For many of us, talking about the Red Hook Criterium or the golden age of fixed gear takes us directly to the good old years full of competition, trips, bike community, and, why not, also some parties. Our friend Ismael wants to bring back similar moments with the presentation of his new project, Dusty Crit.

For those who don’t know Isma, besides his career as an amateur cyclist and his connection to the bicycle world since he was very young, he also organizes a project as authentic and characteristic as Vallés Classics. Following that alternative but well-thought-out line, this new event is focused on gravel riders who want to test their technical skills on a bike and try the taste of racing on a circuit.

Dust, competition, and show

Among the constant boom of gravel events that pop up in our calendar, we now find a new formula focused on this discipline. Nowadays, we can see events of all kinds: adventure, long-distance, one-day races, or stage races, but what we had not seen until now was a criterium race and even less in a format like the one proposed by Dusty Crit.

Speaking with Isma, he acknowledges that during his years of road cycling competition, he participated in several criteriums, and he found them to be really exciting, both from the rider and spectator point of view. In addition, during the golden age of fixed gear in Barcelona, ​​​​he was eager to participate in some editions of the Red Hook Criterium, the star competition worldwide at that time. For all this and many other reasons, he is convinced that now is the perfect time to embark on this new project.

“The criterium is a race in which the show is guaranteed. It is very close to the public and allows you to experience the excitement of the competition a few meters.”

As its name suggests, it will be a race in which dust, racing excitement, and spectacle are guaranteed.

Race format

For those wondering, a criterium is a race on a closed circuit, whether urban, fenced, or in facilities intended for this purpose.

In the case of Dusty Crit, Isma and the entire organizing team have devised a format in which there will be qualifying races based on time, with each rider able to ride several laps on the circuit in an attempt to set the fastest time. The best riders will emerge from each round and move on to the Open and Pro categories finals.

The main race of the day will be at night, and it will consist of 40 laps, the first ten on the outer oval circuit and the rest on the original circuit. The riders will have to deal with jumps, turns of all kinds, and a more technical area.

As if there weren’t enough excitement, as soon as the riders complete the first ten laps, an elimination race will begin, leaving the last rider of each lap out of the race. It has not been mentioned until now, but the organization wants to make a special effort to ensure female participation is more than satisfactory.

The bike to use is gravel, with certain limitations that the organization has established to ensure safety and equal conditions in some aspects. On a terrain where dust and fine sand will play a significant role, choosing good tires and the proper pressure will be key. That is why it will only be allowed to ride with tires between 38 mm and 45 mm. As for the handlebar, the use of drop bars, with or without flare, will be mandatory, and to avoid excessive widths, the established width of the handlebars at the top is limited to 46 cm. Finally, regarding the chosen transmission, each rider can choose the combination of chainrings and gears she or he is most comfortable with.

Rocco’s Ranch

For those who don’t know, Rocco’s Ranch specializes in motorsports, specifically motocross and flat track. It is located right next to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló, and Ismael rides past the “Ranch” every day on his way to work. The day he finally decided to talk to the circuit’s owners and explain the idea he had in mind, they didn’t think twice and immediately saw that the project could fit perfectly with their way of working.

“We were looking for a venue with all the necessary infrastructure to guarantee the event’s success, and Rocco’s Ranch was perfect.”

The place has a specific area for the public, including stands, a bar, parking, lighting, a proper sound system, bathrooms, and so on. All in all, it has everything necessary to organize an event of such magnitude and ensure that every detail is addressed.

Dusty Crit wants to bring back the cycling days we experienced during the RHC years: great atmosphere, night races, music, party, racing spirit, and much more. In fact, the organization has already told us exclusively that, to put the icing on the cake and ensure a full day of cycling, there will be a Tracklocross race on the same day and location.

Organizing team

Surrounding yourself with the right people when facing a project with such potential is almost decisive for its success. In this case, Ismael did not want to leave any stone unturned and was clear that he wanted to bring this project to life with people who could provide added value. As in Vallés Classics project, he has decided to use his closest contacts to trust and delegate part of the work required to execute this event called Dusty Crit.

Among the names included in the organizing team, we would like to highlight Victor Bercero, aka Last Leaders, who is in charge of all the design and graphics. He is an artist and creative person full of ideas, which we know firsthand since he was part of the magazine team once.

At the photo level, we find the photographer with the super cool name, Brazo de Hierro. Another figure of great importance who knows how to illustrate, like no one else, the speed, light, and essence of a project like this.

We also find Júlia, who is in charge of the production and logistics of the event, Kike, who is responsible for communication and marketing, and Borja, who will be in charge of music and entertainment.

Isma, together with this great team, aims to build a solid and professional base that, beyond being able to materialize this great project during 2024, has set itself the goal of being able to promote it internationally and, why not, spread it in the future to other countries.

Dates and registrations

At this point, the only thing left to mention is when the first edition of the Dusty Crit will be held and how much it will cost to participate. The organization has set Saturday, September 28, as the date. The day before, a warm-up session will allow the riders to try out the circuit (tickets will be 10€).

The organization has already opened registration on its official website. We know there is a reduced price in August (55€), and the final price will be applied as soon as September arrives (65€).