It is safe to say that if an American wins either of the elite UCI Gravel World Championship races this weekend, it would be a big surprise. Lauren Stephens is the likeliest contender but given the depth of WorldTour talent in the field, it seems like the lower steps of the podium is the upper limit of where she could finish. On the men’s side, a top 10 seems like it would be the high water mark.
Yet gravel is America’s invention, isn’t it? It's certainly the biggest driver of the domestic race scene and its top riders are making six-figure salaries exclusively racing off-road. But an American rider has yet to win the gravel rainbow jersey. So why are many of the biggest names in the gravel scene not even going to be on the start line of what the UCI has deemed the pinnacle of the sport? And why does that matter?
