Mads Würtz Schmidt continues off-road dominance at Ranxo Gravel one week after Unbound 200 plunder, Life Time Grand Prix expands U23 rosters, and more – Gravel Bits
European gravel champion Mads Würtz Schmidt (Specialised Off-road) adopted his solo victory per week in the past at Unbound Gravel 200 with one other single-handed rampage at Ranxo Gravel in Spain. His profitable time of 4:34:53 was 5 minutes forward of a chasing group with 5 riders, led throughout the road by Kevin Kühn (Heizomat-Dice) in second, who was 4 seconds forward of Julian Siemons (GVA Gold).
Strung out throughout the end rolled the remainder of the chasers, Hugo Drechou (Gravel Nation) in fourth, Joel Roth (BIXS Race Crew) in fifth and Danny van Lierop (Heizomat-Dice) in sixth.
The European marathon mountain bike champion Rosa van Doorn (Buff-BH Crew) outpaced Morgan Aguirre (PAS Racing) on the grassy straightaway to win the elite ladies’s division by 5 seconds, finishing the course in 5:19:01. Axelle Dubau-Prevot (EF Schooling-Oatly) trailed one other 34 seconds later for third, with Sophie Wright (Ribble Outliers) a distant fourth.
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„Huh, I positively didn’t count on this one. First gravel race of the yr on a tremendous course,“ Van Doorn mentioned on Instagram.
Würtz Schmidt has gone four-for-four in Gravel Earth Sequence occasions this season and has a considerable lead over Drechou within the males’s general standings, with Petr Vakoč (Issue Racing) third. Dubau-Prevot sits on the high of the ladies’s leaderboard, forward of Aguirre in second and Wright in third.
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In earlier years, Ranxo Gravel served because the decisive last spherical of the Gravel Earth Sequence. This yr the 160km lengthy route, with 1,930 metres of elevation acquire from Ponts, Spain, was moved to June because the fifth race within the sequence, the finale happening at The River by the Traka in Bouillon, Belgium on September 6.
Rosa van Doorn wins Ranxo Gravel 2026, her first gravel race of the season (Picture credit score: @GravelEarthSeries | @ranxogravel | @rsalanova)
FoCo Fondo gravel race provides reside stream
A brand new reside stream of the elite races at FoCo Fondo introduced by Fats Tire will characteristic as a part of the eleventh version of the Fort Collins, Colorado gravel race, happening July 19. The printed will probably be proven on the YouTube channel of occasion organisation Bike Sports activities (bikesportsco), based in 2016 by athletes Zack and Whitney Allison.
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A complete prize purse $15,000 is on the road within the 120-mile Triple Canine Dare distance, the longest of 4 routes, with payouts 10 deep for elite males, elite ladies and non-binary/gender expansive divisions, all with separate begins.
Final yr Torbjørn Røed out-sprinted Alexey Vermeulen within the elite males’s division whereas Lauren Stephens defended her title, 14 minutes forward of runner-up Courtney Sherwell.
The occasion’s non-profit beneficiary, Associates of FoCo Fondo, expands their attain in 2026 with the addition of 30 para-cycling athletes in a scholarship program. This initiative supplies entry to registration, housing, and academic sources who won’t in any other case have a path to the beginning line. It’s the sixth yr for the scholarship program, which has helped greater than 100 riders to this point.
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“We need to continue to grow FoCo Fondo with a various participation base for the fitting causes. Our occasion, who it advantages, who reveals up, and the way it feels, is all made higher by having folks of every type collaborating,“ Zack Allison mentioned.
Expanded U23 Program confirms 32 riders for Life Time Grand Prix compeition
5 riders standing on the rostrum (Picture credit score: Life Time)
A complete of 12 ladies and 20 males have been named to the 2026 rosters for the second version of the Life Time Grand Prix U23 Program. Sequence organisers, Life Time, expanded the variety of individuals from 10 in every division after sturdy showings within the two qualifying races.
Outcomes from Life Time’s first two rounds of the Grand Prix, Sea Otter Traditional Gravel (90 miles) and Unbound Gravel 100, served because the races inside every race for rankings of riders between the ages of 18 and 22. They may subsequent compete within the remaining Grand Prix schedule for general rankings after Massive Sugar Gravel, with the highest pair incomes roster spots within the 2027 elite LTGP lineup. 4 of the six complete races are required.
„We initially deliberate to pick out 10 younger men and women, however the depth of expertise this yr made it clear that we had a chance to increase. By increasing the roster and introducing race entry assist, we’re doubling down on our dedication to constructing a stronger improvement pipeline and creating extra alternatives for the following technology of elite off-road cyclists,“ mentioned Michelle Duffy, director of the Life Time Grand Prix.
Race entry charges will probably be coated for the U23 riders by the rest of the season by Life Time, which Duffy mentioned helps eradicate limitations of entry and price for a lot of riders who’re college students or work full-time.
After two occasions thus far this yr, USA’s Kylee Hanel has gained two races to steer the ladies’s standings, whereas Canadian Oskar Stack-Michasiw used a U23 second place at Unbound Gravel to maneuver into the boys’s lead. Inaugural winners of the U23 Program have been Ruth Holcomb and Griffin Hoppin, now a part of the invitation-only Grand Prix lineup this season.
