Can the spirit of gravel handle a National Championship level race? Signs point to yes as USA Cycling announced the first-ever Gravel National Championships would be held in September in Nebraska.
Not only are Gravel Nats coming, but they’ll have the biggest prize purse in single-day gravel history, with $60,000 up for grabs. The payout will be equally divided for men and women.
Gravel cycling is unique and home grown
“There’s not much we can take credit for as Americans in the history of cycling. But gravel cycling has its roots deeply embedded here, and because of that, I see the USA Cycling Gravel National Championship as the natural progression in the development of our sport,” said Lauren De Crescenzo, who was one of the only Americans to crack the top 20 in Gravel Worlds in Italy last year. “The course has equal distance and prize money and represents what a true American gravel race should be. I would love to see an American win a World Championship, solidifying our place on the world stage, and in the process, grow our sport.”
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“Over the last five years, the explosive growth of gravel has energized American cycling. Our involvement in the past 18 months has mainly focused on the support of gravel event organizers through sanctioning events such as the Grasshopper Adventure Series and the Rule of Three. We’re now proud to join the list of ever-growing gravel events in the United States,” said USA Cycling CEO Brendan Quirk.
In case you were already setting up your email of complaint about the prize purse, don’t worry: Quirk assures USA cycling members that the prize purse is entirely funded by entry fees and sponsorship dollars.
Wait, so is Nebraska the next hotbed of gravel?
According to Nebraska Public Media, the race location was practically a happenstance: Brenda Leisy, director of the Scotts Bluff Area Visitors Bureau, told NPM that she applied for the championships after a ‘chance meeting with a USA sports representative.’
“This entire experience was because I was at the right place at the right time,” Leisy said. “Usually, I’m a day late and a dollar short, but, you know, it just worked out this time.”
True gravel lovers may want to just set up shop in Nebraska in the late summer, since the classic Gravel Worlds race happens just two weeks before.
The race is set to take place in Gering, Nebraska on September 9, 2023. It will serve as an automatic qualifier for the UCI Gravel World Championships in Venetia, Italy October 7-8. The top three in the Elite Men’s and Women’s events will automatically qualify for the World Championships and will be supported in that event by USA Cycling.
Additionally, age group race winners will automatically qualify for their respective categories for the 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships.
That’s a tight turnaround to book your trip... but nothing compared to the 2024 year, where the World Championships will happen October 28th in Australia.
Some details are still TBD
While distances have yet to be confirmed for masters riders, riders will be competing on routes that are over 90 percent gravel. The elite races will reportedly run 131 miles, according to Cycling News. The course design and race organization will happen with help from Aaron Raines, the organizer of the local Robidoux Rendezvous gravel race.
Categories will include every age from 11 years old and up, and there will be a non-binary category. Anyone can opt to compete in the Elite category, but all participants do require a valid USA Cycling license and must be US citizens.
“I think gravel has quickly become some of the most competitive racing in the U.S., and I cannot wait to give it my all in Gering, in the fight for the first gravel stars and stripes jersey,” says Keegan Swenson, who will almost certainly come into the race as the heavy favorite.
While the race hasn’t listed all of the rules yet, the big questions gravel races tend to have have been answered: We do know that aero bars will not be permitted (a major point of contention in the gravel scene last year).
Elite men and women will have separate starts. You don’t need a gravel bike—but you definitely can’t ride an e-bike.
There will be neutral aid stations (we can’t wait to see that drama unfold) and one private aid station for riders to have their own aid waiting.
To learn more about eligibility and race details, visit gravelnats.usacycling.org. Registration opens July 14th.
Molly writes about cycling, nutrition and training, with an emphasis on women in sport. Her new middle-grade series, Shred Girls, debuts with Rodale Kids/Random House in 2019 with "Lindsay's Joyride." Her other books include "Mud, Snow and Cyclocross," "Saddle, Sore" and "Fuel Your Ride." Her work has been published in magazines like Bicycling, Outside and Nylon. She co-hosts The Consummate Athlete Podcast.
