Stetina’s Paydirt proved it is both a race and an adventure this past weekend, with a time bonus from a tyre toss deciding the women’s overall winner. Event organiser Peter Stetina called it “fun and wild” for the pro women’s field, the only category with a cash prize at the second-year event that was filled with a who’s-who of Unbound Gravel contestants.
Sarah Sturm was the fastest on the 69-mile course at Stetina’s Paydirt in Carson City, Nevada, completing the three timed segments in 2:35:57. Heather Jackson crossed the line 16 seconds later, but then erased the deficit completely and moved into first place by a four-second margin after demonstrating accuracy in the tyre toss – where riders literally throw a bike tyre around a life-size cutout of Stetina from a distance – netting a 20-second time bonus in the Shimano Women’s Challenge.
“While I feel so bad for Sarah, these were the rules that we set ahead of time. She was disappointed, she’s a competitor. It’s just the way it happened to shake out this time. We’ll revisit how the time bonuses are allocated, but everybody was very into the shenanigans at the finish line and kept it lighthearted. I believe there is a space to have fun, and keep it competitive. Both Sarah and Heather are the utmost…
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