GCN goes gravel riding with Valtteri Bottas and Tiffany Cromwell in Adelaide

When Alex Paton hasn't been checking out the hottest tech at the Santos Tour Down Under, or challenging Australian legend Richie Porte to a race up the famed Willunga Hill, our intrepid presenter has been keen to get out on his bike for a true Aussie adventure.

One look at Alex's Strava feed will tell you all you need to know: South Australia is a fantastic place to ride a bike. In our latest video from Down Under, Alex is treated to an ultimate group ride with Formula 1 modern-great, Valtteri Bottas, and WorldTour Canyon-SRAM rider, Tiffany Cromwell.

Who better to act as tour guides for Alex' adventure along the gravel trails of Adelaide?

Cromwell is in flying form having raced a lengthy block in her homeland, including the national championships and the recent women's Santos Tour Down Under. Bottas, to his credit, is in good shape as well, having set an impressive Strava time up Old Willunga Hill earlier in the month.

Read more: Valtteri Bottas sets searing Strava time on Willunga Hill ahead of its Tour Down Under return

Bottas and his partner Cromwell have recently hosted the inaugural edition of RADL GRVL, a brand-new gravel event hosted in Adelaide, which takes in some of the most 'rad' trails and roads in the McLaren Vale wine country.

It is the second such event that the pair have hosted, following the first-ever FNLD GRVL put on by Bottas and Cromwell last year, in partnership with the organisers behind America's SBT GRVL. That event was held in Bottas' native Finland, with RAD GRVL following suit in Cromwell's homeland.

When the event was announced, Cromwell could not hide her delight: “I’ve spent years racing professionally, and the unpaved roads around my hometown of Adelaide are the reason I fell in love with gravel cycling.

"I’m looking forward to bringing RADL GRVL to McLaren Vale at Santos Tour Down Under this January and showing riders from around Australia and beyond what makes the riding, scenery, and hospitality in South Australia so special.”

Read more: Tiffany Cromwell and Valtteri Bottas launch Australian gravel event with $10,000 AUD prize purse

In the latest of Alex's rides down under, he is treated to an afternoon in the saddle on some of the parcours of RADL GRVL.

With over 1,100m of climbing over the 57km ride, it is no easy day out, but on the wheels of Cromwell and Bottas, Alex gets to discover the beautiful, rolling route of Australia's latest blockbuster gravel race.

Check out the video above to gain a dose of wanderlust and discover if Alex could hang with these two gravel experts! For more off-road stories, see the adventure section.