What would another year of gravel be like without a little controversy about taming the casual, free-range style of racing and making it more conventional? Earlier controversies for the use of aero bars among the pros have faded from most gravel debates these days, now replaced with concerns over mass starts and drafting.
Life Time, which operates the Life Time Grand Prix series in the US, wasn’t waiting for the next round of sparring and has been assessing and adjusting guidelines for their off-road races, specific to elite fields.
The organisers of the rich series with a $300,000 combined cash purse planned to have a discussion this week with a handful of the invited elite women for feedback.
“With the evolution of our sport, we’re seeing a lot of changes in the women’s race. Notably, I see race organisers and fellow gravel pros all wondering how we can get the purest women’s race without the interference of the men’s pro or amateur races,” 2021 Unbound 200 champion Lauren De Crescenzo told Cyclingnews.
“I was on a call with USA Cycling last summer, discussing separate starts and the timing of the starts at the US Pro Gravel National Championships in Gering, Nebraska. They enforced a no-drafting rule quite well with moto referees, and I think it’s something worth exploring in other prestigious gravel races.”
In 2023, Life Time imposed a new rule for their seven races, including Unbound Gravel 200, that excluded the use of bar extensions among the competitors in the elite fields, specifically for safety reasons.
New for 2024 is the new rule to address the frenzy and fall out from mass starts. At this year’s Grand Prix events, there will be separate staging and send-offs for elite men and elite women at all seven events, either by a few minutes or up to 30 minutes, which the latter is the case at Chequamegon MTB 40 in Wisconsin.
“My experience racing at the UCI World Championships in Italy in 2022 was unique as the men’s race was on Saturday and the women’s race was on Sunday. I don’t envision this being possible at all US gravel races given the logistical challenge for promoters. However, I think there’s a way for us to move towards little to no interference from the men’s race. Maybe staggering the start by an hour or so, with the men starting first,” De Crescenzo added, and she said was looking forward to being part of a discussion with Life Time.
Miguel Crawford, who founded and still runs the Grasshopper Adventure Series after…
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