Australia's Declan Irvine (Team Novo Nordisk) is a little wary of the “big” elements of the Big Sugar Gravel this Saturday. He has twice finished in the top 25 at The Traka 200 and in the top 25 at the Unbound Gravel 200, and has qualified for the 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships.

These were all big events, but the challenge of Big Sugar Gravel's gravel size and rugged terrain has kept him focused on how to maintain proper fueling. After all, he is not only competing against an all-star field of many gravel competitors for the final spot in the Lifetime Grand Prix, but he is also watching his blood sugar levels as an elite athlete with type 1 diabetes.

“I use things like continuous glucose monitors to make sure I eat according to my blood sugar fluctuations and that my blood sugar is always in range. A lot of other athletes start eating when they lose their appetite. Once I get the hunger pangs, I feel bad,” Irvine told Cycling News of his first participation in Unbound Gravel

.

“It's kind of hard to get out of it. I usually have to stop at 'servo' and have two Cokes and a Red Bull to get my mind off of it. I have a sustained glucose monitor so I can eat ahead of time to make sure that doesn't happen.”

Big Sugar Gravel's 105-mile course meanders over steep washes and hard gravel high in the Ozark Mountains straddling northwest Arkansas and southern Missouri, with an elevation gain of 7,000 feet and relentless sharp climbs and descents known for their loose gravel. Repeat. Riders must keep their hands on the handlebars, not the energy bars.

“I'm going to bottle and pack all my nutrition because it's easier to drink than eat.

“In a road race, if something happens, you radio in and say, 'I got a flat tire, I'm going to have to go back out there. In gravel, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. There are difficulties that come with it. For example, you have to carry medical supplies around the course. But it's also a challenge.”

He explained that he had an insulin pump in his pocket connected to a continuous glucose monitor. He used two different displays during the gravel race: a wristband and a Wahoo device. Again, the rough surfaces of off-road racing added a new element.

Irvine, a native of New South Wales, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 12. His family noticed a significant weight loss after a long ski trip, and he was rushed to the hospital with vision loss. Diagnosis and treatment began immediately. He regained his vision and was able to lead an active life.

As a child, in addition to sailing, skiing, and soccer, he was involved in flat track and motocross, with Irvine saying of the latter, “I always liked dirt. Later, he started riding road bikes and won New South Wales road race and criterium titles.

“I came to America right out of high school to do criteriums. I came here as a junior because there were a lot of junior races here, and there were also races like the Tour de Rabitivi in Canada,” including a 10th place finish in the Athens Twilight Criterium and two wins in the Georgia Cycling Grand Prix in 2018, He spoke about his early road career. He then moved to a professional team and to Girona in Spain in the fall.

During the COVID craze, he had started mountain biking on a trip back to Australia, but upon his return to Spain he bought his own gravel bike and participated in The Traka 200 in 2022. He was once again “hooked” on dirt.

“In Spain, where I live, gravel riding is really popular. I started gravel riding for training and fun. Then there was the Traka in Girona. The Traka is one of the biggest races in Europe, it's like the Unbound of Europe. I was hooked.”

In high school, he recalled watching the film Thereabouts, produced by Lachlan Morton and his brother Angus. The film was about a bicycle adventure from Port Macquarie, New South Wales, to Uluru in central Australia, a distance of 2,997.8 km. Irvine grew up near Port Macquarie, north of Sydney, and the challenge struck a chord.

“So ever since then I've been inspired to try it. Lachlan is very cool. Then I watched a documentary about Unbound. I didn't know about it until I saw that video. And I thought, 200 miles, that's a pretty long way.

“I started applying for the race, but didn't get in until this year. It's a dream come true. It's the Ironman Endurance Race in Hawaii.

Irvine had a strong debut at the Unbound Gravel 200, finishing 24th. David Lozano, Novo Nordisk's second teammate, took the start but crashed with a broken shoulder blade.

“I am very happy with how I rode and paced myself and everything was going according to plan until I had a small mechanical problem that took me out of the lead group. But it was still a great day,” he said of the unbound.

Morton currently sits fifth in the overall Lifetime Grand Prix standings, while fellow Australian Brendan Johnston is seventh overall. The top 10 men and women in the final Grand Prix standings at the end of Saturday's race will split the $300,000 prize money evenly; those finishing 11th and below will receive no prize money.

Irvine is in his sixth full season with ProTeam Novo Nordisk and is having a strong road season, finishing in the top 10 on the longest stage at the Tour of Hainan in August and in the spring at the Legion of Pain de la Loire Tour in the mountains He finished in the top 15. He also placed in the top 15 in the mountains class at the Legion of Pain de la Loire Tour in the spring. He qualified for the Gravel World Championships by finishing in the top 25 in Santa Baru, but his entry to the Big Sugar was a one-day road race in Europe with a trade team.

“I trained last week after my last races in Belgium and Germany.