Like it or love it, gravel racing is officially here to stay. As formal a cycling discipline as road, track, or MTB, gravel has grown tremendously over the past decade with new events springing up seemingly each week across nearly every continent on Earth. (Antarctic gravel, anyone?)
From the Flint Hills of Kansas to the picturesque mountains of Girona, the volcanic tracks of Iceland to the dusty, red roads of Kenya, wherever unpaved routes roll, riders will quickly follow. And that includes many of our most dedicated athletes and ambassadors, who regularly line up to put themselves—and their fizik shoes, saddles, and more—to the test, mile after bumpy mile.
With many of this year’s big events behind us, we wanted to share a short recap of the 2023 racing calendar, so clip in and ride along as we look back at another exciting season spent far off the tarmac.
THE TRAKA
One of the earliest international events of the summer gravel season—and the first stop of the collective Gravel Earth Series, The Traka is set in what’s fast becoming Europe’s most vaunted cycling capitol: Girona, Spain. Held this year at the end of April, The Traka offered riders four courses of differing lengths on which to push their pedals: 50, 100, 200 or the full 360KM.
Riders turned out in droves, including some familiar faces from the fizik roster, both for the thrill of competition and to experience the laid-back Catalonian lifestyle. Sami Sauri, Paul Voss, Mattia de Marchi and his fellow Enough Cycling teammates, the women of Velocio // Exploro, Nathan Haas, and Nils Correvon were all amongst the riders who showed up to take on this year’s Traka.
As corks were popped and champagne sprayed, however, it was three-time Traka champion Mattia de Marchi who once again found himself the winner of the weekend’s biggest challenge, finishing the 360KM course in a record-breaking 12 hours, 55 minutes, and 42 seconds. Fellow fizik rider Nils Correvon reached the line not too far behind in an admirable fourth place.
The men’s 200KM category proved equally exciting, as fizik athlete Paul Voss earned the top spot in unusual form, running rather than riding across the line after a flat tire in the final meters nearly cost him the win. Standing on the podium beside him was Nathan Haas, whose efforts in a three-way sprint paid off with a second-place finish.
UNBOUND
The big one, the “World’s Premier Gravel Grinder”, the OG—UNBOUND is perhaps the most celebrated gravel race in all of cycling. With a history that spans nearly 20 years, UNBOUND invites riders from around the world to middle America to test their mettle against the harsh, unforgiving—and frequently muddy—Flint Hills of Kansas, transforming the usually sleepy town of Emporia into an international cycling hub for one weekend a year.
Like The Traka, UNBOUND offers riders varying lengths, ranging from a short 40KM race all the way up to the XL 560KM event. Also like The Traka, the 2023 UNBOUND welcomed many regular characters from the fizik crew—including not only our athletes, but also members of our brand team who made the trip to support those racing the first weekend in June.
The riders of Team Amani, professional record-setter Lachlan Morton, the men and women of Enough Cycling as well as US-based Velocio // Exploro all traveled to take on the legendary Kansas gravel. And all were greeted with the type of riding that has made UNBOUND as exciting as it is notorious: mile after mile of sticky “peanut butter” mud that ensured this year’s event was truly one to be remembered.
Given that 900 riders were unable to even complete their chosen races due to the challenging course conditions, it’s all the more of an achievement for those who managed to keep pedaling (and pushing) their way to the finish, including Lachlan Morton who claimed third in the men’s 320KM race.
THE MIGRATION GRAVEL RACE
With an ethos that extends far beyond competition, the Migration Gravel Race was founded as part of the broader Amani Project, an initiative aimed at creating more equitable competitive opportunities for East African cyclists. Unique in format compared to many races on the gravel calendar, the Migration Race is a four-stage, 650KM, semi-supported competition for local and international cyclists alike held each summer on the rolling roads of Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Preserve.
Surrounded by lush, green vegetation, and sharing the scenery with the occasional giraffe, zebra, or elephant, many of cycling’s top off-road pros make the pilgrimage each June to experience “The Wildest Gravel Race in the World.” Joining the local heroes of Team Amani for the 2023 MGR were fizik athletes Lachlan Morton, Nathan Haas, Sami Sauri, and the riders of Enough.
Beyond the stunning setting, perhaps the most exciting feature of the Migration Gravel Race is its format, with each stage offering a new experience and each new day providing the potential for victory, which is exactly what Lachlan Morton proved on day two, edging out eventual overall winner Lukas Baum in a sprint finish to claim the Queen’s Stage. Stage three marked another big win for fizik riders, with Amani member Kenneth Karaya breaking away early and holding his lead to take the day for the home team.
With preparations underway—and registration open—for the 2024 Migration Gravel Race, we can’t wait to see what unfolds in the next chapter, as well as how off-road racing continues to expand throughout East Africa.
SBT GRVL
As bold of an event as it is beautiful, SBT GRVL (shorthand for Steamboat Gravel) is touted by organizers as taking place on “the greatest gravel roads on Earth.” Held each August in and around the resort town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, SBT GRVL was founded in 2019 on the idea of bringing more inclusivity into the off-road racing scene. In doing so, they became one of the early races to provide ride lengths for all skill levels as well as adopting an intentional focus on entertainment for friends and family of racers in town for the event.
With champagne gravel, sunny skies, and miles of mountainous Colorado roads, the stage was set for some serious competition in this year’s main event, the 142-mile (228-kilometer) Black Course. Fizik riders Lachlan Morton, Payson McElveen, and the women of Velocio // Exploro were all in attendance, ready to make tracks as the race got underway with a lightning-fast start.
An early breakaway split the men’s lead group and set the tone for much for the day, which would see attacks launched, defended against, then launched again all the way to the finish line. The same held true in the women’s category, with escapes made and chases ensued. And while no fizik riders would claim SBT GRVL’s top spot—an honor that would go to gravel powerhouses Keegan Swenson and Sofía Gómez Villafañe—four of our riders earned top-ten spots: Lachlan Morton in fifth, Payson McElveen in seventh, Katie Kantzes in eighth, and Sarah Lange in ninth.
THE RIFT / OCTOPUS GRAVEL
Two more adventurous summer events—and two more members of the Gravel Earth Series—The Rift in Iceland and Octopus Gravel in the Swiss Alps filled this past July with plenty of challenge and excitement. The month opened with Octopus, which held its second edition on July 1st. Presenting a truly unique format, if you want to understand how Octopus operates, the key is in the name—and on the map.
Centered in the Alpine town of Andermatt, the course wriggles out in seven directions like legs on the eponymous marine mollusk. Each direction leads up a different dead-end climb, which riders follow out and back before returning to Andermatt and selecting their next limb. Three legs are timed, but competitors must complete a minimum of six in order to complete the event. The winner is selected based on the sum of those three sections. Got it? Good.
Rounding out the month in another mountainous locale, The Rift takes place on the volcanic gravel roads that traverse the continental rift in Iceland. Rough terrain, unpredictable weather, and strong winds all conspire to push riders to the absolute limit. Of course, those who do line up in Hvolsvöllur are rewarded with an experience unlike anyplace else on Earth.
While Nils Correvon kicked off July with a fourth-place finish at Octopus, fizik riders Paul Voss (3rd), Mattia de Marchi (5th), and Nathan Haas (6th) all made the top ten in Iceland.
GRAVEL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Last year, the UCI held their first officially sanctioned Gravel Championships which saw qualified riders competing in the Veneto Region of Italy in a quest to claim one of cycling’s most-coveted kits, the Rainbow Jersey. Being that it’s held in our own backyard, we were excited to see the GWC return earlier this month on updated, separate courses for men and women, each with significantly more climbing than in 2022.
Our team was on the ground at this year’s event, alongside a cast of fizik athletes including Mattia de Marchi, Alejandro Valverde, Payson McElveen, and Francesco Bettini. Unlike many other races on the international gravel calendar, the UCI World Championships is not open to the general public. Instead, riders qualify throughout the season as part of the international Gravel World Series. This system leads to some interesting rivalries, with many World-Tour-seasoned pros going up against the top names in international adventure and gravel racing.
The women’s 141KM and men’s 169KM courses made for some exciting races with typically road racers maintaining speeds not frequently seen in the off-road world—but with all the crashes and calamity you might expect when riding the rough stuff. In the end, it was the European pros who rounded out the top podium spots. Valverde, ever enjoying his retirement, put in some serious work to take fourth, while fellow fizik riders Mattia de Marchi and Paul Voss finished 12th and 17th, respectively.
As we wrap up another thrilling season of gravel racing, we’re already eagerly anticipating what big moments and new events next year holds. Looking to step up your own performance? Check out our Gravel Collection for shoes, saddles, and accessories made to move fast off roads.
Photo: Nils Laengner – Peloton Brief – Dominique Powers – Nadia Moro – Dane Cronin
Gravel Earth Series – Tornanti – Chiara Redaschi
