Description

Gravel

Distance - 65 or so miles

GENTS RACE

Rob Bruce and Kyle request the presence of YOU and 4 teammates for the Gents Race ?I

on April 6th 2024.

This race is insured. No license required.

This will be the 11th year of the Gents race.

By the numbers...

2021 - 35 teams signed up. 22 finished.  Event delayed until June 19th. 

2020-  World Pandemic 

2019-  75 teams signed up. 47 finished - beautiful day!
2018 - 76 teams signed up. 35 finished - cold start 
2017 - 63 teams signed up. 46 finished - beautiful day!
2016 - 64 teams signed up. 18 finished - WINDY!
2015 - 64 teams signed up. 45 finished
2014 - 45 teams signed up. 33 finished
2013 - 37 teams signed up. 24 finished
2012 - 30 teams signed up. 22 finished
2011 - 15 teams signed up. 13 finished

START LOCATION - NITE HAWK BAR AND GRILL
START TIME - 8AM - NITE HAWK BAR AND GRILL
STAGING - NITE HAWK BAR AND GRILL 
FINISH - NITE HAWK BAR AND GRILL
CUTOFF - 3PM
POST-PARTY -  NITE HAWK BAR AND GRILL

Here is a great write up of last years event from Ken&Kristin Sherman K&K Images

WHAT IS A GENTS RACE?

Glad you asked!  To directly quote the folks at Rapha that started the whole concept (and that we’ve blatantly stolen it from): ‘I sold it to the racers as an unsupported, unsanctioned, unmarshalled, five-rider team time trial meets alley-cat, meets ‘Cannonball Run’…….

So there you have it. 5 teammates (friends), racing for nothing more than pride over the roads surrounding Slater, Iowa. 65 (or so) miles of gravel.

Winners get nothing but pride and high-fives.

Donations to enter, no money to win.

It will be fun.

RULES?

Yes:  There are a few rules...

1. No cheating. No working with/drafting off of other teams. All teammates must stay together at all times. No bad attitudes. No outside support. Be Gentlemen (or ladies).
   
   
2. To make it interesting teams will be staged according to your team's potential. If you have a fast team then you will be one of the last teams to start the race. For instance - first team left the starting line last year at 8am sharp while the last team left at 9:30am. The race is a time handicapped race. It makes for a very interesting finish.
   
   
3. Remember, there WILL be a staggered start for each team. First team goes off at 9AM, with each remaining team rolling out at equally spaced intervals yet to be determined.
   
   
4. You are responsible for YOU-you are doing this event at YOUR risk. For you, by you. Take care of yourself. Ride smart. Roads will be open to traffic. Dogs will come say hello. Miles will add up. NO neutral support. NO sag wagon. NO power food sponsorship. Again, you are doing this BY CHOICE.
   
   
5. There will be a mandatory checkpoint at or around the race halfway point. Here, you will also have access to your drop bag (one per team).
   
   
6. Your TEAM CAPTAIN will register the complete team below. You must be registered by then or no gents for you.
   
   
7. Teams can be comprised of all males, all females or a mix of both.
   
   
8. All staging handicaps are final. Our team of Nerf-ball engineers have devised a special algorithm to ensure every team has the correct handicap.
   
   
9. Time penalties will occur for any changes to your roster AFTER registration closes. No exceptions.
   
   
10. 3:00 pm is the cut off. You can still finish after 3pm, but your time won't be counted.
    

      11.  Bring and E-Bike if you wish but your team will not be scored.  

COMMUNICATION

The ONLY correspondence going out to your team will go to your TEAM CAPTAIN, it’s THEIR responsibility to relay information to YOU.
 
General information and updates about The Gents Race can always be found right here (See the updates section).

We will send you your assigned start time and route on or around April 3rd.

Questions, concerns or issues? We’re here to help.

Rob (robsversteegh@gmail.com)
Kyle (ksedore@gmail.com
Bruce (bhreese73@gmail.com)

Route

Gravel, more Gravel, and some pavement leaving from SLATER, IOWA. 

Cue cards and start time will be emailed to the captain.

We will NOT have cue cards at the race start. Be sure to print your own!

Registration

This year we will be partnering with Hope Animal Rescue.  This year we will be asking EACH TEAM to donate $100.  Again this year we will be requiring all teams to donate through the Hope Animal Rescue Amazon page.  Registration is live and will close Thursday March 28th at midnight. 

REGISTER ONLINE  Registration opened on or around February 22nd.

HOW TO DONATE

Hope Animal Rescue is a nonprofit humane organization serving the animals of West Des Moines, Urbandale, Clive, and Windsor Heights. Furry Friends is a 501(c)3 tax-deductible organization and has created the first no-kill community in the Des Moines metro area.

The Nite Hawk will open at 7 am on Race Day for your team to sign-in.

Contact

Rob Versteegh

Robsversteegh@gmail.com

Kyle Sedore

ksedore@gmail.com