THE DIRTY DOZEN 12 GREAT REASONS TO RIDE OFF-ROAD

As the road racing season draws to a close, many pro riders turn their attention to the dirt. Rob Kemp offers a dozen reasons why you should do the same

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Off-roading, once the preserve of gnarly mountain bikers, is now embraced by many, if not most, road riders - and not just during the cyclo-cross season. "The likes of Matthieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert have drawn road riders to mud and gravel tracks," says Luc Soenen, directeur sportif with the Luxembourg-based Hess road cycling team. While a period of lower-intensity riding remains essential after the arduous road racing season, coaches like Soenen advocate cross-country riding as a way to freshen up and acquire diverse skills. "It motivates road cyclists to explore new horizons and become more versatile athletes." But that's not all you'll glean from gravel and cyclo-cross racing, or just heading out on your local trails....

Improved resilience, whole-body strength, and improved bike-handling are just some of the benefits road riders can gain from a winter on the soft stuff. So here are 12 nailed-on reasons to make regular excursions off-road from now until the spring.

1. TAKE THE PROVEN PATH TO PROGRESS

"The sooner you start combining your road riding with off-road, the faster you'll reap the all-round rewards," insists Matt Ellis, Great Britain Cycling Team cyclo-cross coordinator. Ellis is tasked with getting GB cyclo-cross teams to the World Championships while also developing young GB riders across road, track and off-road disciplines.

"On their Olympic pathways, young GB riders will transition from road to cyclo-cross in the off-season as part of their race development and to nurture some physical characteristics they want from it. They're getting high-level racing with top-end intensity over the autumn and winter, which you just can't simulate in training."

2. FAST-TRACK YOUR TECHNICAL SKILLS