42 National Titles awarded at the second annual Gravel National Championships in Gering, Nebraska.
GERING, Nebraska (September 8, 2024) — The second annual 2024 USA Cycling Gravel National Championshipskicked off on Sunday morning in downtown Gering, Nebraska. In total, 42 separate categories competed for the opportunity to earn a gravel National Title across four different courses: 131.1 miles, 88.2 miles, 56.9 miles, and 24.8 miles. With a $40,000 prize purse on the line, the elite fields were loaded with top gravel talent.
ELITE MEN/OPEN 19+
In an exciting race on Sunday, a breakout group of six riders took the lead through checkpoint one – Griffin Easter (Park City, Utah; OpiCure Foundation Gravel Team p/b Canyon Bicycles) Dylan Johnson (Brevard, N.C.; Felt UN1TD), Colby Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Michael Garrison (Decatur, Ga.; MGR p/b NICH SpeedClub), Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz, Calif.; Santa Cruz SRAM htSQD), and Matthew Koenig (Santa Cruz, Calif.; Team Mike’s Bikes powered by Equator Coffees) – with two leaders initially gaining a 15-second advantage over the field of 49 riders. At the 100-mile mark, Innokenty Zavyalov (Minneapolis, Minn.; Mazda – Orange Seal) held a one-minute lead over the chase group of 12 riders. The solo rider was eventually caught, and the field consolidated to 13 riders. However, the pace broke the group apart, reducing it to just eight riders with 10 kilometers to go. Keegan Swenson (Midway, Utah; Santa Cruz Bicycles/SRAM) made a bold move at Cemetery Road, but the pack regrouped a few kilometers from the finish line. In the last two kilometers, Brennan Wertz (Mill Valley, Calif.; Mosaic Cycles) executed the plan he had going into the race. With a perfectly timed, all-out effort, Wertz sprinted across the line just seconds ahead of the chase group, securing his first-ever Gravel National Title. “I knew with my size and power I didn’t have the legs for a long-range attack… a 10 kilometer attack was out of the question today. I didn’t have any snap in my legs today after being sick. I was really hoping I could sneak away one to two kilometers from the finish, so I put all my chips on the table on that move at the end and it paid off.”
“I went all in with my setup. I took a couple risks. I went with a superfast setup, super slick tires, big road gears and I knew that the finish this year really suited me well. For me the goal was to just make it to that last two kilometers and then see what I could do from there. It was a big gamble, I really put all my chips on the table and went all on in that strategy,” continued Wertz.
When asked about how it felt to race with the best athletes from around the nation in yesterday’s National Championship he said, “It’s so special to get to race with all the U.S. guys. A lot of us have been racing together for a handful of years now, so it feels a little bit like a family reunion… It’s cool to see that the scene is being recognized by USA Cycling and has its own National Championship.”
Results:
- Brennan Wertz (Mill Valley, Calif.; Mosaic Cycles)
- John Borstelmann (San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Slowtwitch Goodlife Racing/Ventum/Voler)
- Colby Simmons (Durango, Colo.; Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
- Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Trek Driftless)
- Griffin Easter (Park City, Utah; OpiCure Foundation Gravel Team p/b Canyon Bicycles)
ELITE WOMEN/OPEN 19+
A lead group of 12 riders formed early in the women’s race as they passed through checkpoint two, but by the halfway point, the race saw a three-person breakaway, which expanded to four leaders at checkpoint three. This group was made up of Paige Onweller (Bella Vista, Ark.; Trek Driftless), Lauren De Crescenzo (Boulder Colo.; Factor / The Feed / Maxxis / Castelli / PERC), Lauren Stephens (Dallas, Texas; Cynisca Cycling), and Alexis Skarda (Grand Junction, Colo.; Santa Cruz Bicycles SRAM). At the 100-mile mark, Stephens had taken the lead with a 25-second advantage over Skarda and De Crescenzo. On the last climb of the race, Stephens put in a big attack and rode off the front, establishing a 45-second lead, a gap she grew until the finish where she crossed in first. This is Stephens’ second time winning the Elite Women’s race at Gravel Nationals.
When asked about her winning strategy, Stephens shared, “I was just focusing on putting an attack in on the last climb. I made my attack on the steepest part and knew straight away that I got a decent gap.”
Now that the event is in its second year, riders arrived with a better idea of what to expect and could come into the event more prepared. Stephens felt more confident and ready, saying, “It was an awesome day… I was a lot less nervous this year than last year. I think there were a lot more unknowns…I was calmer coming into today having done it last year. At 500-meters I just started soaking it all in. It’s really exciting to get to wear the Stars and Stripes for another year.”
Results:
- Lauren Stephens (Dallas, Texas; Cynisca Cycling)
- Lauren De Crescenzo (Boulder Colo.; Factor / The Feed / Maxxis / Castelli / PERC)
- Paige Onweller (Bella Vista, Ark.; Trek Driftless)
- Alexis Skarda (Grand Junction, Colo.; Santa Cruz Bicycles SRAM)
- Cecily Decker (Santa Fe, N.M.; Scuderia Pinarello)
Thank you for tuning in for our second year of Gravel Nationals! La Crecent, Minnesota will host the USA Cycling Gravel National Championships for the next two years, starting with the first event slated for the third weekend of September 2025.
Rider results for the 2024 USA Cycling Gravel National Championships can be found here.
