Reigning US gravel national champions Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz-SRAM) and Lauren Stephens (Cynisca Cycling) earned solo victories in respective pro divisions at SBT GRVL on Sunday in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Swenson attacked from riding companion Paul Voss (Orbea) with 39 miles to go and won his third consecutive pro men’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 secure 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 top step of the podium in a time of 6:17:17. 2023 winner Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Specialized) took a solo second, 12:55 back. This year’s The Rift champion Cecily Decker was third, another 7:08 back.
An updated 125.4-mile route was used for the Black course, with 10,897 feet of elevation gain. New backcountry climbs included Wahooligan pass over Country Road 56, with a loose surface in the hot, dry conditions. Across wide open spaces and farmland, the route was 88% gravel and dusty dirt roads, which led many riders to switch to mountain bike tyres.
The pack of elite men remained a large group of more than 40 riders as they passed through the first time check at mile 20 and headed to the new Wahooligan pass. Through mile 36 on a long, steady climb of packed dirt, a group of five riders rode at the front - Swenson, Voss, Payson McElveen, Cam Jones and Eric Brunner. Chasing at 15 seconds back were Røed, Vermeulen and Stetina.
Traka 360 winner Petr Vakoč flatted on the technical descent of Wahooligan Pass and never saw the front of the race again.
Swenson and Voss would get away as the lead duo close to mile 55, attacking on a technical section of washed-out trail above Hayden. Then the German rider could not react when Swenson hit the gas on the climb at mile 84 to the SRAM Oasis aid station.
At a final time check with 24 miles to race, Swenson had carved out a 6:17 gap ahead of Voss and Stetina. One minute back Vermeulen led the chase group that contained Røed, Daan Soete and Brendan Johnston. While the US gravel champion continued his steady drive to a second consecutive victory back in Steamboat Springs, the two groups of chasers, minus Soete, came together to sprint for next-best honours.
Soete finished sixth, and Andrew L’Esperance led a group of six riders across the line for seventh, that group including Voss.
After the mass start with all pro divisions together, Stephens went to work early and pushed ahead with a group of men by the first feed stop. She had a gap of 1:19 on two-time SBT GRVL winner Lauren De Crescenzo, 2023 champion Villafañe and Canadian rider Maghalie Rochette and extended her lead across Wahooligan pass.
De Crescenzo would have to stop to repair a puncture and she dropped to 20th position, but worked her way back into the front chase group for the closing 58 miles. She dropped Villafañe and Decker on the Dunkley Pass, but her day ended on the descent when she crashed and suffered a broken collarbone.
Villafañe used the descent to pick up steam and move ahead of Decker, but Stephens was already long gone for her first SBT GRVL win. Karoline Migon finished fourth and Paige Onweller fifth. Among the rest of the top 10, Sarah Lange was just 19 seconds behind Onweller for sixth. Carolin Schiff rode two minutes ahead of Rochette to finish 10th.
