A video showcasing the efficient pit stop of Sofía Gómez Villafañe and her four-person crew at the 2023 Unbound Gravel race has been making the social media rounds. In it, Villafañe seamlessly transitions into the checkpoint, entrusting her dirty bike to her crew, who, with the precision of a Formula 1 team, promptly get to work. One member power-washes the bike, another swiftly swaps out water bottles, while a third hands Villafane a fresh hydration pack and stuffs a new ice sock down the neck of her jersey. Meanwhile, another crew member assists Villafañe out of her potentially malfunctioning shoe and into a new one. Villafañe, for her part, quickly dumps trash from her jersey and restocks her gels. In mere minutes, she's back on the course with fresh gear and nutrition to tackle the next 60 miles of the race.
In shorter events, such as last weekend's Mid South race in Stillwater, Oklahoma, half of the riders never dismounted their bikes as they passed through the feed zone. They simply grabbed a musette from their support personnel and were off—any water stop etiquette forgotten.
