Keegan Swenson wins a 3rd SBT GRVL in 2024 on the brand new Black course(Picture credit score: SBT GRVL)
Torbjørn Andre Røed completed second within the elite males’s division on Black Course at 2024 SBT GRVL(Picture credit score: SBT GRVL)
Lauren Stephens wins her first SBT GRVL in 2024(Picture credit score: SBT GRVL)
Sofia Gomez Villafañe, the 2023 elite girls’s champion, completed second in 2024(Picture credit score: SBT GRVL)
Entrance group on Black Course(Picture credit score: SBT GRVL)
Keegan Swenson rides on the entrance of choose group of males after Wahooligan cross(Picture credit score: SBT GRVL)
The Black Course added 800 further ft of climbing and launched more difficult backcountry climbs in 2024(Picture credit score: SBT GRVL)
The brand new SBT GRVL Black Course for 2024 was 125.4 miles of difficult terrain, that includes 10,897 ft of climbing and 88% gravel(Picture credit score: SBT GRVL)
Plenty of extensive open areas in northern Colorado(Picture credit score: SBT GRVL)
Followers of all ages got here out to help riders at 2024 SBT GRVL(Picture credit score: SBT GRVL)
Reigning US gravel nationwide champions Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz-SRAM) and Lauren Stephens (Cynisca Biking) earned solo victories in respective professional divisions at SBT GRVL on Sunday in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Swenson attacked from driving companion Paul Voss (Orbea) with 39 miles to go and received his third consecutive professional males’s title on the Black course, in a time of 5:41:10. Torbjørn Røed (Trek Drftlss) sprinted from a four-rider chasing group to safe second place, 8:36 behind Swenson. Alexey Vermuelen took third, Brendan Johnson fourth and Peter Stetina fifth.
A two-time runner-up from 2019 and 2021, Stephens made the highest step of the rostrum in a time of 6:17:17. 2023 winner Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Specialised) took a solo second, 12:55 again. This 12 months’s The Rift champion Cecily Decker was third, one other 7:08 again.
An up to date 125.4-mile route was used for the Black course, with 10,897 ft of elevation acquire. New backcountry climbs included Wahooligan cross over Nation Street 56, with a free floor within the sizzling, dry circumstances. Throughout extensive open areas and farmland, the route was 88% gravel and dusty dust roads, which led many riders to change to mountain bike tyres.
The pack of elite males remained a big group of greater than 40 riders as they handed via the primary time examine at mile 20 and headed to the brand new Wahooligan cross. By way of mile 36 on a protracted, regular climb of packed dust, a bunch of 5 riders rode on the entrance – Swenson, Voss, Payson McElveen, Cam Jones and Eric Brunner. Chasing at 15 seconds again had been Røed, Vermeulen and Stetina.
Traka 360 winner Petr Vakoč flatted on the technical descent of Wahooligan Go and by no means noticed the entrance of the race once more.
Swenson and Voss would get away because the lead duo near mile 55, attacking on a technical part of washed-out path above Hayden. Then the German rider couldn’t react when Swenson hit the fuel on the climb at mile 84 to the SRAM Oasis assist station.
At a closing time examine with 24 miles to race, Swenson had carved out a 6:17 hole forward of Voss and Stetina. One minute again Vermeulen led the chase group that contained Røed, Daan Soete and Brendan Johnston. Whereas the US gravel champion continued his regular drive to a second consecutive victory again in Steamboat Springs, the 2 teams of chasers, minus Soete, got here collectively to dash for next-best honours.
Soete completed sixth, and Andrew L’Esperance led a bunch of six riders throughout the road for seventh, that group together with Voss.
After the mass begin with all professional divisions collectively, Stephens went to work early and pushed forward with a bunch of males by the primary feed cease. She had a spot of 1:19 on two-time SBT GRVL winner Lauren De Crescenzo, 2023 champion Villafañe and Canadian rider Maghalie Rochette and prolonged her lead throughout Wahooligan cross.
De Crescenzo must cease to restore a puncture and she or he dropped to twentieth place, however labored her method again into the entrance chase group for the closing 58 miles. She dropped Villafañe and Decker on the Dunkley Go, however her day ended on the descent when she crashed and suffered a damaged collarbone.
Villafañe used the descent to select up steam and transfer forward of Decker, however Stephens was already lengthy gone for her first SBT GRVL win. Karoline Migon completed fourth and Paige Onweller fifth. Among the many remainder of the highest 10, Sarah Lange was simply 19 seconds behind Onweller for sixth. Carolin Schiff rode two minutes forward of Rochette to complete tenth.
