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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 using companion Paul Voss (Orbea) with 39 miles to go and gained 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 move over Nation Highway 56, with a free floor within the scorching, dry situations. Throughout large open areas and farmland, the route was 88% gravel and dusty grime roads, which led many riders to modify to mountain bike tyres.
The pack of elite males remained a big group of greater than 40 riders as they handed by means of the primary time verify at mile 20 and headed to the brand new Wahooligan move. Via mile 36 on an extended, regular climb of packed grime, a gaggle 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 gasoline on the climb at mile 84 to the SRAM Oasis help station.
At a ultimate time verify 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 gaggle 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 gaggle of males by the primary feed cease. She had a niche 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 move.
De Crescenzo must cease to restore a puncture and he or she dropped to twentieth place, however labored her means 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.
