Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Specialized Off-road) conquered harsh climate situations and made it two-for-two at Valley of Tears gravel race in Turkey, Texas on Saturday. In the elite males’s race, Daxton Mock (Bear National Team) took the victory from a three-rider lead group on a mud-caked course shortened to 47 miles (75.6km).
In only a second version, Valley of Tears made impressions past the wealthy prize purse of $26,0000 shared by the 2 elite fields. Elite women and men had their very own begins however shared equally within the formidable climate situations that turned the sandy washes and punchy climbs of the Tampico Tundra into sticky, claret-coloured clay.
The swing in climate situations was drastic for 2 days of racing on the gravel occasion, with heat spring temperatures of 76°F available for the inaugural dust criterium on Friday. A day later, the thermometer plummeted 40 levels, winds gusted to over 30 mph and rain transitioned from sleet to snow because the temperatures hovered across the freezing mark.
Organisers made the decision to shorten the lengthy 97-mile course for security causes, first taking off 30 miles on a northern part after which one other 20 miles eradicated due to thick mud for a remaining distance of 47 miles for the west Texas gravel stampede.
Villafañe dominated the distinctly completely different programs, and climate situations, first profitable the inaugural Valley of Tears dust criterium on Friday when she took flight on the opening lap and dusted the sphere throughout the 20-lap race for the victory. Using the same scheme on Saturday, the Argentina native broke away early and rode solo the remainder of the way in which for a second consecutive win on the gravel endurance contest.
Coming off a victory on dusty singletrack at Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona, Villafañe confirmed her versatility within the moist situations, finishing the shortened route in 2:39:35. Emily Newsom (PAS Racing) was 4:55 again in second and one other six minutes later was Crystal Anthony in third.
“I made a solo transfer 6 miles in after the now notorious gravel limestone pit and it caught till the top. Questioned my selection a bit within the huge headwind sections however we lastly had a race the place it was separate begin and no drafting between fields which was very sick,” Villafañe posted to her social media.
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Mock deliberate to make BWR Arizona his first gravel race of the season, however pulled out because of sickness. The 24-year-old from Wisconsin had lots in reserves as soon as throughout the end line, because the trio of leaders had not obtained communications that one other 20 miles had been lower from the route, so the preliminary go underneath the end banner didn’t sign a second loop however the finish of the race.
French rider Hugo Drechou (Numéro 31 par Café du Cycliste) completed second and USA’s Michael Garrison (MGR p/b NICH SpeedClub)
“Got in a great break, and as I used to be rolling into city, I assume I obtained a bit excited via the end line and thought, ‘Why not dash to the road, simply in case?’ Turns out it labored once they shortened the unique course because of climate,” Mock defined on Instagram.
“Would’ve beloved to battle it out extra with the fellows, however a win’s a win and I’m loving it!”
It’s been a busy early gravel season for Drechou, who received La Bescanonina Gravel in Spain in early February and was fourth at BWR Arizona final week. Garrison, who received HomeGrown Gravel in an uphill dash in mid February, stated the trio didn’t know the course had been shortened a second time, so accepted his third-place end as “frustating” however “proud of the shape”.
Last yr’s males’s champion Keegan Swenson was one spot wanting getting a share of the prize purse on Saturday, ending eleventh. He got here away with a small test on Friday, nevertheless, with a victory within the criterium as a comfort prize.
Junior Gravel National Series opener
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Valley of Tears served because the opening spherical of USA Cycling’s Junior Gravel National Series, a bunch of 5 current races throughout the US with scoring accessible in 4 classes: 15-16 Men, 15-16 Women, 17-18 Men, and 17-18 Women.
Carter Lembke received the lads’s 17-18 junior division in 2:03:38, a half-second higher than Alex Snider, who received the lads’s 15-16 division.
Sara Shannon took the victory for the ladies’s 17-18 junior division in 2:30:52, whereas Kate Elwell was underneath a minute again and the highest finisher within the ladies’s 15-16 junior division.
Standings within the Junior Gravel National Series rank high riders with finest general rating from three of their finest finishes, with a minimal of three occasions to be accomplished. Top-ranked riders from the sequence can be invited to a USA Cycling Junior Talent Identification Camp in October 2025.
Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel is the subsequent occasion, held April 11 in Monterey, California. The different three contests on the calendar embrace Life Time Unbound Gravel 50 on May 31, SBT GRVL p/b Wahoo on June 29 and USA Cycling Gravel National Championships on September 20. The nationwide championships can be held in La Crescent, Minnesota for the primary time.
