any conditions. I would like to congratulate everyone who took part in the adventure. No matter if it ended at the finish line or not, we all left everything we had on this brutal course. And to the women who ride, keep riding, and keep crushing pavement, gravel, and mountains. We are just getting started!

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