Lauren Stephens and Brennan Wertz crowned US National Gravel Champions
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The 2024 USA Cycling Gravel National Championships took place once again in Gering, Nebraska, over the weekend. Riders competed not only for the prestigious Stars-and-Stripes jersey but also for a share of the $40,000 prize purse and an automatic entry to the UCI Gravel World Championships in Belgium this October.
The 131.1-mile course was the same as last year’s inaugural event, and in the women’s race, so was the winner as Lauren Stephens (Cynisca Cycling) again crossed the finish line solo. In the men’s race, however, the defending champion was dethroned as former world champion rower Brennan Wertz (mosaic Cycles) took the title, while Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz Bicycles/SRAM) finished in sixth.
Wertz held off a nine-rider chase group to claim his biggest gravel win yet. In the sprint for second, John Borstelmann (Slowtwitch Goodlife Racing) finished second, and gravel newcomer Colby Simmons (Visma-Lease a Bike development team) took third. Defending champion Keegan Swenson was part of the chase group and finished in sixth place.
“Incredibly honoured to have the privilege of wearing this beautiful jersey for the next year,” Wertz commented on social media.
“Truly at a loss for words. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who believed in me and encouraged me along the way, especially during this recent difficult period.”
In preparing for a busy end to the season, including SBT GRVL, the final Life Time Grand Prix events, and the national and world championships, Wertz had spent a big block of training in the Swiss Alps. However, he contracted a Covid infection shortly thereafter and had to sit out the August races. Thus, his run-in to the national championship race had been less than ideal. Still, he seemed to be in excellent form as he was able to stay ahead of the chase pack and cross the finish line just six seconds ahead of the spring for second.
“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,” he said in the post-race interview. “I was really hoping I could sneak away one to two kilometres from the finish, so I put all my chips on the table on that move at the end and it paid off.”
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Wertz had already scored an automatic entry for the UCI Gravel World Championships in April, when he won the Highlands Gravel Classic, a qualifying event that was held in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In Nebraska, Wertz did take home the stars-and-stripes jersey —which he’ll get to wear in all gravel events for the coming year— as well as $10,000.
Along with Wertz, podium finishers Borstelmann and Simmons automatically qualified to compete against the world’s best at the UCI Gravel World Championships in Belgium in October, with full support from USA Cycling.
Men’s Top 10
Brennan Wertz (Mosaic Cycles) 5:50:372.
John Borstelmann (Goodlife Racing/Ventum/Voler) 5:50:433
Colby Simmons (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) 5:50:434
Russell Finsterwald (Trek Driftless) 5:50:435
Griffin EAster (OpiCure Foundation Gravel Team p/b Canyon Bicycles) 5:50:446.
In the women’s race, Lauren Stephens (Cynisca Cycling) repeated her dominant performance from last year to win her second consecutive elite women’s title. Stephens improved her time by over 14 minutes from the 2023 race, benefiting from fast, dry conditions.
“It was an awesome day…I was a lot less nervous this year than last year. I was calmer coming into today having done it last year,” Stephens said in the post-race interview. “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.”
The field had been blown to bits, and every rider in the top 10 came across the line by herself.
It was Lauren De Crescenzo (Factor-The Feed-Maxxis-Castelli), still recovering from a broken collarbone, who crossed the line in second place to claim silver, 1:21 behind Stephens. A minute behind her, Paige Onweller (Trek Driftless) rolled through the finish line to claim bronze.
Every one of these women scored an automatic qualification to compete at the UCI Gravel World Championships in Belgium, with full support from USA Cycling.
Like Wertz, Stephens also earned $10,000 for her victory. Next up, Stephens will trade her gravel bike for a road bike as she’s headed to the UCI World Road Championships in Zurich, Switzerland, where she’ll compete in the road race, time trial and team relay.
Women’s Top 10:
Lauren Stephens (Cynisca Cycling) 6:31:442
Lauren De Crescenzo (Factor / The Feed / Maxxis / Castelli / PERC) 6:33:063
Paige Onweller (Trek Driftless) 6:34:314
Alexis Skarda (Santa Cruz Bicycles SRAM) 6:36:005
Cecily Decker (Scuderia Pinarello) 6:44:556
Whitney Allison (Bike Sports) 6:45:097
Caroline Wreszin (Skratch // Factor) 6:47:298
Marisa Boaz (Mazda Orange Seal Off-Road) 6:50:579
Hannah Shell (Vantage Racing) 7:07:2910
Leah Van Der Linden (Lauf | Eliel | Hunt) 7:11:18
The top three finishers in the men’s and women’s elite categories will also automatically qualify to compete against the world’s best at the UCI Gravel World Championships in Belgium in October, with full support from USA Cycling.
