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Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz Bicycles-SRAM) and Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Specialized Off-Road) dominated the desert with repeat victories at the Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona.
Lance Haidet (Specialized-SRAM-Velocio) was able to match off-road prowess and on-road speed with Swenson for most of the day, but could not keep the pace on the final north section of the route when a paved climb turned to rocky descent just 14 miles from the finish. Haidet would finish second, 2:24 back. Third place for the pro men went to Torbjørn Røed (Trek-Driftless).
Villafañe had to work her way back to the front of the race after Haley Smith (Trek Driftless) and Alexis Skarda (Santa Cruz Bicycles) moved out front. It was on the final northern loop through Maricopa Park, before the technical descent near Camp Creek, that the two leaders were passed, Smith finishing second, 1:25 behind Villafañe, and Skarda in third, 7:06 back.
It was the second edition of the event from Cave Creek, Arizona, the first stop in the BWR Tripel Crown of Gravel Series for pro divisions. Saturday’s 103-mile (166km) contest had a mass start with 7,500 feet of climbing on a never-ending series of climbs and descents with washouts surrounded by thorny cacti, an inspiration to stay on the course. There were a total of seven, long ‘unroad’ sectors for 58% dirt, rocks and ‘rowdy’ terrain.
The men’s race was a two-rider battle between Swenson and Lance Haidet. A who’s who of gravel remained together on the opening six miles of tarmac, which was all uphill from Cave Creek and Carefree and dumped the riders to the south for switchbacks and serpentine roads at McDowell Mountain Regional Park. Then the race broke apart.
“It was a crazy day of ‘gravel’ racing, pretty much full gas from the start. Just all the ‘whoops’ and it separated pretty quick. Then it came back together a little on the road, but I…
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