{"id":49337,"date":"2026-05-08T10:52:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T09:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/?p=49337"},"modified":"2026-05-08T11:36:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T10:36:17","slug":"riding-through-the-night-lizzie-takes-on-the-traka-560","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/riding-through-the-night-lizzie-takes-on-the-traka-560\/","title":{"rendered":"Riding Through the Night: Lizzie Takes on The Traka 560"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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For most riders, gravel racing is about adventure, endurance, and finding your limits. For Merlin Cycles-sponsored rider and UK National Gravel Champion, Lizzie she discovered all three in equal measure during one of the toughest events she\u2019s ever faced – this years Traka 560<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fresh from completing the brutal ultra-distance event in Girona, Lizzie<\/a> shared the highs, lows, kit choices, and lessons learned from a race that pushed her further than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cYou Start Questioning Every Life Choice at 3AM\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Traka 560 wasn\u2019t just another race on the calendar \u2014 it was a completely new experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou go from feeling really in control to questioning every life choice you’ve ever made at 3:00 AM in the middle of nowhere,\u201d Lizzie explained. \u201cIt\u2019s as much a mental puzzle as a physical one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenge became even harder when nutrition plans unravelled midway through the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI completely ran out of food and, with it being a bank holiday in Spain, nowhere was open. I ended up riding the last five hours on just a single can of Coke \u2014 sorry to my nutritionist, Jenny!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the setbacks, quitting was never truly an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere were so many moments when the easiest thing to do was quit, but I just kept telling myself, \u2018If I do quit, what would I tell people?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But among the suffering came unforgettable moments too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe highlight was definitely riding through the night. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve never experienced before and it felt incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Lizzie\u2019s Traka 560 Bike Setup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For an event where reliability and comfort matter just as much as outright speed, Lizzie\u2019s setup was carefully chosen to handle the demands of Girona\u2019s rugged gravel terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her race bike was the Ventum GS1<\/a> paired with deep-section carbon Aero wheels from her direct sponsor and Vittoria Terreno<\/a> Gravel Tyres in a 50mm width for extra grip and comfort over rough terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drivetrain featured SRAM RED AXS<\/a> with a 42-tooth chainring, although after tackling some of the race\u2019s steepest climbs, Lizzie admitted she\u2019d probably opt for a smaller chainring next time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lighting proved critical through the overnight sections, with Lezyne<\/a> front and helmet lights keeping the route visible in the darkness. One standout piece of kit was the Abus Taipan gravel helmet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe magnetic light on that was unbelievably useful,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To protect the eyes, Lizzie relied on 100% Speedcraft glasses<\/a> with clear lenses helped visibility through the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shoes came in the form of the Quoc Gran Tourer XC<\/a>, while nutrition support came from OGT. Luggage was from Restrap<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But perhaps the most important item of all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy top-tube snack bag full of sweets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Training for Ultra Gravel Racing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Preparing for an event like The Traka 560 isn\u2019t about explosive efforts or interval sessions alone. Instead, Lizzie focused on one thing above all else: time in the saddle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe training wasn’t about speed, it was all about time on the bike,\u201d she explained. \u201cI did a few long training rides and finished off the build with an altitude block.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That endurance-focused preparation helped build the resilience needed for the race\u2019s long hours and relentless terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Recovery: Real Food and Easy Spins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once the finish line was crossed, recovery became the immediate priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy immediate focus is rehydration and \u2018real\u2019 food \u2014 anything that isn\u2019t a gel,\u201d Lizzie laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside proper meals, she relies heavily on recovery habits that help her body bounce back after ultra-distance racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI also swear by ketones. The shots are so handy to use and they actually taste great.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To manage swelling and fatigue, she spends the first 48 hours with her legs elevated and includes short recovery rides to keep everything moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s Next?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s not much downtime ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next on Lizzie\u2019s calendar is The Gralloch<\/a> in Scotland before heading to the United States for a training and racing block with Ventum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis level of distance is all new to me, so I\u2019m not entirely sure how long a full recovery will take,\u201d she admitted. \u201cBut I\u2019m back on the bike already and feeling okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Away from racing, Lizzie enjoys a slower pace of life \u2014 walking the dog, spending time with family and friends, and searching out great food and coffee stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m a massive foodie, so I love making different meals or heading out to try new coffee and cake shops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Keep up with Lizzie’s racing on her Instagram!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lizziehermolle<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For most riders, gravel racing is about adventure, endurance, and finding your limits. For Merlin Cycles-sponsored rider and UK National Gravel Champion, Lizzie she discovered all three in equal measure during one of the toughest events she\u2019s ever faced – this years Traka 560! Fresh from completing the brutal ultra-distance event in Girona, Lizzie shared […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":49349,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7,4],"tags":[1254,1817,4698,4696,4691],"ppma_author":[4660],"class_list":["post-49337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-merlin-athletes","category-news","tag-gravel","tag-gravel-bike","tag-gravelracing","tag-the-traka","tag-ventum","author-andrewmcateer"],"yoast_head":"\nRiding Through the Night: Lizzie Takes on The Traka 560 - Merlin Cycles Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Catch up with UK Gravel Champion and Merlin Sponsored-Rider Lizzie Hermolle following her epic Traka 560 gravel race in Girona.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/riding-through-the-night-lizzie-takes-on-the-traka-560\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Riding Through the Night: Lizzie Takes on The Traka 560\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For most riders, gravel racing is about adventure, endurance, and finding your limits. 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