Lauren Stephens defends ladies’s title at US Gravel National Championships

Lauren Stephens (Cynisca Cycling) repeated a solo journey throughout the road in Gering, Nebraska to win a second elite ladies’s title at US Gravel National Championships. Lauren De Crescenzo (Factor-The Feed-Maxxis-Castelli) earned the silver and Paige Onweller (Trek Driftless) took bronze.

This yr Stephens accomplished the 131.5-mile course in western Nebraska in 6:31:44, which was slightly greater than 14 minutes quicker than the inaugural version in 2023.

The quick, dry circumstances noticed De Crescenzo end simply 1:21 again, and Onweller was 2:46 off the tempo. A fourth-place finisher final yr, De Crescenzo crashed out of SBT GRVL three weeks in the past and sustained a damaged collarbone, and she or he was questionable to line up for the occasion.

“Just attending to the beginning line will likely be an enormous win for me,” De Crescenzo stated on social media the day earlier than the race.

Fourth-placed Alexis Skarda (Santa Cruz Bicycles-SRAM) was the one different girl within the elite discipline to complete in single digits behind Stephens, 4:16 again. She and Cecily Decker (Scuderia Pinarello), who was fifth at 13:10, rounded out the highest 5, which earned them computerized {qualifications} to the UCI Gravel World Championships in Belgium on October 5.

Jenna Rinehart (Mazda Orange Seal Off-road) and Emily Newsom (PAS Racing), each within the high 10 final yr, had been the one starters within the 17-rider discipline not ending the occasion. Rinehart crashed simply earlier than the mid-point of the race after which rode the subsequent 29 miles solo earlier than calling it a day, whereas Newsom stopped on account of leg cramps and fatigue.

The high seven finishers shared in half of the $40,000 prize purse on supply for elite athletes, Stephens incomes $10,000 for the victory and De Crescenzo taking $5,000. In sixth and seventh locations, respectively, Whitney Allison (Bike Sports) and Caroline Wreszin (Skratch-Factor) took residence the ultimate checks, $250 every.

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