How does an overenthusiastic amateur line-up against professional cyclists - I very quickly found out during the Scottish National Championship I thought I could mix it with the professional gravel racers
I’m still not entirely sure how I found myself on the start line of the Scottish Gravel National Championship.
For a start, I’m not Scottish - nor is anyone in my family. In fact, my surname, Schofield, is about as English as it gets ; you can trace its roots to within an hour of where I live today.
Secondly, I don’t claim to be much of a gravel rider . I was visiting a friend, and when he floated the idea, I thought it sounded like a bit of fun.
We had dipped our toes into gravel before - or rather, he does it most weeks, and I once joined him for a 200-kilome