The last 18 months has had more twists and turns than a television melodrama for two-time US gravel national champion Lauren Stephens. After 12 years racing with UCI teams, primarily on the road, she embarked on an independent programme to start her 2025 off-road campaign and then put the many pieces together to launch her own multi-discipline team, Aegis Cycling Foundation.
There's no shortage of victories and race podiums for the Texan, from winning the Pan American road race championship, taking back-to-back GC wins at the UCI-level Tour of the Gila, two titles at Gravel Worlds in Nebraska and a pair of titles at the elite women's gravel nationals. She also won Levi's GranFondo The Growler this year on a solo breakaway and dominated Tour de Bloom for the GC title.
