Ayesha McGowan and Amber Pierce both have a background on the road, but this weekend, they are throwing on some fatter tires and hitting the start line for the Dirty Kanza 200. We chatted with both women to ask their thoughts about the race, gravel equipment and how the gravel scene compares to the road.

Ayesha McGowan

Amber Pierce

For all our coverage from Kansas, see our Dirty Kanza 200 archive.

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This weekend is arguably the biggest weekend in gravel. In Kansas, Dirty Kanza attracts much attention, and we’re on the ground to cover the event. But on the same day further west, the Lost and Found gravel ride draws its own share of top pros and 1400+ other cyclists looking to tackle the rocky gravel and thinner air of the California Sierra.

Barry Wicks leads out the pros to start his first Lost and Found Gravel Race. © Cyclocross Magazine

We’ve got the preliminary start lists of the pro men, pro women and singlespeeders tackling the 100-mile event. Both the 2017 men’s and women’s winners in Carl Decker and Katerina Nash will be returning to defend their titles.

The Lost and Found is the first leg of the Lost Sierra Triple Crown, which includes the Downieville Classic and Grinduro. The bib numbers above 2000 are for racers looking to take on all three legs.

2018 Lost and Found 100-Mile Start List - Pro Men, Pro Women and Singlespeed

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Our coverage of the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 is brought to you in part by Panaracer. Check out its line of gravel tires for your next adventure.

Saturday’s Dirty Kanza 200 started with a literal bang, as the thousands of riders getting ready to ride through Kansas’ Flint Hills awoke to thunder outside Emporia, and then a torrent of rainfall as they awaited the start of the race. After a 30-minute rain delay, the impressive field of cycling talent ripped down Commerical Street and out onto the gravel roads between Emporia and Eureka.

The Women’s race went to a gravel newbie—but familiar name to CXM readers—Kaitie Keough. Keough hung with the lead group early on and outlasted two-time winner Amanda Nauman and 2017 winner Alison Tetrick to take home the title of Queen of the Dirty Kanza in her first every gravel race. Nauman and Tetrick traded spots several times during the last 100 miles, with Nauman ultimately grabbing second. Tetrick finished third to round out the podium.

Kaitie Keough won the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Cyclocross Magazine

Top honors in the Men’s race went to a Dirty Kanza veteran. Last year, 2016 winner Ted King had his title defense marred by flats. In 2018, the only thing that stood between him and victory was a tough challenge from Josh Berry. King escaped from Berry in the last 50 miles of the race and rode solo into a strong headwind to get his second win in three years. Berry finished a strong second, and Geoff Kabush took third after a sprint finish against 2017 winner Mat Stephens and Ian Tubbs.

Ted King won his second DK200 at the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Cyclocross Magazine

Top 20 Women’s and Men’s finishers are below. Stay tuned for a race report, full results and much more from Kansas.

Women's Top 20: 2018 Dirty Kanza 200

Men's Top 20: 2018 Dirty Kanza 200

The post Keough is Queen, King is King at 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 – Results appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

Stan’s NoTubes needs no introduction as one of the industry leaders in tubeless technology. The company’s Valor rims have made their way into the professional cyclocross ranks and the Iron Cross, Valor and Avion wheels are popular with the cyclocross and gravel crowd.

Today, Stan’s NoTubes officially announced the expansion of its gravel and cyclocross wheel line with the new carbon Grail CB7 and alloy Grail MK3 models. Geoff Kabush, Kae Takeshita, Jake Wells and our own Andrew Yee tackled the biggest weekend in gravel on the new Grail CB7 carbon wheels at Dirty Kanza and Lost and Found, and we’re bringing you the details and initial impressions after a few weeks of riding.

Stan’s NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon tubeless wheelset with Challenge Tires’ new Gravel Grinder TLR 42mm tires. © Cyclocross Magazine

Stan’s Grail CB7 Carbon and Grail MK3 Alloy Tubeless Gravel Wheels

With both the Grail CB7 and MK3, Stan’s set out to design a wheel specifically for high-volume, low-pressure tubeless riding.

The lightweight Grail CB7 rim has a head-turning claimed weight of 300g and the MK3 checks in at a respectable 440g. Stan’s designed both wheels for optimal performance with the wider tires run at low pressures that are becoming increasingly popular for gravel riding.

Both the carbon and alloy rims use Stan’s patented BST-R tubeless rim shape for ease of inflation and a more secure fit.

The wide shoulders and relatively deep center channel makes it easy for burp-proof riding and tool-free tire installation. Stan’s NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon tubeless wheelset for gravel and cx. © Cyclocross Magazine

With the carbon CB7, the company built an ultra-lightweight rim that has a claimed weight of 300g. For comparison, other carbon rims we have recently looked at have weights at or above 400g each.

All wheels come with rim tape and valves pre-installed for easier setup.

Stan’s NoTubes makes it easy to get riding with preinstalled tape and valves. Grail CB7 carbon tubeless wheelset for gravel and cx. © Cyclocross Magazine

The company was able to achieve the light weight in part by designing the rims specifically for low pressures. With a claimed maximum tire pressure of 85 psi for 28mm, and 55 psi for 40m tires, the company was able to save grams over tubeless road rims designed for 100+ psi pressures.

Stan’s NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon tubeless wheelset for gravel and cx achieves the grams savings partly by avoiding the extra material needed for high-pressure road tires. © Cyclocross Magazine

Short sidewalls and a shallow 19.6mm depth also help reduce material and save weight. These are not aimed to ace wind tunnel tests.

The Stan’s NoTubes Grail CB7 Pro carbon tubeless wheelset for gravel and cx are an easy way to shed a pound or more off a bike, if you can afford it. © Cyclocross Magazine

The rim’s 21.6mm internal width (26.4mm external) provides room for wide tires, and it is designed with what Stan’s calls its RiACT impact-absorbing design. Stan’s optimized the Grail CB7 for use with tires 28-40mm wide, which makes them well-suited for cyclocross racing as well.

The Stan’s NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon tubeless wheelset featured on a number of racers’ bikes at Dirty Kanza and Lost and Found on Sunday, including Geoff Kabush, Kae Takeshita, Jake Wells and our own racer at Lost and Found. © Cyclocross Magazine

Full wheelsets come with Stan’s Neo Ultimate hubs that have six pawls and 5-degree engagement and are laced with Sapim Lazer spokes, 24 front, 28 rear.

The SpeedSync hubs offer 5 degrees of engagement. Stan’s NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon tubeless wheelset for gravel and cx. © Cyclocross Magazine

The full wheelset is listed at an eye-catching 1,277g. Our test set tipped the scale at just 1,274g including tape and valves. Without tape and valves, we estimate the wheels to tip the scale around 1,250g. That’s lighter than most rim brake carbon tubular wheels.

The NEO Ultimate hubs also keep weight down. Stan’s NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon tubeless wheelset for gravel and cx. © Cyclocross Magazine

The Grail MK3 alloy wheels join the Grail CB7 as a low-pressure, disc brake offering. The 6069 series aluminum rims have a claimed weight of 440g, which is similar to the alloy Alto AMX29 we recently reviewed.

The internal profile of the MK3 is 20.3mm (external is 24.0mm), and the rim can withstand pressures up to 110psi. Accordingly, Stan’s designed the rims for optimal performance with 25-40mm tires. The alloy wheels are also a bit deeper than their carbon counterparts at 24.5mm.

Stan’s NoTubes Grail MK3 alloy tubeless rim weighs 440g. photo: NoTubes

Full MK3 wheelsets come with Stan’s Neo hubs with Durasync and Sapim Force spokes, 28 front and rear. The full wheelset weighs 1,675g.

Stan’s NoTubes Grail MK3 alloy tubeless wheelset for gravel and cx features the DuraSync rear freehub. photo: NoTubes

Stan’s Grail CB7 Tire Installation

The NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon rim follows NoTubes’ tradition of a reliable rim / tire interface at low pressure.

The NoTubes’ rims, with the exception of the Alpha series of rims, have historically been some of the best options for burp-proof tubeless setups and great candidates to convert non-tubeless tires for tubeless use. The rims’ internal shape, especially the wide shoulders along the center channel and short sidewalls, help lock a tire bead’s in place and keep the tire from sliding over the center channel and leaking air.

Our wheels had pre-production decals. The production wheels are said to have thinner versions. Stan’s NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon tubeless wheelset for gravel and cx. © Cyclocross Magazine

We’ve installed Challenge Gravel Grinder TLR 42mm tires, Kenda Flintridge Pro DCT 40mm tires, and a non-tubeless ultralight ChaoYang Merlin 29×1.9 tire. All three installed with a loud snap after several blasts of a tubeless charging pump, and held air with minimal leakage overnight. Would they hold air on the ride?

A 113mm wide (bead to bead) Challenge Gravel Grinder 42mm tire measured at nearly 45mm on the CB7 rim at psi.

Stan’s Grail CB7 Ride Impressions

We’ve had four mixed terrain rides including five houses of rough dirt roads at the Lost and Found to test the new Grail CB7 wheels, and have come away relatively impressed. First, it’s impossible not to notice the weight savings. We’ve tested plenty of carbon disc wheels that weigh nearly a pound or more, and the Grail CB7 300g rims ensure that much of the weight savings are rotating weight—not just the hubs. Hit the accelerator and the wheels respond willingly. Throw the bike on your shoulder, and you might just start looking for more run-ups. You can be sure we’ll be angling to hold onto these test wheels into cyclocross season. Dressed with tubeless cyclocross tires, we’ll be shedding weight over most carbon tubulars.

The Grail CB7 rim provides impressive airtight bead security. With tires as low as 16psi, we tried to bottom out the rim and see if we could burp the beads in corners. While the tire started to fold in corners, it remained airtight, and the wheel remained true.

Weight savings, airtight performance, with some flex. Stan’s NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon tubeless wheelset for gravel and cx. © Cyclocross Magazine

Pick up a pair of 1250g disc brake carbon wheels and you probably shouldn’t expect the world’s stiffest wheel, and the Grail CB7 Pro wheelset is no exception. On power climbs and sprints, there’s noticeable flex, even under the middling power of a 160-pound tester. How can we tell? On our test bike, with 2-3mm clearance on each side of a 44mm tire at the chainstays, we were scraping away paint during sprints.

Sapim Laser spokes make the weight weenies happy. Stan’s NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon tubeless wheelset for gravel and cx. © Cyclocross Magazine

Perhaps sprints are rare in gravel, but power climbs may not be—heavier or more powerful riders, or cyclists with limited tire clearance might want to take note—and perhaps look for stiffer build options than our Pro wheelset build.

It’s also worth noting that the weight savings at the hubs comes at the expense of some robustness. The thru axle caps pop off easily and fit loosely, making swaps between 12mm and 15mm caps up front easy, but offering the elements easy access to bearings.

Pop the caps off the hub and you’ll see the sealed cartridge bearings. Stan’s NoTubes Grail CB7 carbon tubeless wheelset for gravel and cx. © Cyclocross Magazine

Out back the rear hub is similar. After accidentally knocking over a rear wheel that was leaning against the wall, we saw a thru axle end cap go flying and the freehub and cassette fall off the hub. Not all was lost—after brushing off some dirt we put it all back together—but the experience revealed the simple but lightweight hub design, which contrasts to threaded axle designs we’ve seen by Alto Cycling and American Classic.

Even with such quirks, the gram-shedding Grail CB7 Pro wheelset is appealing to anyone looking for a reliable tubeless system or with weight weenie tendencies. At $1635 for the top-end Pro wheelset, the price is right in the middle of the range of carbon offerings we’re seeing nowadays. Are they worth the price? We think the answer depends on how they’ll hold up over time. Stay tuned.

Stan’s Grail CB7 Specs

Price: Pro: $1,635, Team: $1,400, Rim: $600
Weight: Rim: 300g (claimed), Wheelset: 1,274g (actual, valves and tape)
Width: 21.6mm internal, 26.4mm external
Depth: 19.3mm
Hubs: Stan’s Neo Ultimate with Speedsync, 24-hole front, 28-hole rear
Tire Sizes: 28-40mm recommended

Stan’s Grail MK3 Specs

Price: Wheelset: $700, Rim: $105
Weight: Rim: 440g (claimed), Wheelset: (1,675g claimed, valves and tape)
Width: 20.3 internal, 24.0 external
Depth: 24.5mm
Hubs: Stan’s Neo with Durasync, 28-hole front, 28-hole rear
Tire Sizes: 25-40mm recommended
More Info: notubes.com

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The 2018 Lost and Found 100-mile Pro Women’s race was a tale of patience, persistence and flat tires, with defending champion Katerina Nash and last year’s second place, Olivia Dillon, doing their best to nurse punctured tires to the finish line.

Olivia Dillon #2021 and Katerina Nash, #46 reversed their positions from 2017 both at the start and the finish of the 2018 Lost and Found. © Cyclocross Magazine

Early on, Nash looked determined to keep her title, and took to the front on the first climb of the new 2018 course.

Dillon wasn’t worried. “I know racing at altitude I have to stay within myself on the first climb,” Dillon explained. She came to the 2018 event hoping to continue improving, after finishing third in her 2016 Lost and Found debut and climbing up one podium step in 2017. “There were a bunch of women ahead of me, but I knew I’d race into it.” She expected to catch back up, knowing the risks that riders faced in the Lost Sierra.

Those risks certainly impacted the front of the race, as well as the rides of nearly 1400 competitors.

2018 Lost and Found gravel race. © Cyclocross Magazine

Nash’s title defense hopes lost quite a bit of air early in the race. “It started off really well, I was in the lead on the first climb, and then I got a flat tire,” Nash recalled.

Nash installed a Dynaplug into the cut at the crown of the tire, but after blasting it with CO2 and taking off to ride with Dillon, her plugged Maxxis Rambler continued to slowly lose air. She stopped to add more CO2, ran out of that and then eventually had to pump away with her ultra-mini pump. As she rode on, her tire kept losing air, forcing her to finally insert a tube and add a few hundred mini pump strokes to her day’s workout.

2018 Lost and Found gravel race. © Cyclocross Magazine

With so many tire delays by Nash, Dillon was gone, in pursuit of the only Lost and Found podium step that had eluded her. The former professional road racer was just hoping to elude the course’s many tire hazards.

She powered away on the course’s steady climbs, but sure enough, eventually found herself in the same situation that Nash was in hours earlier. “Fifteen miles to go, my rim was down on the fast gravel section, so I pulled to the side, did CO2, but then on the headwind road section it was down again.”

With Serena Gordon chasing and Nash finally rolling on an airtight inner tube, Dillon’s title hopes were taking on water, but thanks to a fellow racer, she got help in the form of a plug to help seal her sidewall gash. Would it be enough?

It still didn’t hold. “On the last climb, it was down again, so I had to grab another CO2 again and put it in. I just wanted to get the finish!” Dillon exclaimed. “I knew Katerina and Serena were chasing behind.”

Get to the finish she did, and with seven minutes to spare, she completed her step-by-step climb up the Lost and Found podium.

Nash passed Serena Gordon and held her off by just seconds to finish in second.

Olivia Dillon survived the battle of the flats to climb to the top step of the Lost and Found podium. In the process, she held off Katerina Nash and Serena Gordon, and avoided having to go to an inner tube and mini pump. 2018 Lost and Found gravel race. © Cyclocross Magazine

Nash, Dillon and Gordon after the race. 2018 Lost and Found gravel race. © Cyclocross Magazine

See the 2018 Lost and Found pro men’s results and report here.

2018 Lost and Found Women’s Race Notes:

1. When not podiuming at the Lost and Found, Dillon, originally from Ireland, works with Velocio as Director of Retail Sales, and wore a special edition white Velocio jersey that she said Ted King and Josh Berry also debuted during their winning and podium rides at Dirty Kanza.
2. Dillon raced a Specialized Diverge with a CGR carbon seatpost instead of the stock dropper, and used the 38mm Trigger tires at 30psi.
3. Katerina Nash raced an Orbea Terra gravel bike and estimates she inflated her Maxxis Rambler tires in the “upper 30s.” She hasn’t spent much time on her bike, hopping on it a “couple times earlier this year” and once at the Sagan Gran Fondo. Stay tuned for profiles of each bike.

2018 Lost and Found Pro Women's Results - 100 Mile

The post 2018 Lost and Found Gravel Race – Pro Women 100 Mile Results, Report appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

On Saturday, nearly 1400 racers took to the start at the largest-ever Lost and Found gravel race, contesting 45, 65 and 100-mile distances over the forgotten dirt roads around Lake Davis in Plumas County, California.

Sandy Floren, Anthony Clark, Carl Decker, Tobin Ortenblad and Olivia Dillon made sure they had an unobstructed view of the starting straight on their way to contest the pro titles. 2018 Lost and Found. © Cyclocross Magazine

For the Pro Men contenders, the race was not the same flat tire game as we saw at the front of the Pro Women’s Lost and Found 100-mile race, yet just as in women’s race, the final climb would test the nerves of the eventual winner.

Young and Experienced

Heading into the final climb of the 2018 Lost and Found Gravel Race, Tobin Ortenblad found himself in the final four riders with companions who were a decade or two older than him. Yet the 23-year-old racer boasted the most experience racing the rocky, rutted roads of California’s Lost Sierra.

Ortenblad has raced every Lost and Found since the inaugural 2014 event, where he finished eighth. After winning the 2015 edition and then struggling with his CO2 inflator in 2016 and cramping in 2017, Ortenblad was motivated to utilize his four years of race experience to take back the title from two-time winner Carl Decker.

Anthony Clark, Carl Decker and Tobin Ortenblad seized control of the top three positions just seconds after the start at the 2018 Lost and Found. © Cyclocross Magazine

Chris McGovern, Ortenblad’s coach, said his client was likely the strongest in 2017, but that strength didn’t end up translating into a win. This year, McGovern and Ortenblad were hoping to change up the race strategy by racing smarter and saving energy for when it mattered most.

The Plan Comes Crashing Down

Crashing wasn’t part of the strategy, however.

“I crashed pretty early on,” Ortenblad explained. “I must have been going 35 mph. I went down pretty damn hard.”

Tobin Ortenblad overcame a spill at 35mph early on in the race to take the 2018 Lost and Found Crown. © Cyclocross Magazine

Ortenblad briefly saw his chances of taking back the Lost and Found crown ride up the road as he picked himself off the ground, but other than a lot of lost skin and a minorly-bruised ego, he was still ready to race and quickly recovered to rejoin a group driven by fellow cyclocrosser Anthony Clark.

Clark was pushing the pace on the first climb, just as he would do all day, whittling the lead group down to eight, just three miles into the race. While the group would swell to 12 after a long pavement stretch, at mile 50, on the day’s biggest climb, Menso de Jong and Clark set off the fireworks.

Their efforts shed more than half the group, with notables including Cody Kaiser and CXM contributor Tim McBirney falling off the pace, eventually leaving only Ortenblad, Decker and Sandy Floren to follow the two aggressors. Floren was dropped on the descent, and the final four was formed.

A Decisive Final Climb

The four stayed together for the next 40 miles, but as they neared the final climb, Ortenblad studied his competition.

Decker and De Jong were already sounding the alarm they were cooked, but Ortenblad was wary.

“I know they’re not feeling it only once they are dropped,” Ortenblad admitted. Could they be playing possum?

Clark however, wasn’t playing any games. He kept powering away until it was clear Decker and De Jong weren’t bluffing. Suddenly there were just two.

The mountains of the Lost Sierra proved decisive for pros and amateurs alike. © Cyclocross Magazine

“I was sitting on Anthony, as he seemed like he was content just to go hard, but I knew I had to make something happen on that [final] climb,” Ortenblad recalled. “Anthony was just rolling hard all day. The guy is just going so good.”

With just the two top-level cyclocross racers left, and four miles to the finish, the leaders were back in their autumn comfort zone and were thinking about the minutes, not hours, left to race. It was the bell lap and time for a decisive attack.

“It went super steep, then flattened out, then steep again and then there was just a little lull, and [Clark] hesitated and I just went,” Ortenblad recalled. “I knew it was about a minute and a half or two minutes to the top, and I knew I could probably roll that to the finish. That was it.”

The years of experience had paid off. “I think I raced smarter,” Ortenblad explained about his different approach and result compared to 2017. “I didn’t sit in, and if you flick me through, I won’t skip a pull, but if you’re just going to sit on the front, I’m not going to try to ride two-up with you.”

The 2015 winner Tobin Ortenblad returned to the top step of the podium at the 2018 Lost and Found gravel race, over Anthony Clark and Carl Decker. © Cyclocross Magazine

“I was putting a lot of pressure on myself because I really wanted to win it,” Ortenblad told Cyclocross Magazine with a smile after his fifth Lost and Found finish.

For the second year in a row, Ortenblad used that self-imposed pressure to show he was the strongest guy in the race.

Only this year, he proved it at the end.

See the 2018 Lost and Found Pro Women’s Race Results and Report here.

2018 Lost and Found Men’s Race Notes:

1. Menso De Jong, third place at last year’s Dirty Kanza, opted for West Coast gravel this year and finished fourth, while Geoff Kabush, second last year at the Lost and Found, switched places with De Jong and took his third place at the 2018 Dirty Kanza.
2. Ortenblad raced one of the Santa Cruz Stigmata cyclocross bikes he race in Europe, equipped with a Quarq power meter but didn’t look at it much because he said he didn’t “dictate the pace on the climbs” but would glance at it during pulls to make sure he wasn’t “going crazy.”
3. Ortenblad received advice to run narrow, 33mm file treads, but raced his Vittoria Terreno Mix 40mm tubeless tires, at 32 psi front and 33 psi rear. Stay tuned for a profile of his winning machine.
4. The course changed for the third straight year, and Chris McGovern, the race’s co-founder, believes the promoters will continue to mix in changes each year to keep the experience fresh.

2018 Lost and Found Pro Men's Results - 100 Mile

The post 2018 Lost and Found Gravel Race – Pro Men 100 Mile Results, Report appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

Our coverage of the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 is brought to you in part by Panaracer. Check out its line of gravel tires for your next adventure.

They say the June weather on the Kansas plains can be unforgiving, and on Saturday Mother Nature obliged in making that true. The 2,000+ riders getting ready to tackle the Dirty Kanza awoke to strong winds blowing through Emporia and lightning lighting up the surrounding Flint Hills. Many riders who drove in for the race had their cars and bikes pelted by hail as they made their way to Emporia. All is fair in love and gravel racing, after all.

As early risers staked out prime starting spots, rain began to fall, and as they all scrambled for cover, organizers announced a 30-minute rain delay. Riders likely welcomed the brief respite from the Kansas heat while preparing for what the rains could do to make the 206-mile Dirty Kanza course even more challenging.

Rain and lightning caused a 30-minute delay and sent riders scrambling for cover. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

This year’s event was the biggest yet for an event that bills itself as “the premier gravel grinder”—a claim only the brave in the gravel scene would argue with. The Women’s field featured an impressive group of talent with its share of story lines to build the pre-race hype.

Last year, gravel newbie Alison Tetrick beat two-time champion Amanda Nauman in a sprint finish to take the crown as 2017 Queen of Dirty Kanza. Tetrick received the last call-up alongside fellow 2017 winner Mat Stephens as one of the two riders given the honor of leading the Dirty Kanza 200 field out into the Flint Hills. Nauman was right behind her ready to claim her third win at the famed gravel event.

Joining the two recent winners was Kaitie Keough, whom we last saw finishing sixth at Cyclocross Worlds in Valkenburg. Keough chose the event as a summer challenge and immediately put herself in the conversation of potential winners. Land Run 100 runner-up Kae Takeshita also joined the front line to join the 206-mile gravel grind to come.

Alison Tetrick gets ready to lead the Dirty Kanza 200 field into the Flint Hills. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

After the 30-minute wait, race director Jim Cummins counted down the start, and the massive field took off south down Commercial Street toward the 206 miles of unforgiving Flint Hills gravel that would decide the day’s affairs over the next 12 hours.

The winner would have to earn it. After the race, Tetrick commented on the conditions. “It was a battle of attrition with the elements, wind, mud, dust storms, you name it. I think I said this morning, it’s like lions, tigers, bears, wind, rain, oh my. I literally saw a tree down on the course that was hit by lightning and still smoldering. It was an eventful day out there.”

Rolling the Dice Early On

If the early morning rain and lightning show affected the riders at all, it was because of an early course change. “It only threw us because they did a re-route and didn’t tell us about that,” Nauman said. “They said, ‘Just keep going straight,’ and we were all like, are they messing with us? Everybody was kind of all over the place, but if all of us went straight, then we’re all in trouble.”

Once the course was in order, it was on to the race, which was a bit muddy in the quarter of the course. Not 2015 muddy, but the grit showed on many riders’ faces as they hit the route’s first big climb.

The biggest challenge for any rider with hopes of a good finish at a mass start gravel event is deciding how long to stay with the lead group. As Nauman pointed out when we spoke earlier this year, the upside of staying with the Ted Kings of the world is a nice early lead on anyone who cannot stay with the group. On Satuday, her words proved true, as the lead group of about 50 riders already had a decent lead on the first chasers 25 miles into the race. The downside, as Nauman noted after the Belgian Waffle Ride, is the potential damage from holding a high pace in the first quarter or half of a 200-mile bike race.

The large lead group rips down a descent at mile 25. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Early on, Keough and Tetrick joined the lead group, while Nauman followed close behind. The race was not Nauman’s first DK200 rodeo and she is one of the best at pacing long efforts, so she showed little concern when she pulled into Checkpoint 1 two minutes behind the lead group that included Keough and Tetrick.

“I like to roll the dice a little,” Tetrick said about her fast start. “I should learn from experience that it doesn’t always work, but I like to go hard and suffer a little bit and see what happens. The deck kept getting reshuffled and made it an exciting day.”

The Dirty Kanza course features anywhere between 8,000 and 9,000 feet of climbing, depending on the source, and a good chunk of it is concentrated in a 25-mile stretch after Checkpoint 1 where riders go up two big climbs between miles 65 and 75. The two climbs helped break up the lead group, with about 20 riders surviving the split. Keough made the first chase, while Tetrick, Takeshita and Nauman followed one-by-one behind her.

Kaitie Keough joined the first chase group after the lead pack broke up on the climbs. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

An attack by King (more on that in the Men’s report) shattered what was left of the lead group shortly before Checkpoint 2 in Eureka, and with 100 miles to go, riders were largely left to fend for themselves.

Riding got lonely at times after groups started to break up. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

“There wasn’t really any plan,” Keough said about the first 100 miles of her race. “My only plan was to ride within myself and see how long we could stay with the good guys because they kind of just pull you along. I stayed with them until just after the first checkpoint and then I got into the second chase group. Then after that it was just kind of riding with Luke, by ourselves basically.”

Halfway into the race, Keough was sitting in the best position. She pulled into Checkpoint 2 in Eureka with an 11-minute advantage on Tetrick and 13 minutes on Nauman and Takeshita. However, broken podium dreams litter the last 100 miles of the Dirty Kanza course, so there was plenty of racing to go.

Amanda Nauman paced herself early on to set up for the last 100 miles of the course. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

I Listen to the Wind for 85 Miles

Pre-race forecasts were certainly ominous for riders tackling the DK200. Not because of the rain, which was a bit of surprise, but because of the strong winds predicted to gust out of the north. The Dirty Kanza course generally runs 100 miles south to Eureka and then 100 miles back north to Emporia. North winds meant nearly 100 miles of riding into a soul-sucking headwind. Unfortunately for the riders, the weather person’s prognostications came true on Saturday.

“It sucked,” Keough said about the headwind. “Every time we went into a headwind it was the longest stretch of road and completely straight. Five miles, four miles, three miles, five miles. It was like, ugghhhhh. But we got through it.”

After leaving Checkpoint 2, Keough teamed up with her husband and United Health Care rider Luke Keough and headed into the stiff headwind. Nauman, Tetrick and Takeshita also found small groups to ride with as they looked to battle back toward the front.

Kaitie Keough embarks on her grind into the last 100 miles of headwind. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

With the biggest climbs concentrated in the first half of the course, one of the most interesting course features in the second half was a shallow mile 130 crossing of Walnut Creek at Rocky Ford. Nauman took over second from Tetrick shortly before the crossing and after she made it through, she was only five minutes behind the leader Keough.

Kaitie and Luke Keough didn’t lose too much time after Luke took a spill at the creek crossing. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

However, as Nauman commented after the race, that five-minute gap would be the closest her or Tetrick got to the leader.

“I came around the corner and literally the wheels came off the bus right after that,” Nauman said about the creek crossing. “I was like, There’s no way I am going to catch her. I was just soft pedaling and needed to take a break.”

Alison Tetrick crosses Rocky Ford 130 miles into the race. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

When Keough pulled into Checkpoint 3 in Madison alongside Luke, her lead was 12 minutes on Tetrick with 50 miles to go. Still, the last quarter of the race featured a long, straight slog into the headwind, and as so many riders find out at every Dirty Kanza, the gravel gods in the Flint Hills do not discriminate, whether a rider is the race leader, someone racing the sun or an athlete just hoping to finish the 206-mile trial of endurance and grit.

Keough rode the last 50 miles clean and hit the finishing stretch of welcome Commercial Street pavement to soak in the cheers of the hundreds of fans and riders assembled at the barriers. Her Cannondale team and supporters provided a welcome champagne shower as she crossed the line in a little over 12 hours to take the crown as the 2018 Queen of Dirty Kanza.

Luke Keough helps Kaitie celebrate her Dirty Kanza 200 win. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

“It was everything I heard about and more,” Keough said about the experience and her win. “I definitely couldn’t have imagined anything like it. It was really crazy.”

Kaitie Keough talks with a young fan after her win. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The last 100 miles turned into a game of leapfrog, of sorts, for the two women who battled for the 2017 crown. Tetrick re-gained second position by Checkpoint 3, then Nauman went ahead, then Tetrick. Nauman took over second for good in the race’s waning miles and came across the line in 12:28 to take home her second straight DK200 silver. Tetrick finished third, less than three minutes behind Nauman. Takeshita followed close behind Tetrick to take fourth and Kaysee Armstrong rounded out the wide-angle podium in fifth.

“I was calling it a little bit of a cramp-a-thon between us,” Tetrick said about the race finish. “Just as I had settled for second, I had a little mechanical and Amanda passed me on the road. It was like, well, it is what it is.”

Alison Tetrick and Amanda Nauman share a laugh after their race. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

See below for top 20 results. Full results are also available. (We are working on the formatting for publishing full results here.)

Stay tuned for the Men’s race report. For more from Emporia, see all our 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 coverage.

Women's Top 20: 2018 Dirty Kanza 200

The post Kaitie Keough Crowned 2018 Queen of Dirty Kanza – Report, Results, Photos appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

Our coverage of the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 is brought to you in part by Panaracer. Check out its line of gravel tires for your next adventure.

With riders expecting fireworks from the impressive international field gathering at the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200, Mother Nature got a head start on Saturday morning. Riders awoke to gusting winds and lightning in the surrounding Flint Hills. Event organizers delayed the start by 30 minutes after rain arrived in Emporia, but the wait to start was only temporary.

The Dirty Kanza 200 has grown each year since its inception in 2006, and in 2018, the race had arguably its most impressive field yet. Our Women’s race report covered some of the big names at the start line in Emporia, and the Men’s race added even more names to the mix.

Defending champion Mat Stephens has been on a roll since winning the race last year, and 2016 winner Ted King was back looking for his second win after a flat-marred 2017. A group of Canadians led by Geoff Kabush politely threw their hats into the ring, and the field got a true international flavor thanks to Sven Nys and Jens Voigt.

Sven Nys and Jens Voigt wait to tackle their first Dirty Kanza 200. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The pre-race hype also included chatter about, of all things, aero bars. Last year, Mat Stephens turned some heads by using aero bars to help him to his King of Dirty Kanza title. In the days leading up to Saturday’s race, Kabush stirred the pot by saying he wouldn’t do work for anyone with aero bars. Kabush’s comments provided some fodder for the cycling commentariat, but the aero bar influence was hard to miss in Emporia, as riders at both the pro and amateur level opted for them to deal with the wind.

Riders wait for the start of the Dirty Kanza 200 after a 30-minute rain delay. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

After the 30 minutes delay, Stephens received the last call-up and joined Alison Tetrick in receiving the honor of leading the 1,000+ rider field down Commercial Street and out onto the Flint Hills gravel roads. After a small re-route thanks to the early morning rains, riders were off for 206 miles of gravel racing.

The Heavy Hitters Feel Each Other Out

With a field filled with heavy hitters, the big names were reluctant to do too much work early on. A Friday conversation at the Gravel Expo summed up the feelings in the field pretty well. “My plan is to sit in and not do any work,” one unnamed rider said. “Dude, like 50 other people have said that,” replied another.

The early miles of the course featured some mud and grit thanks to the early morning rains, but nothing like what riders had to contend with in 2015. One early victim was Sven Nys, who suffered a flat early on and had to chase almost from the start. Last year’s runner-up Jake Wells also fell victim to a flat and had his podium challenge marred early on.

Josh Berry had a good plan for dealing with the mud. “Luckily the last time I did an interview with Cyclocross Magazine it was in Belgium racing World Cups,” he joked. “I found Sven Nys and followed him through all the mud until there was more of a climb. He had a flat, and I’ve always looked up to Geoff Kabush, he was third today, so I stayed with him until he flatted. He’ll remember I was screaming ‘Nooooooo,’ because I wanted him up there.”

Sven Nys had his podium run deflated by flats early on. He was left to chase with the Trek camera crew in tow. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

A large group of 50ish riders held together until Checkpoint 1. The first quarter of the course featured one climb, but the stretch from mile 50 to 75 packed in several climbs, including two bigger ones that made their mark on the lead group.

Riders snake their way through the Flint Hills as assembled fans watch on. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The two climbs whittled the field down from about 50 to just 22 survivors at the front. Many of the others joined a chase contingent looking to make contact again. With King, former road pro Josh Berry, Stephens and others setting a fast pace at the front, their task was not an easy one.

After the two big climbs between miles 65 and 75, the lead group shrunk to about 20. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

In the miles leading up to Checkpoint 2, King put in what he called a “dummy attack,” to mix things up in the lead group. The move worked, and when the leaders Eureka, the lead group was down to 10 riders.

King and Berry Break Free

Moving quickly through the checkpoints is an important part of Dirty Kanza success. Riders need to find their crew, restock supplies, deal with any bike issues and get back out on the course at the same time as the groups they enter with. Long checkpoint stops can force riders to burn matches chasing back to their groups or even worse, leave them dropped.

A small group of riders sped through Checkpoint 2 in Eureka and used the quick stop to their advantage. After leaving town, Berry mixed things up. “I was happy to really make an effort after the second feed zone to make it happen,” Berry said. “There was plenty of time to go, but there was really nowhere to go to be out of the wind. I was pretty much by myself, and then I looked back and Ted was coming across by himself and that was the perfect situation.”

A few miles outside town King and Berry, along with Dylan Johnson, had a gap on a chase group of four that included Joseph Schmalz, Stephens, Kabush and Taylor Lideen.

Berry, King and Johnson had a lead after leaving Checkpoint 2. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

After making the turn at Eureka to head back north to Emporia, riders faced a soul-crushing headwind for nearly all the second half of the 206-mile course. Throw in the sharp Flint Hills gravel, and anything could happen before riders returned to Emporia. The gravel gods can be cruel, after all.

The next 20 miles before the crossing of Walnut Creek at Rocky Ford shed Johnson from the lead group and left King and Berry as the two DK200 survivors at the front of the race.

“I got caught about a mile before the feed and at that point, there were maybe ten left,” King said about the key miles of the race. “My pit crew was outstanding, and I was in and out like that. Then we were five. Then within two or three miles we were three, and then a few miles after that it was just me and Josh Berry.”

Ted King asks for directions at the Rocky Ford. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

King scouted the exit route when the duo reached the shallow crossing, and Berry stayed on his bike and plowed through the water. He gained no advantage from the move and the two exited the creek valley together again.

Josh Berry rode, Ted King walked, but the two left the creek crossing together. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The chase that survived miles 110 to 130 was, in a piece of delicious aero bar irony, Stephens, Kabush and Ian Tubbs. While folks at home tapped away on Twitter, the two had plenty of time to discuss gravel race bike setup as this chase group of three would last all the way into downtown Emporia.

Geoff Kabush and Mat Stephens rode together after Kabush expressed his anti-aero-bar opinions in the week leading up to the race. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Berry stuck with King into Checkpoint 3 in Madison, where the two held an 11-minute advantage on the chasers. After leaving the town square, the last quarter of the race belonged to King. With no flats slowing him down, the former winner was determined to be crowned King Kanza yet again.

Ted King exits Checkpoint 3, which he entered with Josh Berry. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

King dropped Berry outside Madison and then used his aero-bar-equipped bike to plow solo on the long northbound slogs into the strong headwind.

“I had aero bars on the bike, which was certainly helpful,” King said about the headwind drag. “I was cutting through the wind pretty good. I was able to take longer pulls because of how efficient the bike was.”

The now two-time champion soaked in the applause of the fans gathered at the barriers on Commercial street and came across the line to a celebratory champagne shower. His finishing time of 10:42:22 set a new average speed record on the course at 19.2 mph.

King was philosophical about his win. “You know what somebody told me?” he asked. “65 years ago today, the Queen of England was queened, so what better way to king Kanza than King Kanza?”

Ted King won his second DK200 at the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Cyclocross Magazine

Berry finished second in his first Dirty Kanza 200. Stephens, Kabush and Tubbs stayed together all the way to the finishing stretch of Commercial Street, with Kabush taking the sprint for third. Tubbs took fourth and Stephens fifth.

Ted King adds his finisher signature after his second DK200 win. He signed it “Dirtiest Kanza Yet.” 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The top 20 Men’s finishers are below. Full results are also available online. (We are working on making the formatting compatible with our site for full results)

For more from Kansas, see our full coverage of the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200.

Race director Jim Cummins congratulates Geoff Kabush after his third-place finish. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Men's Top 20: 2018 Dirty Kanza 200

The post Long Live the King: Ted King is Back on Top at 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 – Report, Photos appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

Our coverage of the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 is brought to you in part by Panaracer. Check out its line of gravel tires for your next adventure.

Hear from the podium finishers in our post-race interviews below. For more on the race, see our Women’s Dirty Kanza 200 race report.

Kaitie Keough: 2018 DK200 Winner

Amanda Nauman: 2018 DK200 Second Place

Alison Tetrick: 2018 DK200 Third Place

For more from Kansas, see all our 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 coverage.

The post Women’s Podium Interviews: 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Race appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

Our coverage of the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 is brought to you in part by Panaracer. Check out its line of gravel tires for your next adventure.

As the Dirty Kanza 200 has grown in popularity, so has the quality of the field. This year’s race brought out an international group of heavy hitters to vie for the crown of King of Dirty Kanza.

After the early rain and mud and then dust settled, Ted King was back on top at the DK200. King added a second win to add to his 2016 crown. Josh Berry rode with King a good 50 miles after Checkpoint 2 before settling for second, and Geoff Kabush won a three-man sprint to take third at the end of the 206-mile race.

We chatted with the three podium finishers in the interviews below. For the full story’s of Saturday’s Men’s race, see our DK200 race report.

Ted King: 2018 DK200 Winner

Josh Berry: 2018 DK200 Second Place

Geoff Kabush: 2018 DK200 Third Place

The post Men’s Podium Interviews: 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Race – Video appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

During an event filled with spectacular scenery and beauty, there are only a few sights that you never want to see.

One is of medics racing down a gravel road with sirens blaring and lights flashing.

A medic SUV raced down the road at the 2018 Lost and Found gravel ride to assist with the fallen racer. The flashing lights are barely visible in the cloud of dust.

Another is of a fellow racer on a stretcher.

On Saturday, we saw both as the unthinkable happened at the fifth edition of the Lost and Found gravel ride in California’s Lost Sierra.

We lost a fellow cyclist.

Our deepest condolences go out to the rider’s family and loved ones, and all those impacted by this tragic event. Words cannot express our sympathy and the gratitude we will have for every future pedal stroke we’ll take.

On Sunday, we reached out the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship in attempt to clarify the rumors spreading about the accident, and Jesse Passafiume, the President of the Board, kindly responded and alerted us to an upcoming press release, which we now have below.

Passafiume acknowledged details of the accident in the press release are vague out of respect for the privacy of the family.

Stay tuned for any updates on this breaking story.

Update: We have come to learn via a Northern California Nevada Cycling Association Facebook post the identity of the fallen rider is 70-year-old Mike Shaw, a winner of the Wente Vineyards Classic Road Race this past April.

R.I.P. Mike Shaw.  

Portola, Calif. – It is with a heavy heart that the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship team announces that one of our tribe, a member of the Hammer Nutrition Team, passed away while participating in the Lost & Found Gravel Grinder at Lake Davis, California on June 2, 2018. The Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, on behalf of its staff, volunteers, and event participants sends our deepest condolences and best wishes to his family, friends and teammates.

We sincerely thank the entire partnership team of first responders and volunteers that were in place and took action during Lost & Found, including Beckworth Fire District, Eastern Plumas Rural Fire District, PHI Air Ambulance, Plumas County Sheriff, and the Plumas Amateur Radio Club.

For the last 25 years, the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship team has hosted events in Sierra and Plumas counties that showcase the Lost Sierra. We endeavor to provide fun, family-friendly, and memorable events for everyone who participates; from riders, to spectators, to our volunteers. There are no words to express how much the passing of one of our tribe members affects us all.

The post Tragedy Strikes the Lost and Found Gravel Race – Updated appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

Our coverage of the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 is brought to you in part by Panaracer. Check out its line of gravel tires for your next adventure.

When he is not managing the Telenet-Fidea cyclocross team, Sven Nys has stayed busy in his retirement putting on a good show for cycling fans. He raced the 2016  SSCXWC as Stan Nice, and then last year, he jumped in a Cat 4 race in Chicago and showed that he, one of the sport’s all-time greats, still has it.

Single speed ’cross and riding stairs are pretty familiar for the cyclocross legend, but this year, Nys decided to take on a challenge that is a bit more out of his comfort zone. Last month, we broke the news that Nys (aka Stanley Nice of Waterloo) would be toeing the start line at the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200, and over the weekend, his gravel racing début finally arrived.

Nys still puts the hurt on his young team from time to time and cyclocross stars have had no problem with gravel success, so when folks were not chattering about aero bars, they also spent some time speculating on whether Nys could ride into the top ten against a field of heavy hitters. Fans only had to wait until Saturday for 206 miles of Flint Hills gravel to help tell the story.

Sven Nys and Jens Voigt wait to tackle their first Dirty Kanza 200. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Although Nys has accomplished things such as “winning World Championships” and becoming mega-celebrity in Belgium, in Emporia, he was still a Dirty Kanza rookie like many of his fellow competitors. “This was the first time. I’ve ridden a few gravel sections in Belgium, but not in a race like this,” he said about his previous gravel experience.

How did Nys end up in Emporia? For him, it was pretty simple. “We have a new bike and we want to promote it,” the Trek-sponsored athlete said. “If you want to promote a new gravel bike then you need to come to the Dirty Kanza. That’s normal. I said okay, I want to do it together with Jens. It’s been an unbelievable adventure. Respect to all the riders who are starting and finishing this race.”

The new bike he was riding was Trek’s new Checkpoint gravel bike. Trek provided Nys with a white Checkpoint with custom paint done by Trek’s David Cestelli.

Sven Nys’ DK200 Trek Checkpoint gravel bike. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

An Ominous Start for Nys

Nys’ Dirty Kanza adventure got off to a rough start. Nys has been busy with his team and other commitments in Belgium, so he cut it relatively close with his travel plans. Many other athletes spend months dialing in the perfect plan to succeed at the DK200, so Nys was trying to do things a bit differently.

The Belgian legend planned on arriving in Kansas City on Wednesday to give himself a few days to adjust to the time change. Unfortunately, factors out of his control crunched his travel schedule. “It was not easy to come here because I traveled for 40 hours due to an emergency landing,” Nys said. “The pilot got sick and the plane turned to Ireland. I waited there for one day longer and then came here. It was Thursday evening when I arrived, so I have pretty bad jet lag too.”

Despite arriving in Kansas City on Thursday evening, as one would expect from someone who has completely embraced his role as an ambassador for the sport and his Trek sponsors, Nys was still seen at the Gravel Expo in downtown Emporia talking to fans and posing for pictures.

Still, as U.S. cyclocrossers experience when they head to Europe to race, the time change can take a huge toll on performance, and that’s just for one hour of racing. In a way, Nys would have to be superman to survive the grueling Dirty Kanza trial of grit, endurance and suffering.

Sven’s Race Day

As covered in our race reports, Saturday morning started ominously with lightning outside town and rains that started around 5:30 a.m., just 30 minutes before the scheduled start. After a 30-minute rain delay, Nys and his riding partner Jens Voigt were at the starting line. Voigt also jumped in the Legends race at the Trek CX Cup last fall, so he also knows a thing or two about putting on a show for his fans.

Although Nys registered for the event as Stanley Nice and Voigt as Jon Vogt, the two retired stars both received call-ups under their real names along with the other big cycling stars at the event. Nys lined up next to 2016 DK200 winner Ted King, and the two headed out onto the course along with over 1,000 fellow gravel grinders.

Nys lined up next to gravel legends Neil Shirley and Ted King at the start line in Emporia. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The Dirty Kanza is legend for its unforgiving nature. Rough gravel, sharp rocks, blazing temps, mercurial weather, all of it makes the 206-mile challenge that much more difficult. Many a DK200 podium dream has been shattered by flats or the oppressive heat.

Nys started the race at the front, providing a trusty wheel to follow for other riders who recognized his cyclocross skills. Eventual second-place finisher Josh Berry said he followed Nys’ wheel early in the race as the large lead group dealt with the hilly terrain early in the race.

Clemens Kyllmann went home with a good story after riding Nys’ wheel for a spell. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Unfortunately for Nys, he experienced the wrath of the Kanza gods early on. He flatted not once, but twice, and when he reached the first checkpoint, he was already 10 minutes behind the lead group. “I just had bad luck a couple times on the road really fast after each other,” he said about the flats. “That was in the beginning of the race, and then you need to push a little bit and that cost me later in the race.”

A consummate competitor, Nys stuck with it and set out solo to chase down the leaders. If he had a companion, it was the Trek film crew that was in Kansas to document his gravel adventure and the occasional rider who went home with a good story.

Sven Nys had his podium run deflated by flats early on. He was left to chase with the Trek camera crew in tow. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Nys made it to the second checkpoint at mile 100 in Eureka as the toll of jet lag and a pre-race diet not exactly dialed in for success started to take its toll. Nys stuck with the chase through mile 75, but then succombed to the combination of his travels and Kanza’s ruthlessness. As great as he is, Nys was not superman on Saturday, and he abandoned the race due to stomach issues caused by his crazy travel schedule.

After returning to Emporia, Nys was still in good spirits when I ran into him at Checkpoint 3 in Madison. He stayed at the Trek tent to chat with nearby fans and cheer on Voigt, who was still giving the Dirty Kanza gravel everything he had. Voigt rode with the lead group through the big climb near mile 65, and then gutted through the next 140 miles with his trademark good cheer that belied the suffering he was no doubt experiencing.

Jens Voigt was all business when he hit the first checkpoint with the lead group. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Nys Talks Gravel

Despite the unfortunate end to his race, Nys was very positive about his U.S. gravel experience. “It’s the same atmosphere [as U.S. cyclocross],” he said. “People who love the sport who are a little bit insane and crazy about all new details. The new bikes, the new materials. It’s really cool to come over here again. If you’ve seen how popular gravel has become the last few years, it’s crazy.”

He also expressed his respect for the other riders. “What you see is all the riders motivate each other,” Nys said. “It’s a big event. It’s a big adventure, and it’s not easy to finish this race. If you have a problem, if you’re sitting there with cramps and you have a bad day, everyone asks if they can help you. That’s really nice.”

Nys was still in good spirits after being forced to withdraw from the DK200 because of issues related to jet lag. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

I finished up our conversation by asking what seemed an obvious question: Would there be more gravel in his future?

“Yeah maybe there’s another gravel race coming,” he replied. “We’ll see. For the moment I have a busy schedule in Belgium with the team. I’m going to the Tour de France to commentate some stages. Maybe we can do it a little later. I’ll be back in the U.S. at Trek in August and then of course for the World Cups in September.”

For now, we will look for Nys’ voice during the Tour next month and behind the barriers coaching his Telenet-Fidea team at the Waterloo and Jingle Cross World Cups this fall. And who knows, after his positive experience at the Dirty Kanza, maybe the January 1 GP Sven Nys will include a pre-race gravel fondo.

Stay tuned for a profile of Nys’ DK200 Trek Checkpoint. For more from Kansas, see all of our Dirty Kanza 200 coverage.

The post Sven Nys’ Date with the Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Gods appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

[caption id="attachment_119903" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Dillon’s (left) day job is with apparel brand Velocio. All employees and ambassadors wore a white jersey, to show the dirt better. Velocio athletes Ted King and Josh Berry also went 1-2 at the Dirty Kanza 200.[/caption]

While cyclocross might not be Dillon’s cup of tea, gravel racing clearly is. She came to the 2018 event hoping to continue improving, after finishing third in her 2016 Lost and Found debut and climbing up one podium step in 2017. She accomplished her mission by beating out defending champ Katerina Nash to win the Pro Women’s category at the fifth annual Lost and Found 100-mile gravel race.

Dillon and Nash battled each other, the tough terrain and stubborn tubeless flats, and in the end, Dillon won by more than seven minutes, but it didn’t come without some flat-tire stress. “We had 15 miles to go,” she said. “It was on the gravel section, so I just pulled to the side and did CO2, and on the headwind road section it was down again.” With help from a Cyclesport rider, Dillon plugged a gash in her sidewall and limped along, eventually finishing after another round of CO2. “I just wanted to get to the finish,” she admitted.

The plugged tire and a Specialized S-Works Diverge carried Dillon to the finish. The redesigned Diverge features new geometry and adds the Future Shock suspension system from the endurance Roubaix road model. Unlike the system on the Roubaix, the Diverge Future Shock features a progressive main spring to prevent harsh bottoming out on rough terrain.

“My Diverge is freaking amazing,” Dillon said about her bike after the race. Read on for a profile of Dillon’s “freaking amazing” Lost-and-Found-winning S-Works Diverge gravel bike.

[caption id="attachment_119893" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Olivia Dillon’s 2018 Lost-and-Found-winning Specialized S-Works Diverge gravel bike.[/caption]

Olivia Dillon’s Lost and Found S-Works Diverge

Dillon stuck with the stock Diverge configuration for much of her setup. Her bike had a Shimano Di2 drivetrain with hydraulic disc brakes, Roval carbon wheels, Specialized’s SWAT storage system and a carbon handlebar.

[caption id="attachment_119899" align="aligncenter" width="750"] The Diverge is SWAT compatible. The road version of the SWAT Box attaches to the main triangle with a third bottle bolt and offers storage for CO2, a multi-tool and a spare tube. Olivia Dillon’s 2018 Lost and Found S-Works Diverge.[/caption]

Dillon’s transmission was the stock Di2 setup, which featured a Shimano XTR M9050 rear derailleur and an Easton EC90 SL single ring crankset. Until recently a Di2 mountain derailleur was the only official way to run a clutch 1x system with Shimano, but now there are XT and RX rear derailleur options.

[caption id="attachment_119898" align="aligncenter" width="750"] An XTR M9050 rear derailleur used to be the only Shimano clutch derailleur that was natively compatible with road drivetrains, but now there are XT and RX options. Olivia Dillon’s 2018 Lost and Found S-Works Diverge.[/caption]

Dillon’s shift/brake levers were Shimano RS-785, which some cyclocross racers favor over the newer R8070 and R9170 units due to their more substantial hood design. Dillon modulated her speed while bombing down the Lost Sierra mountains with the Shimano RS805 hydraulic calipers and Shimano XT RT-99 160mm CenterLock rotors.

The Diverge comes standard with a 42t Easton direct mount Cinch chain ring and 11-40t XTR cassette, but Dillon reversed this setup, using a 40t chainring and 11-42t cassette for the long climbs at Lost and Found.

Interestingly, the big S chose to diverge (no pun intended) from its longtime use of narrow format press fit bottom brackets in favor of a BB386 EVO shell. With the rest of its road catalog still using predominantly BB30 or BSA systems, one can only assume that the company picked the wider stance to increase tire clearance, which is claimed at a max of 700c x 42mm. It’s not the first time we’ve seen designers pick 86mm shells to maximize tire and mud clearance.

The only other major change from the stock setup was Dillon’s seatpost. She subbed the standard dropper post for Specialized’s CG-R leaf spring option and mounted a Specialized Power saddle with carbon rails in place of the stock S-Works Phenom.

[caption id="attachment_119896" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Dillon subbed the stock Command Post dropper for a CG-R leaf spring seatpost in an effort to increase seated comfort. Olivia Dillon’s 2018 Lost and Found S-Works Diverge.[/caption]

Rounding out her cockpit were an S-Works alloy stem and S-Works carbon Hover Bar, which offers 15mm of rise.

Despite her flat tire, Dillon said her Specialized Trigger Pro 2Bliss tires at 30 psi were perfect. She set the tires up tubeless on Roval CLX 32 wheels which feature DT240 internals, Ceramic speed bearings, and a Win-Tunnel-designed 32mm-deep tubeless ready rim.

[caption id="attachment_119897" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Dillon said the Trigger Pro 2Bliss tires were perfect, despite her flat tire via a cut sidewall. Olivia Dillon’s 2018 Lost and Found S-Works Diverge.[/caption]

With a Lost and Found victory in her Velocio pocket, Dillon is not resting on her laurels. She is targeting the Epic Rides Off-Road Carson City mountain bike race and then the Grinduro and (tentatively) Crusher in the Tushar gravel races as she continues her second career as a gravel grinder.

See the specs and photo gallery for more on Dillon’s bike. For more Cali gravel coverage, see our 2018 Lost and Found archives.

Olivia Dillon’s Lost and Found S-Works Diverge Gravel Bike

Frame: Specialized S-Works Diverge, FACT 11r carbon, flat mount disc brake, tapered head tube, Future Shock 20mm progressive front suspension, 12x142mm dropouts
Fork: S-Works FACT carbon, flat mount disc brake, tapered steerer, 12x100mm dropout, Future Shock compatible
Shift/Brake Levers: Shimano ST-RS785 Di2
Brake Caliper: Shimano BR-RS805
Rotors: Shimano RT-99, CenterLock, 160mm front, 160mm rear
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XTR Di2 RD-M9050
Crankset: Easton EC90 SL
Chain Ring: Easton Cinch direct mount, 40t
Cassette: Shimano 11-40t
Stem: S-Works, alloy with Ti hardware
Handlebar: Carbon S-Works Hover Bar, 15mm rise
Seatpost: S-Works CG-R, carbon leaf spring with 18mm compression
Pedals: Shimano XT PD-M8000
Wheels: Roval CLX 32, carbon, tubeless ready, 32mm deep
Tires: Specialized Trigger Pro 2Bliss ready, 700c x 38mm
More Info: specialized.com

Photo Gallery: Olivia Dillon’s S-Works Diverge

Olivia Dillon’s 2018 Lost-and-Found-winning Specialized S-Works Diverge gravel bike.

The post Gravel Bike Profile: Olivia Dillon’s Winning Lost and Found S-Works Diverge appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

The Lost and Found gravel race held in California over the weekend has teamed up with the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and four custom frame builders to host a raffle to support trail building in the region. Learn more about the raffle and how to enter in this release. We will provide a look at each of the four bikes between now and when ticket sales closes on Friday, June 15.

Today, we have info about the raffle and a look at the 54cm titanium Mosaic GT-1 gravel bike.

Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and the Lost and Found bike ride are excited to announce a custom bike raffle benefitiing the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship.

Custom frame makers Sklar, Stinner, Mosaic, and McGovern have teamed up with world-class component makers ENVE, Chris King, SRAM and WTB to create four unique and beautiful custom bicycles that will be raffled off, with all proceeds benefitting the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship.

[caption id="attachment_119879" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Four custom bikes from four builders are being raffled off to raise money for trail stewardship. photo: courtesy[/caption]

The four bikes are (with links to ones we have previously looked at):

• Carbon McGovern Cross Plus – 56cm
• Titanium Mosaic GT-1 – 54cm
• Steel Sklar All-Road – 57.5cm
• Steel Stinner Refugio – 56cm

Each bike comes in the size indicated above.

Raffle tickets are available for purchase through Friday June, 15. To purchase a ticket for the bike or bikes of your choice, visit the raffle page on theproscloset.com.

[caption id="attachment_119935" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Mosaic Bespoke Bicycles’ titanium GT-1 up for grabs via the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship raffle. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

See the slideshow below for a closer look at the Mosaic GT-1 gravel bike.

About Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship

Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is a non-profit organization that builds and maintains multi-use trails in the Sierra Buttes, Tahoe, Plumas and Lassen national forests.  Their mission is building sustainable recreation-based communities through stewardship, job creation and hosting world-class events. SBTS has donated an estimated 72,000 hours of volunteer labor, maintained over 800 miles of shared use trails and created nearly 80 miles of new trails since 2003.

“While these are showroom worthy bicycles, they truly shine when they are being ridden,” said Billy Sinkford of media relations partner ECHOS Communications. “These builders all came together wanting to support local trail builders who are stewards of the land and the local community. The work being done by SBTS exemplifies the time, dedication and craftsmanship that is on display.”

Hosted in the wide-open and high North Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Lost and Found Gravel Grinder and Bike Ride is a grand adventure featuring the perfect blend of pavement, dirt road, gravel road and historic railroad grade. The four bikes were exhibited at the Lost and Found gravel race and the raffle will be live from June 2nd through June 15th, hosted by The Pro’s Closet. All donations and raffle ticket purchases are tax deductible.

Photo Gallery: Titanium Mosaic GT-1

Mosaic Bespoke Bicycles’ titanium GT-1 up for grabs via the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship raffle. © Cyclocross Magazine

The post Builders for Builders Trail Stewardship Raffle: Titanium Mosaic GT-1 appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

The mix of current and former pros enjoyed the laid back gravel vibe on Friday, mixing in a game of cornhole while hanging out at the Cannondale tent.

[caption id="attachment_119991" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Keough and her teammates were relaxed on Friday before the race. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The team may have had some fun on Friday, but on Saturday during the Dirty Kanza 200 race, the green machine was all business. Keough took home the win in her first ever gravel race, and King returned to the top as King of Dirty Kanza after a flat-marred 2017 race.

With the win, King joined his fellow Velocio athlete Olivia Dillon in winning a gravel race over the weekend. Josh Berry also raced in a white Velocio kit, leading some observers to assume King and runner-up Berry were teammates working together. (They are not, but they are friends!)

When we chatted with Keough earlier this year, she said she planned on using the Cannondale SuperX cyclocross bike that guided her to a sixth-place finish at the 2018 Cyclocross World Championships. She came through on her promise, riding the SuperX to the Queen of Dirty Kanza title.

[caption id="attachment_119954" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Kaitie Keough’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

King also opted for a more aero SuperX cyclocross frame to guide him to his second DK200 title.

[caption id="attachment_119990" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Ted King’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Today, we profile the two winners’ Cannondale SuperX bikes, looking at what is the same and what is different.

Kaitie Keough’s DK200-Winning Cannondale SuperX

The last time we profiled Keough’s Cannondale SuperX, the year was 2011 and the up-and-coming star had just won the 2011 U23 Cyclocross National Championship. Her bike then had cantilever brakes, quick releases and in-line brake levers.

A lot has changed for both Keough and Cannondale’s flagship cyclocross bike since then. Cannondale has fully modernized the SuperX with flat mount disc brakes and thru-axles. The frame geometry also got a re-design in 2017, when Cannondale went to the mountain-bike-inspired Out Front steering. Keough’s Super X had a slack head tube angle of 71 degrees and a fork rake of 5.5cm.

Since Keough’s SuperX gets heavy use in the mud and ruts, hers was a proper cyclogravel (Is that a thing?) setup at the Dirty Kanza. Her frame had a bit of flair with multi-colored paint on the chainstays, seatstays and front fork.

[caption id="attachment_119959" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Keough’s chainstays added the multi-color paint accents. Kaitie Keough’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

During the cyclocross season, Keough and her Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld teammates are usually seen on Zipp carbon tubulars. The gravel of the Flint Hills is notorious for its ruthless nature, and perhaps with stories of flats and broken dreams and wheels floating through her ears, Keough opted for alloy Zipp 30 Course tubeless clinchers. The wheels have a 21mm internal width to provide extra volume for wider gravel tires.

[caption id="attachment_119950" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Keough went with Zipp 30 Course alloy tubeless wheels and Maxxis Rambler gravel tires. Kaitie Keough’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

In addition to the slack geometry, another reason the SuperX makes for a popular gravel crossover is the changes Cannondale made to provide more tire clearance. Cannondale moved the seat tube forward and used an Asymmetric Integration (AI) drivetrain that moves the drive side out by 6mm.

[caption id="attachment_119968" align="aligncenter" width="750"] A look at Keough’s chainstays shows the clearance for her 38mm tires. Kaitie Keough’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Keough took advantage of the tire clearance with 38mm wide Maxxis Rambler tires with the SilkShield casings designed to provide extra flat protection. She was able to closely monitor her tire pressure using the new Quarq Tyrewiz pressure sensors released earlier this year at Sea Otter.

[caption id="attachment_119965" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Keough swapped her cyclocross tubulars for 38mm Maxxis Rambler tubeless gravel tires. Kaitie Keough’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Keough tracked her power with a Quarq DZero power ready crankset with a 42t SRAM Force 1 X-Sync front chain ring attached. In the rear, she had plenty of gear choices with a 10-42t SRAM 11-speed cassette and a Force 1 rear derailleur.  Her shift/brake levers were Force 1 HRD and her SRAM Force calipers bit onto 140mm Centerline rotors.

[caption id="attachment_119955" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Keough ran a Quarq DZero power meter to measure her efforts. Kaitie Keough’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Keough’s contact points were a Zipp SL 70 Ergo handlebar, Fabric Scoop saddle and Crankbrothers Candy 11 pedals.

[caption id="attachment_119960" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Keough stuck with her Fabric Scoop saddle from cyclocross season. Kaitie Keough’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

For more on Keough’s SuperX, see the specs and photo gallery below.

[caption id="attachment_119951" align="aligncenter" width="750"] On Friday night, Luke Keough did some dog and bike babysitting. Kaitie Keough’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Ted King’s Aero SuperX

When we chatted with Ted King on Friday before the Dirty Kanza, he had this to say about the great aero bar debate, “I’m entertained by the whole aero bar situation. I won’t lie, I’d be pleased to see aero bars so fiercely frowned upon that they’re not allowed.”

Despite his protestations, King rolled up to the start line in Emporia on Saturday with aero bars attached to his Cannondale SuperX bike. Maybe it was the aero bars or maybe it was the 265 watts King averaged during his 10 hours 44 minutes on the course, but King outlasted a challenge from Josh Berry to win his second King of Dirty Kanza title in three years.

[caption id="attachment_119986" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Wonder if King’s bike was light? He still had enough energy to hoist it after 206 miles of Kanza gravel. Ted King’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The second half of the race featured roughly 85 miles of headwind as riders made their way north from Eureka to Emporia. It seemed like just the conditions aero bars were built to shine in.

[caption id="attachment_119980" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Despite his mixed feelings about aero bars for gravel, King used the Zipp Zuka Clip bars to help him handle the strong headwind. Ted King’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

After the race, King talked about his new frenemy. “I had aero bars on the bike, which was certainly helpful,” he said. “I was cutting through the wind pretty well. I was kind of taking longer pulls because of how efficient the bike is.” He concluded, “They worked great, but I’d be perfectly happy to see them banned.”

King opted for the Zipp Vuka Clip alloy aero bars. King added 110mm Vuka Alumina extensions, which are the longest Zipp offers. The Vuka Clip bars offer a cushioned pad for extra comfort for long gravel grinds such as the Dirty Kanza.

[caption id="attachment_119974" align="aligncenter" width="750"] King attached 110mm Zipp Vuka extensions to his aero bars. Ted King’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

King’s frame did not have the colorful design of Keough’s, but it did have a color scheme the reverse of the 2017 model. King’s seatstays were black, while the downtube, seat tube and carbon fork were all light green.

[caption id="attachment_119983" align="aligncenter" width="750"] King’s fork did not have the same custom paint as Keough’s. Ted King’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

While Keough went with alloy wheels, King decided to run the 45mm-deep carbon 303 Firecrest Tubeless Disc-brake wheelset. The 303 wheelset is a good gravel fit thanks to its 21mm internal width. King ran 700c x 40mm Maxxis Rambler tires, and like Keough’s, King’s tires also had the SilkShield casing for extra flat protection out in the Flint Hills. After having his Kanza dreams deflated by flats in 2017, King was no doubt relieved his Ramblers and their extra protection held their air during his 206 miles of gravel rambling on Saturday.

[caption id="attachment_119984" align="aligncenter" width="750"] King went with the carbon Zipp 303 Firecrest tubeless clinchers with 40mm Maxxis Rambler tires mounted. Ted King’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The rest of King’s setup was mostly similar to Keough’s. He also ran a Quarq DZero power ready crankset with a 44t chain ring up front and a Force 1 rear derailleur with a 10-42t cassette in the rear. He used Force HRD calipers and 140mm Centerline X rotors. His shift/brake levers were also Force 1.

[caption id="attachment_119988" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Even with some Flint Hills dirt, King still had room for the 40mm tires he ran. Ted King’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

In addition to his comfy aero bar contact point, King ran Speedplay’s SYZR mountain bike pedals, which are not something we see every day.

[caption id="attachment_119977" align="aligncenter" width="750"] King powered his winning effort with Speedplay SYZR mountain bike pedals. Ted King’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

For more on King’s winning bike, see the specs and photo gallery below.

For more from Kansas, see all our 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 coverage.

Kaitie Keough’s SuperX Cyclogravel Bike

Frame: Cannondale SuperX , PF30, 12x142mm thru axle, tapered head tube, internal cable routing, flat mount disc
Fork: Cannondale SuperX , 12x100mm thru axle, tapered full carbon steerer, flat mount disc
Shifter: SRAM Force 1
Brake Calipers: SRAM Force HRD flat mount
Rear Derailleur: SRAM Force 1
Crankset: Quarq DZero
Chainrings: SRAM X-SYNC, 42t
Cassette: SRAM 10-42t
Chain: SRAM
Stem: Zipp Service Course SL
Handlebar: Zipp SL 70 Ergo
Saddle: Fabric Scoop
Pedals: Crankbrothers Candy 11
Wheels: Zipp 30 Course tubeless clinchers, alloy
Tires: Maxxis Rambler 700c x 38mm, tubeless, SilkShield casing
More info: cannondale.com

Ted King’s Aero SuperX Gravel Bike

Frame: Cannondale SuperX, PF30, 12x142mm thru axle, tapered head tube, internal cable routing, flat mount disc
Fork: Cannondale SuperX, 12x100mm thru axle, tapered full carbon steerer, flat mount disc
Shifter: SRAM Force 1
Brake Calipers: SRAM Force HRD flat mount
Rear Derailleur: SRAM Force 1
Crankset: Quarq
Chainrings: SRAM X-SYNC, 44t
Cassette: SRAM 10-42t
Chain: SRAM
Stem: Zipp SL Speed
Handlebar: Zipp; Zipp Zuka Clip aero bars
Saddle: Fizik
Pedals: Speedplay SYZR
Wheels: Zipp 303 Firecrest Tubeless Disc-brake, carbon
Tires: Maxxis Rambler 700c x 40mm, tubeless, SilkShield casing
More info: cannondale.com

Photo Gallery: Dirty-Kanza-Winning SuperX2

Kaitie Keough’s 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Cannondale SuperX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The post SuperX2: Kaitie Keough and Ted King’s Dirty-Kanza-Winning Cannondale SuperX Gravel Bikes appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

The Lost and Found gravel race held in California over the weekend has teamed up with the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and four custom frame builders to host a raffle to support trail building in the region. Learn more about the raffle and how to enter in this release. We will provide a look at each of the four bikes between now and when ticket sales closes on Friday, June 15.

Today, we have info about the raffle and a look at the 57.5cm steel Sklar All-Road.

Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and the Lost and Found bike ride are excited to announce a custom bike raffle benefitiing the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship.

Custom frame makers Sklar, Stinner, Mosaic, and McGovern have teamed up with world-class component makers ENVE, Chris King, SRAM and WTB to create four unique and beautiful custom bicycles that will be raffled off, with all proceeds benefitting the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship.

[caption id="attachment_119879" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Four custom bikes from four builders are being raffled off to raise money for trail stewardship. photo: courtesy[/caption]

The four bikes are (with links to ones we have previously looked at):

• Carbon McGovern Cross Plus – 56cm
• Titanium Mosaic GT-1 – 54cm
• Steel Sklar All-Road – 57.5cm
• Steel Stinner Refugio – 56cm

Each bike comes in the size indicated above.

Raffle tickets are available for purchase through Friday June, 15. To purchase a ticket for the bike or bikes of your choice, visit the raffle page on theproscloset.com.

[caption id="attachment_120003" align="aligncenter" width="750"] This steel Sklar All-Road is one of the four handbuilt bikes up for raffle to support trail stewardship. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

See the slideshow below for a closer look at the steel Sklar All-Road.

About Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship

Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is a non-profit organization that builds and maintains multi-use trails in the Sierra Buttes, Tahoe, Plumas and Lassen national forests.  Their mission is building sustainable recreation-based communities through stewardship, job creation and hosting world-class events. SBTS has donated an estimated 72,000 hours of volunteer labor, maintained over 800 miles of shared use trails and created nearly 80 miles of new trails since 2003.

“While these are showroom worthy bicycles, they truly shine when they are being ridden,” said Billy Sinkford of media relations partner ECHOS Communications. “These builders all came together wanting to support local trail builders who are stewards of the land and the local community. The work being done by SBTS exemplifies the time, dedication and craftsmanship that is on display.”

Hosted in the wide-open and high North Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Lost and Found Gravel Grinder and Bike Ride is a grand adventure featuring the perfect blend of pavement, dirt road, gravel road and historic railroad grade. The four bikes were exhibited at the Lost and Found gravel race and the raffle will be live from June 2nd through June 15th, hosted by The Pro’s Closet. All donations and raffle ticket purchases are tax deductible.

Photo Gallery: Steel Sklar All-Road

This steel Sklar All-Road is one of the four handbuilt bikes up for raffle to support trail stewardship. © Cyclocross Magazine

The post Builders for Builders Trail Stewardship Raffle: Steel Sklar All-Road appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

The Lost and Found gravel race held in California over the weekend has teamed up with the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and four custom frame builders to host a raffle to support trail building in the region. Learn more about the raffle and how to enter in this release. We will provide a look at each of the four bikes between now and when ticket sales closes on Friday, June 15.

Today, we have info about the raffle and a look at the 56cm steel Stinner Refugio gravel bike.

Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and the Lost and Found bike ride are excited to announce a custom bike raffle benefitiing the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship.

Custom frame makers Sklar, Stinner, Mosaic, and McGovern have teamed up with world-class component makers ENVE, Chris King, SRAM and WTB to create four unique and beautiful custom bicycles that will be raffled off, with all proceeds benefiting the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship.

[caption id="attachment_119879" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Four custom bikes from four builders are being raffled off to raise money for trail stewardship. photo: courtesy[/caption]

The four bikes are (with links to ones we have previously looked at):

• Carbon McGovern Cross Plus – 56cm
• Titanium Mosaic GT-1 – 54cm
• Steel Sklar All-Road – 57.5cm
• Steel Stinner Refugio – 56cm

Each bike comes in the size indicated above.

Raffle tickets are available for purchase through Friday June, 15. To purchase a ticket for the bike or bikes of your choice, visit the raffle page on theproscloset.com.

[caption id="attachment_120078" align="aligncenter" width="750"] The steel Stinner Refugio gravel bke up for grabs in the trail stewardship raffle. Stinner Refugio steel handmade bike up for grabs. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

See the slideshow below for a closer look at the steel Stinner Refugio.

About Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship

Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is a non-profit organization that builds and maintains multi-use trails in the Sierra Buttes, Tahoe, Plumas and Lassen national forests.  Their mission is building sustainable recreation-based communities through stewardship, job creation and hosting world-class events. SBTS has donated an estimated 72,000 hours of volunteer labor, maintained over 800 miles of shared use trails and created nearly 80 miles of new trails since 2003.

“While these are showroom worthy bicycles, they truly shine when they are being ridden,” said Billy Sinkford of media relations partner ECHOS Communications. “These builders all came together wanting to support local trail builders who are stewards of the land and the local community. The work being done by SBTS exemplifies the time, dedication and craftsmanship that is on display.”

Hosted in the wide-open and high North Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Lost and Found Gravel Grinder and Bike Ride is a grand adventure featuring the perfect blend of pavement, dirt road, gravel road and historic railroad grade. The four bikes were exhibited at the Lost and Found gravel race and the raffle will be live from June 2nd through June 15th, hosted by The Pro’s Closet. All donations and raffle ticket purchases are tax deductible.

Photo Gallery: Steel Stinner Refugio

The steel Stinner Refugio gravel bke up for grabs in the trail stewardship raffle. Stinner Refugio steel handmade bike up for grabs. © Cyclocross Magazine

The post Builders for Builders Trail Stewardship Raffle: Steel Stinner Refugio Gravel Bike appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

[caption id="attachment_113383" align="alignright" width="230"] Our coverage of the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 is brought to you in part by Panaracer. Check out its line of gravel tires for your next adventure.[/caption]

During his post-retirement years as a brand ambassador for Trek Bikes, Belgian cyclocross legend Sven Nys has shown a knack for putting on a good show. He stole the show at the 2016 SSCXWC on a custom single speed Trek Crockett and then hopped in a Cat 4 race in Chicago last fall.

This year, Nys turned his sights on a challenge a bit more out of his wheelhouse: gravel. Rumors about Nys’ gravel desires were verified last month when his nom de guerre Stanley Nice appeared on the Dirty Kanza 200 start list.

According to Nys, it did not take much convincing to head to Kansas’ Flint Hills. “We have a new bike and we want to promote it,” Nys said. “If you want to promote a new gravel bike then you need to come to the Dirty Kanza. That’s normal. I said okay, I want to do it together with Jens.”

[caption id="attachment_119820" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Sven Nys and Jens Voigt wait to tackle their first Dirty Kanza 200. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The new bike is Trek’s Checkpoint gravel platform it released earlier this year. When I caught up with Nys at Checkpoint 3 in Madison after he had to abandon the race due to stomach issues caused by his rough travel schedule, it was Cyclocross Magazine‘s first look at the new gravel bike. Nys’ Kansas trip included testing some new Challenge tubeless gravel tires as well.

[caption id="attachment_120041" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Sven Nys’ 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Read on for a profile of Nys’ Dirty Kanza 200 Checkpoint and the story of how his encounters with the famed and feared Kanza gravel went.

Sven Nys’ DK200 Trek Checkpoint Frame and Build

Although Nys’ ride at the Dirty Kanza was a rough one thanks to flat tires and stomach issues complicated by a tight travel schedule, he likely felt at home on the Checkpoint platform. I spoke with Trek project manager David Studner about the project, and he explained the company’s goal. “With a World-Cup-proven Boone geometry already in our stable, we knew that not much more off-road capability was needed from a geometry standpoint. We sought to add a touch more stability without losing any of Boone’s sweet handling.”

Nys’ 56cm Checkpoint had a head tube angle of 72.2 degrees, which is only 0.2 degrees steeper than the comparable Boone. As expected for a gravel model, the bottom bracket drops 0.8cm more on the Checkpoint than it does on the Boone. The tweaks in geometry give the Checkpoint a 58.6cm stack—0.6cm higher than the Boone—but both models share a 102cm wheelbase.

Trek offers the Checkpoint in both carbon and alloy builds. At the DK200, Nys had a carbon Checkpoint SL frameset outfitted to his liking. Trek builds the frame using its 500-series OLCV carbon (a step lower than the 600-series Boone) with 12mm thru-axles and flat mount disc brakes.

The Checkpoint frame comes in black and a hue of gray the company calls, fittingly, gravel, but Nys had his white Checkpoint custom painted for the event. Trek employee and Wisconsin single speed cyclocrosser David Cestelli personalized the bike for “Sven” and added some impressively detailed accents.

[caption id="attachment_120052" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Custom ink done by Trek’s David Cestelli adorns the fork on Nys’ bike. Sven Nys’ 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

In a nod to the many shapes adventure can take, Trek added a plethora of mounts to the frame and fork. The rear has the standard rack and fender mounts, there are top tube bag mounts and the fork also has slots for front attachments.

[caption id="attachment_120048" align="aligncenter" width="618"] Nys’ white bike had some impressive ink done. Note the two bag mounts near the head tube. Sven Nys’ 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Trek also included the adjustable Strangehold rear dropout that allows users to extend the chainstay length by 15mm from the design 42.5cm to 44.0cm if they want a longer wheel platform for touring or a more stable gravel ride. For the truly adventurous out there, the Stranglehold can also be used to convert the Checkpoint to a single speed gravel machine.

[caption id="attachment_120044" align="aligncenter" width="750"] The Checkpoint uses Trek’s adjustable Stranglehold dropout that can also be run as a single speed. Sven Nys’ 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

One trend in the gravel market that is hard to miss these days is the addition of front and/or rear suspension to gravel-dedicated bikes. Trek has had its rear IsoSpeed decoupler on its carbon bikes for years and last year, added a front IsoSpeed to its Boone cyclocross bike. We have been impressed by the front IsoSpeed on the Boone RSL frame we currently have in review, and to us, it seemed like a natural fit for gravel.

Trek opted to include just the rear IsoSpeed on the carbon Checkpoint frame. According to the company, the benefits of the front decoupler diminish as tire sizes increase, and in its view, the best option for getting a cushier ride is to use the tried-and-true method of running higher-volume tires.

[caption id="attachment_120060" align="aligncenter" width="750"] The Checkpoint has a rear IsoSpeed decoupler. The company opted to not put one in the front. Sven Nys’ 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

A Shimano-sponsored athlete even in retirement, Nys ran a Shimano Di2 drivetrain. His crankset was a Dura-Ace R9100 model with 50/34t front chain rings. In the rear, he ran the new Ultegra RD-RX805 clutch-based rear derailleur—which we reviewed after the Almanzo 100 gravel race—with an 11-28t cassette. The stock Checkpoint builds are a bit spinnier for us mere mortals with an 11-34t cassette in the rear. Nys paired the drivetrain with Dura-Ace ST-R9150 shift/brake levers. He stopped using hydraulic flat mount Dura-Ace calipers and 140mm IceTech Freeza rotors.

[caption id="attachment_120043" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Nys ran the Ultegra RX805 Di2 clutch-based derailleur with an 11-28t cassette. The Checkpoint comes stock with an 11-34t. Sven Nys’ 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Nys’ contact points were a carbon Bontrager Pro IsoCore handlebar, Bontrager Pro Serano saddle and Shimano XTR PD-M9000 SPD pedals. Seeing Nys with a stock pedal was a bit different or us, since he has usually had gram-saving, mud-shedding prototypes on his bikes during his racing days.

[caption id="attachment_120056" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Although he registered as Stanley Nice, Nys raced under his real name on Saturday. Sven Nys’ 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Sven’s DK200 Tires

After Challenge released its new tubeless ready tires this year, the company is already at work on next year’s models. And what better place to test gravel tires than the gravel roads of the Flint Hills? Challenge did some testing during the two-day La Grind event last month, and on Saturday, Nys also rode Challenge tubeless tires at the DK200.

Nys’ Checkpoint frame had plenty of room for him to run wide tires, thanks in part to the dropped drive-side chainstay we have seen on a number of other gravel bikes. “We researched heavily and the short answer was, as much as possible,” Trek’s Studner told me when I asked him how much tire clearance his team designed the Checkpoint for. The company claims clearance for up to 700c x 45mm tires.

One thing that is different about the Checkpoint versus other bikes with dropped chainstays is it’s the first we have seen that has a geometry optimized for only 700c tires and not both 700c and 650b Road Plus.

[caption id="attachment_120046" align="aligncenter" width="750"] One difference between the Checkpoint and Boone is the addition of a seatstay bridge to the gravel bike. Sven Nys’ 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

In addition to showcasing the Checkpoint frame, Nys was putting in some testing time for Challenge’s tubeless tires on the world’s most famous gravel. After the race, Cyclocross Magazine spoke with Challenge’s Morgan Nichol—who was in Emporia and spoke with Nys after the race—to get the entire story of the Belgian’s day.

Nys started the Dirty Kanza on a set of Challenge 700c x 38mm TLR Gravel Grinder tires. Unfortunately, the Kanza gravel gods had nefarious plans in store for the ’cross legend that not even his bike wizardry could protect him from. Nys flatted on the first big climb when the side of his tread received a 5mm gash from the sharp Flint Hills gravel. Nichol said a number of other riders in the lead group suffered a similar fate, so Nys was not alone in his misfortune. Flats (and worse) are nothing new at the Dirty Kanza, after all.

[caption id="attachment_119583" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Nys started the race on Challenge Gravel Grinder TLR tires. A photo of our review tire is shown here. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

When I spoke with Nys after his ride, he said he suffered back-to-back flats. Nichol said Nys elaborated on his experience later on after the haze of jet leg and Kanza gravel settled. “Sven had two more ‘flats,’ or more accurately slow leaks, before the 50-mile checkpoint,” Nichol said. “He stopped but could not find any holes. Reacting quickly, he put tubes in and took off again.”

One additional part of the story is Nys started the race with the new Quarq TyreWiz pressure sensors thanks in part to the urging of a Belgian film crew. Nichol said the new sensors created some troubles for Nys. “The valve stems unscrewed slightly due to the constant impacts of the gravel and slowly deflated the tires,” he said.

Kaitie Keough also ran the sensors with her tires, but did not appear to have the same issues with leaking air as Nys did.

[caption id="attachment_119866" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Nys had to chase back after his flats, towing a camera crew and the occasional lucky rider. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

After repairing the flats, Nys swapped to a new wheelset at Checkpoint 1 that had Bontrager prototype gravel tires and no pressure sensors. When I saw his bike after the race, it had 700c x 40mm GR-1 Team TLR tires mounted up that he ran at 39psi. Studner said Trek expects to release the tires soon.

[caption id="attachment_120045" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Nys finished on prototype Bontrager GR-1 Team gravel tires that should be available soon. Sven Nys’ 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Nys’ wheels—or at least the ones he had after Checkpoint 1—were Bontrager’s Aeolus XXX 2 TLR carbon clinchers. The 28mm deep carbon rims have an internal width of 21mm, which helped support Nys’ 40mm-wide tires.

[caption id="attachment_120050" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Nys finished his day on prototype Bontrager GR-1 Team gravel tires mounted to Aeolus XXX 2 carbon tubeless clinchers. Sven Nys’ 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

For more on Nys’ Dirty Kanza 200 Checkpoint, see the specs and photo gallery below.

All of our coverage from Kansas is available in our 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 archives.

Sven Nys’ Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint Specifications

Frame: Trek Checkpoint SL, OLCV 500 carbon, BB90, 12x142mm thru-axle, internal cable routing, flat mount disc, rear IsoSpeed decoupler, Stranglehold dropouts
Fork: Trek Checkpoint SL, OLCV 500 carbon, 12x100mm thru axle, tapered full carbon steerer, flat mount disc
Shift/Brake Levers: Shimano Dura-Ace ST-R9150 Di2
Brake Calipers: Shimano Dura-Ace BR-R9170
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra RD-RX805 Di2
Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100, 50/34t chain rings
Cassette: Shimano 11-28t
Chain: Shimano
Stem: Bontrager
Handlebar: Bontrager Pro IsoCore, carbon
Saddle: Bontrager Serano
Pedals: Shimano XTR PD-M9000 SPD
Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus XXX 2 carbon tubeless clinchers
Tires: Start: Challenge Gravel Grinder TLR, 700c x 38mm; Finish: Bontrager GR-1 Team TLR prototypes, 700c x 40mm
More info: trekbikes.com

Photo Gallery: Sven Nys’ Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint

Sven Nys’ 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The post Gravel Bike: Sven Nys’ Dirty Kanza 200 Trek Checkpoint appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

Our coverage of the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 is brought to you in part by Panaracer. Check out its line of gravel tires for your next adventure.

Thanks to former Cyclocross Magazine editor Josh Patterson, this publication has covered the Dirty Kanza 200 gravel race in Kansas’ Flint Hills dating back to 2008 when the race was in its infancy. The event has picked up a few extra participants since then, but at its core, the Dirty Kanza is still about riding scores of miles of the famed Flint Hills gravel with, as Sven Nys put it, gravel friends who are “a little bit insane.”

Cyclocross Magazine has covered the Dirty Kanza since 2008, when the start looked a bit different than it does today. photo: imdesigngroup.com

Despite covering the event from its early days, Cyclocross Magazine has never made it to the event to take in the scene, pre-Summer Kansas heat and great gravel racing. That changed this year when your humble editor packed up his rental car and headed to the Flint Hills of Kansas to cover the 2018 Dirty Kanza 200.

From a cyclocross perspective it was the perfect year, with Kaitie Keough and Amanda Nauman expected to battle for the Women’s title, Sven Nys making an appearance and the Canadian troika of Geoff Kabush, Craig Richey and Michael van den Ham targeting the Men’s race. At the same time, as we have expanded our gravel coverage the last few years, names like Mat Stephens, Ted King, Alison Tetrick, Olivia Dillon and more have also become familiar names on our pages. I am always a fan of a good story, and with so many top-level riders heading to this year’s DK200, there were certain to be plenty of them.

As the premier gravel event in the country, the Dirty Kanza has received a growing amount of attention each year, and as a result, many words have been written about the event in publications big and small. Since returning, folks have asked me my thoughts about the event, and my tl;dr response, if you are looking to save time, is “Great event. Incredible energy. Not sure I ever want to do the 206-mile ride.”

The Dirty Kanza 200 has grown a bit since it started. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

For more extensive musings from Kansas, I’ve compiled some thoughts on and photos from the Dirty Kanza experience. For the record, my forte is writing—and I am sure some readers would argue I suck at that too—so for much better photos, I recommend checking out frequent CXHairs cyclocross contributor Ethan Glading’s gallery.

Too Much Success?

Any time a business bills itself as the world’s best whatever, chances are good the boast will fall flat. After all, there can only be one best burger in the world and it’s probably not at the random roadside diner you just stopped at.

When the Dirty Kanza bills itself as “The World’s Premier Gravel Grinder,” there are few gravel enthusiasts who would take umbrage with the boast. The Dirty Kanza started in 2006 when race director Jim Cummins and Joel Dyke wanted to put on a gravel grinder through Kansas’ Flint Hills. The first event had 34 riders and this year, participation was capped near 2,300 with a lottery held due to overwhelming demand for participation.

From a racing perspective, the Dirty Kanza 200 has become the most prestigious event on the non-existent gravel pro tour. Although the event has no cash prizes, earning the title of Queen or King of the Dirty Kanza is worth who knows how much in race payouts.

Getting to cross the line as the Queen of Dirty Kanza is something more and more current and former pros are aspiring to do. © Cyclocross Magazine

For amateurs, the Dirty Kanza race has taken on a life of its own. Two-hundred six miles of ruthless gravel (more on that later) in often sweltering conditions is a test of physical endurance that is uh, really difficult. Riders who have conquered their local 100-milers and now, won the entry lottery, make the pilgrimage to Emporia for what is the mecca of gravel cycling.

There is no question the Dirty Kanza is at an interesting place in its impressive existence. Like basically every other gravel grinder, it started as a grassroots event with some people gathering to ride their bikes on gravel roads, long before the gravel industrial complex was a thing. As the event has grown, it has taken on a paid staff while still trying to maintain the grassroots feel that is one of the core appeals of the gravel discipline. At the Elite level, more and more current and former pros are dipping their toes in the gravel waters and targeting the coveted Kanza titles.

The Dirty Kanza has long since gone from indie band to major label mainstay, but with so much more attention and interest, can it retain the core soul of what got it to the top? (Zach’s analogy skills: 1/10, would not recommend) Can an event still be grassroots while taking on a professional tenor? Can a gravel event get too big for the self-regulated, laid-back nature that makes it so appealing to the gravel crowd? All good questions, and certainly worth considering for a gravel scene and community that seems destined to grow over the next several years.

Can an event that attracts the Amanda Nauman and Alison Tetricks of the cycling world still be grassroots? That is one of the questions facing the Dirty Kanza. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Pre-Race Friday

Part of why the Dirty Kanza has become a gravel mecca is it is not just a race, it is an event. It is tempting to call it a long party, but I am pretty sure the race itself is anything but a party for most of the miles the athletes spend on their bikes.

Cummins and his Dirty Kanza team deserve a lot of credit for giving riders and their supporters a reason to come to Emporia early and stay through the weekend. Packet pick-up for riders is held downtown on Friday at the three-story Lyon County History Center. Although the event had literally thousands of people registered and five different race lengths, an impressive group of local volunteers helped direct traffic and get riders to the correct registration tables with little problems.

The volunteer I spoke with even knew where media credentials were being handed out. No one ever knows where the media credential table is!

Registration was well-organized and easy to find. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Before I forget, I do not think it is a coincidence so many media outlets have made the trip to Kansas to cover the Dirty Kanza. I do not expect to be treated well or even as a valuable human being when I cover an event, but in a world where media is often an afterthought, the Dirty Kanza’s welcoming approach stands out. When I first applied for credentials, Cummins called the same day to let me know what help his team could provide, and the Dirty Kanza team actually enlists a local Jeep enthusiast club to drive photographers around during the race.

Media members are people too (shocking, I know), and showing some interest in having us at your event goes a long way.

The local Jeep club provided rides for some race photographers. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The incredible energy in Emporia was palpable throughout the weekend. I don’t necessarily have the words to describe it, but everyone was really excited to be there and it was noticeable. The epicenter of this energy on Friday was the All Things Gravel Expo held across the street from packet pick-up. The Expo has grown every year, and word is it will only get bigger in the future.

A number of companies had products new and established on display at the Expo, but more importantly, it provided a place for the gravel crowd to congregate. The organizers did a great job organizing events with athletes and companies. When I arrived, Amanda Nauman, Alison Tetrick and Payson McElveen were chatting with fans and signing autographs, and later in the afternoon, Sven Nys made his rounds of the scene. Also, the famed Salsa Chaise couch was there, but it was very much look but don’t touch. You have to earn that photo on the gravel.

The Salsa Chaise couch hung out at the Expo on Friday. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The large Cannondale contingent was also soaking in the gravel scene. Former road pro Amber Pierce and Saturday’s winner Kaitie Keough threw down in a game of cornhole, and Ted King held court with the latest thing he learned about temperature regulation. Both Pierce and Ayesha McGowan noted how much they enjoyed the laid back nature of the gravel scene vis-à-vis professional road racing. The pros’ vibe at the Expo reminded me of Saturday at the Trek CX Cup last fall (along with the oppressive heat!) where CXM contributor Dave Mable cut his memorable Name That Wisconsin Town video.

Keough and her teammates were relaxed on Friday before the race. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The Real MVP

If there is a real MVP of the Dirty Kanza experience, it is not Kevin Durant’s mom, but rather the city of Emporia. Located southwest of Kansas City, Lawrence and Manhattan, Emporia is a medium-sized town of about 25,000 residents at the east edge of the famed Flint Hills. In a way, with a size that is not-too-big and an impressive downtown along Commercial Street, Emporia is the perfect setting for the start and finish of a massive gravel race.

Based on my incomplete experience with gravel events, I am convinced the level to which the host towns embrace the events contribute to their success. The town of Emporia wholeheartedly embraces the Dirty Kanza and helps provide an enthusiasm that takes the event to the next level.

The light-blue-clad volunteers were the lifeblood of the Dirty Kanza’s success. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

First and foremost, the volunteers are the people who make the Dirty Kanza run smoothly. Clad in light blue this year, the locals who chip in to help things run were hard to miss. Volunteers directed riders at packet pick-up, high-school cheerleaders helped riders wake up and get organized before the race at 6 a.m. on Saturday and others welcomed home riders with finisher cards after their gravel adventures.

Literally every business within a mile of Commercial Street (and farther out into the town) had signs welcoming Dirty Kanza riders. On Saturday morning, locals gathered all down the one mile stretch of Commercial Street to cheer riders on as they headed out toward the Flint Hills gravel. Coming home, riders were greeted by a blocks-long chute of cheering riders and fans to welcome them home.

Emporia businesses welcomed the Dirty Kanza riders to town with open arms. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

While out on the course taking photos, I ran into a couple who rent a property out via Airbnb. They came out to (nondescript road outside Eureka) to look for the riders they were renting their property to and cheer them on. Another couple gathered at the Rocky Ford crossing of Walnut Creek to cheer riders on as they forded, rode and occasionally took a bath at the shallow crossing.

Even local Airbnb landlords came out to the gravel roads to cheer on their renters. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

In the end, I cannot say enough about how great the town of Emporia was. We all know cyclists are not always welcomed by communities big and small, and to see a town wholeheartedly embrace 2,000 lycra-clad gravel enthusiasts and welcome their presence was really cool to see.

Race Day Morning

After months of training, race day finally arrived for thousands of gravel riders on Saturday. With finishing times for the DK200 stretching to 16, 18 hours and beyond, the race starts early. Like really early. When I arrived at breakfast at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, the coffee was already gone and folks were lined up to grab some calories to fuel their massive efforts.

As I groggily joined the enthusiastic riders heading to breakfast, the air was chilly and strong winds blew through the campus of Emporia State University. Outside town, lightning ripped through the still-dark evening. Despite the inclement weather, I did not hear any complaints about the weather. It was almost as if given Kanza’s notorious ruthlessness, all the riders had resigned themselves to dealing with whatever Mother Nature and the gravel gods threw their way. Needless to say, I was impressed. I, for one, would have been complaining.

Rain and lightning caused a 30-minute delay and sent riders scrambling for cover. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

When I arrived in downtown Emporia, I parked next to mountain bike star Payson McElveen. He recounted getting pelted by hail as he drove in from the East. He was most concerned about the DKXL riders out on the course overnight, but for himself, maybe it was some sort of protection provided by the mythical Red Bull helmet, but he seemed ready for the elements.

Perhaps the Red Bull helmet kept him protected from the elements, but Payson McElveen did not seem too concerned about the Saturday morning inclement weather. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

With a 1,000-person field for the DK200 race, many riders started to line up early with the hopes of getting a prime position near the front of the field. Just after riders started congregating at 5:30 a.m., the rain started. Shortly thereafter, the announcer announced a 30-minute rain delay and all the riders sought cover under the marquee of the Grenada, in shops along Commercial Street and in whatever nooks and crannies they could find.

It was just rain, so maybe they were not all that prepared for the Kanza elements!

Of course, everyone left their bikes sitting in the middle of Commercial Street; they woke up early for those primo spots after all.

One by one, riders ventured out from their rain shelter and back to their bikes during the 30-minute delay before the start. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

I mentioned the local cheerleaders earlier; the DK200 self-organizes the starting grid based on expected finish times. 12 hours, 14 hours, 16 hours and longer, riders self-select to ensure safe spacing once the field hits the first gravel road. This self-organizing approach is one aspect of the event that definitely leaned more “grassroots” than “corporate.” The cheerleading squad held up the finishing time signs so riders could organize themselves and provided some much-needed early morning enthusiasm.

Much needed for me at least; I am decidedly not a morning person.

Cheerleaders from Emporia’s high school helped riders self-organize before the race. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

With the start delayed, call-ups started around 6:20 a.m. Yes, there are call-ups at the DK200! I am not sure how qualifications are determined—unless there are some secret gravel UCI points I don’t know about—but whatever metrics they used seemed fair, as the eventual top three women and men finishers all received front-row call-ups.

Admittedly, I was hoping Sven Nys and Jens Voigt would be called up as Stanley Nice and Jon Vogt, respectively. For some reason, the Stan Nice thing still amuses me every time.

Jens Voigt took time to pose for a photo with a fan and fellow DK200 rider. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Anyway, race director Jim Cummins counted down the start and riders headed south down Commercial Street, past the fans gathered in the early morning to cheer them on and onto the gravel roads of the Flint Hills. After months of preparation and anticipation, the 2018 Dirty Kanza was finally here.

Flint Hills Gravel

Admittedly, as a rookie media member who either missed the memo or the cut to be part of the Jeep brigade, my experience of the famed Flint Hills gravel was limited by the spots I chose to stop. Kansas’ gravel roads have three different classifications from A to C. In what proved to be a stroke of luck, my car rental company upgraded me to one of those mini-SUV things that are popular right now over the compact car I requested

Even in a bigger, beefier vehicle, I was scared of flatting out of the race chase on the C roads. I can only imagine how horrible they are on a bike.

Riders, cows and cars wind their way through the Flint Hills. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Many of the photogenic views of the Dirty Kanza come from the first 50 or so miles of the race. Riders hit several steep climbs in the Flint Hills that are covered by a veneer of green that stretches for miles.

The Flint Hills are very green in parts, providing a pretty background for the first quarter of the course. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

By a stroke of luck—or looking at a map and picking out a spot—I happened upon the descent off the first big climb of the race. Emporia local and producer of the Gravel Guru media platform Matt Fowler let me know I was in the right spot. “Media love this spot,” he told me. Me, to myself, “Nailed it!”

Riders roll down a descent near mile 20 that is popular with the media folks. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

As riders passed 20 miles into the race, many were still in good spirits as the groups were compact and the pace was high. Many of them had already picked up some grit on the early course roads that are known for getting bogged down when the weather turns rainy.

Riders were full of spirit early on at mile 20. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

A large group of over 50 riders at the front was all business as they felt each other out and tried to deal with rough Kanza gravel.

Ted King focuses in the lead group early in the race. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

This week we covered the story of Sven Nys’ Dirty Kanza 200 and his run-in with the wrath of the Kanza gravel. Early in the race, the flat tires were hard to miss in the rest of the field as well, with several riders stopping to reinflate for the journey.

Flats, unfortunately, are unavoidable at the Dirty Kanza. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The weather on Friday was hot, with temperatures soaring into the 90s. If riders were not concerned about the inclement weather early Saturday morning, it may have been because the rains brought cooler temperatures. However, as the race moved into its middle half, the Kansas heat was back and temperatures inched back up toward the 90s. It was not as hot as Friday, but it was still pretty warm.

It was hot in Emporia. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

When I saw the riders out on the course again it was near mile 80. There were fewer thumbs-up as the course dried up and the miles added up. Things were even more business-like at the front as the lead group dwindled to about 20, and chasers trickled by solo, facing an untold number of miles riding alone.

This aero rider was still feeling friendly at mile 80. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Check Out the Checkpoints

Like many gravel events, the Dirty Kanza allows riders to receive dedicated assistance at only three designated checkpoints located in Madison, Eureka and again in Madison. The race is so long and the course so challenging, the event requires DK200 riders to have a dedicated support crew. The thing that sets the Dirty Kanza 200 apart from your local race was the sheer scale of the checkpoints designed to get 1,000 riders resupplied and back on their way in a short period of time.

In short, the checkpoints were a spectacle to behold and a must-see for anyone who attends the Dirty Kanza as a spectator.

The first checkpoint was in the parking lot of the Madison High School. Cars were backed up getting in the parking lot like it was a fall Friday night and once in the scrum of cars, support crews lined the designated riding lane, waiting for the first sight of the lead group of riders.

The parking lot at Madison High School, location of Checkpoint 1, looked like it was a fall Friday night. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

When riders finally arrived, some went straight to their teams, while others looked for their friends and teammates giving up their Saturday to help them in their Kanza journey. There is no question that one place experience at the Dirty Kanza shows is at the three checkpoints.

The first step in a good pit stop is finding your pit crew, which was easier said than done at times. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Admittedly, in retrospect, I wish I had delved into the story of the pit crews more. If I return to Kanza in 2019, you can count on a trip into the pit being part of our coverage.

Sven Nys clearly approved of frites as a Checkpoint 3 fuel source. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Pit crews seemed to have between one and three team members to help riders out. The fully manned teams had a bike stand and a waiting mechanic, one person to swap out bottles and hydration packs—the latter of which are seemingly a must-have for the Dirty Kanza—and another to get the rider food and cram gels and bars into their bar bags.

Payson McElveen’s team helps him at Checkpoint 1. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The official Dirty Kanza 200 rules state riders must start and finish on the same frame. As we saw in our profile of Sven Nys’ Checkpoint, his team swapped wheels for him after he suffered a tread puncture early in the race.

The Panaracer team had their setup dialed in for each of its riders. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The biggest technical challenge early on appeared to be dealing with the massive amount of grit that accumulated in riders’ drivetrains. Squeaks were aplenty, and by checkpoint 3, one team I watched just doused their riders’ chain with like half a bottle of lube. Not ideal, but at mile 160, the mission was more about finishing than anything else.

Chain lube was a must-have at the checkpoints. A pit crew member lubes his rider’s bike up at Checkpoint 1. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Teams with less pit crew members doubled up on duties, and for them, bike maintenance seemed less common. The lesson seemed to be that if you have a mechanic friend, convince them to come with. Kaitie Keough’s team of her dad and his friend were easy to spot thanks to the bright green Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld jersey her dad was wearing.

Kaitie Keough had an easy time finding her pit crew with her dad clad in a Cannondale kit. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Even though the checkpoints were the only place riders were allowed to receive assistance from their pit teams, the goal of most was to get in and out as quickly as possible. With many riders arriving with groups at the first two checkpoints, a slow pit could mean at best having to burn matches chasing back and at worst, getting dropped as the others sped away. This was seen with the lead group at checkpoint 2, as a group of 10 split into groups of 3, 5 and the then the chasers after the stop in Eureka.

Things in the lead group broke apart after the second checkpoint. This group chased the leaders. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Caulk the Wagons and Ford the River

As a DK newb, I did my best to develop a race-chasing strategy. I settled on assuming and average pace of 20mph for the leaders and guessing which spots I could beat them to without driving on the actual course. Even the B roads were more of less one-lane wide, so I did not want to be that guy who ran into a rider.

Amanda Nauman narrowly avoided a trip to the drink at the creek crossing. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

I lucked into the Walnut Creek crossing at Rocky Ford. After the race, fellow race-chaser Ethan Glading was impressed I found the spot; I had to admit it was pure luck. I actually drove on the course when I found it, only to reach the crossing and decide to turn around and approach from the other side. The approach for the riders was a tree-lined one-lane descent, so as I backtracked, I was freaking out that Ted King and Josh Berry might crash into my car.

Fortunately, they did not.

I made it to the other side and joined the folks congregated there. The crossing was an interesting one because it is located at a bend that opens up on the other side without a clear exit point. The lower level has a stone culvert that seemingly goes … somewhere … and a hill out of the small valley located to the left of the culvert. The ambiguity of the crossing created some entertaining moments with the riders at a certain level of delirium 130 miles in.

Geoff Kabush let his aero bar frenemy Mat Stephens do the work at the creek crossing. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

When the two leaders King and Berry reached the crossing, King stopped to ask for directions. With both men clad in white Velocio kits, at first I thought it was Berry since he was the DK200 rookie.

Ted King asks for directions at the Rocky Ford. 2018 Men’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

A former cyclocross racer, Berry decided to ford the river the old-fashioned way.

Josh Berry used his ‘cross skills to ride the crossing. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

When Kaitie Keough made her way through the crossing, she asked if the tunnel was the way out of the creek valley. (Apparently it goes to private property decidedly not on the course). Other riders took advantage of the chance to cool off.

The creek crossing provided a good spot to cool off. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

One rider asked the group of media, volunteers and spectators if he should ride the crossing. We, of course, said yes. He did not make it. Sorry, not sorry.

After the mile 130 refresher, riders only had 75 more miles of Kansas headwind and gravel to go.

Kae Takeshita crosses Walnut Creek with 75 miles to go. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

A Hero’s Welcome

Another publication labeled the Dirty Kanza as cycling’s Ironman; if the Kanza does share one thing with the Ironman, it is the impressive scene at the finish. Oh wait, how can I forget the aero bars. Let’s try this again. If the Kanza does share a second thing with the Ironman, it is the impressive scene at the finish.

The race finishes on Commercial Street, which runs north-south through downtown Emporia. Barriers stretch a good block or more from the finish near the Granada theater toward the Emporia State campus. Orange cones extend further, providing finishers with a much-awaited orange-cone road home.

The finish is a chance for riders in all racers to celebrate their accomplishment. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Based on the one Ironman Wisconsin finish I have seen (which is lazy since it is in my hometown), an announcer yells out “You are an Ironman,” for each finisher. After that level of suffering and achievement, I can only imagine how incredible that feels for each and every finisher.

When I arrived back in Emporia, fans lined the barriers to welcome home riders who were finishing the Dirty Kanza 100 ride. An announcer called out each name as they made their way down the finishing chute.

I was tempted to say they were there waiting for Ted King and Kaitie Keough, but I think they were there to welcome home all the riders who were finishing. Yeah, there was a marquee race, but heart and soul of gravel events are the amateur participants, and the Dirty Kanza crowd knew it. DK100 finishers gave fans high fives, and local Emporians received extra-loud cheers from the crowd.

Fans and finishers welcome home everyone who finishes the Dirty Kanza. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

In the finish chute, each finisher received a card commemorating their accomplishment, whether they be Ted King or a DK100 finisher on a hybrid. Sound kind of participation trophyish? The card entitled finishers to free beer from the local Free State Brewery, so damn straight they got a participation trophy. A very tasty and refreshing participation trophy.

Each finisher received a finisher card that entitled them to a participation trophy from Free State Brewing. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

I cannot say enough about the scene at the finish. Like a hundreds of people were gathered at and around the barriers in Emporia to celebrate bikes, testing personal limits and the gravel community. People hugged, shared stories, celebrated, cried, smiled, signed the finisher board and cheered on fellow finishers.

Everyone gets the chance to celebrate at the Dirty Kanza finish. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Oh, they also told anyone who would listen they’re never doing that again. (They’ll be back in 2019, yes they will.)

Final Thoughts

If you have read this far, thanks! But I’m sorry. But most of all thanks.

I have been riding in gravel events since 2014, but this year—thanks in part to my job—is the first I have gone all-in on gravel riding. I think the beauty of gravel is that events—whether they be called “races,” “rides,” “grinders,” “fondos” or whatever—let each racer choose how they want to participate.

Gravel events provide a chance for women and men to ride the same distance in one mass start field. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Want to race to win? Go hammer at the front. Want to set a personal record? Train and go for that PR. Aiming to just finish? Start near the back, enjoy the ride and company and stop for those bacon hand-ups. Riding the DK200 on a tandem? Props to you, crazy people!

The point is, an event can be all these things at the same time, and gravel racing has proven that. Hang out at the finish of a gravel event, and you will hear each person tell their story, whether they podiumed or finished 857th. The groups they rode with, the moments they didn’t think they would finish, how they wish they had ridden the creek. If you have never been, the finish of a gravel race is a good place to be.

Returning to the internet on Monday, the cycling commentariat was abuzz about the DK200, which let’s be honest, is a testament to the event’s success. There were the controversies, sure, but beneath that, it seemed there was a lot of snark and negativity about gravel and the DK200. It was a stark contrast to the celebration of bikes and community in Emporia I had just returned from.

All riders received a hearty welcome home. Here, race director Jim Cummin welcomes DKXL winner Matt Acker. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

In an industry where we have to define everything and make rules because someone might be a jerk, it’s almost like it’s threatening that a group of adults can get together and race or ride their bikes while working with one another, even during a race. Race leaders can agree to stop and take a picture at the Salsa Chaise Lounge without screwing each other over, groups wait for riders if they have to stop for a car, riders help each other out if they’re in trouble. The list goes on.

In my opinion, gravel racing does not need to be defined. It can simultaneously be fun, challenging, a race, an adventure, grassroots, organized, and most of all, a celebration of a community of people who like to ride their bikes.

To go back to the questions I asked at the beginning of this piece, can an event be both successful and grassroots? I think the Dirty Kanza proves it can. Yeah, the event was professionally produced and there were rules here and there, but to me it felt like the Almanzo 100 in Minnesota or even the Bear 100 in the middle of nowhere northern Wisconsin but with thousands more gravel friends.

I am already looking forward to going back in 2019. If you are a gravel enthusiast and have not been, I recommend checking it out. Oh, you’re going to race the DK200? Mad props to you, mad props to you.

The post Photo Essay: Thoughts from CXM’s Trip to the Dirty Kanza 200 appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.

[caption id="attachment_120156" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Tobin Ortenblad and his Santa Cruz Sitgmata cyclocross bike. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Only Olivia Dillon bucked the trend of winning gravel races on cyclocross bikes. Dillon opted for a Specialized Diverge gravel bike for her 2018 Lost and Found victory.

Although we’ve been covering gravel events like Dirty Kanza, Lost and Found and Crusher in the Tushar since as far back as 2008, we’ve often scoffed at the notion that gravel cycling and gravel racing require a dedicated gravel bike, regardless of real or fake sanctions.

While clearance for bigger tires and lower gearing for extended climbs are often helpful for rougher, longer events, we’ve long encouraged participants not to get hung up in categories, labels or marketing hype. We see gravel bikes with tighter, steeper geometry than cyclocross bikes, and gravel bikes with more stretched-out, relaxed geometry. What’s right in between the two? A modern cyclocross bike, which often fits the gravel bill perfectly, as proven by three of last weekend’s winners.

From Euro Mud to Davis Dust

Today we take a close look at the modified Santa Cruz Stigmata cyclocross bike Ortenblad used to conquer the 100-mile Lost and Found route around Lake Davis.

[caption id="attachment_120152" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] What gravel bike? Tobin Ortenblad’s Santa Cruz Stigmata cyclocross bike took on UCI racing in Europe and then conquered the Lost Sierra, with only a change in wheelset (including tires and gearing), bigger chain ring and two bottle cages. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

It’s certainly not the first time we’ve profiled Ortenblad’s bike. We took a look at his Santa Cruz Stigmata from the Pan American Championships and when it was first unveiled a the Sea Otter Classic. We also inspected his Nationals-winning Specialized Crux from Asheville, and after his first Lost and Found victory in 2015.

Last Saturday, Ortenblad demonstrated that legs, strategy and patience, not a dedicated gravel bike, were key to winning the Lost and Found. The Santa Cruz-based and sponsored rider swapped out his Zipp 303 tubular cyclocross wheelset for the tubeless version, substituted a pair of 40mm Vittoria Terreno Mix tubeless tires for his 33mm Terreno cyclocross tubulars and picked a SRAM 10-42 XD cassette to pair with his 46t X-Sync wide-narrow ring to handle the long climbs and fast descents of the California Sierra.

[caption id="attachment_120143" align="aligncenter" width="1254"] Tobin Ortenblad’s 2018 Lost and Found Santa Cruz Stigmata featured a 10-42 SRAM XD cassette. “I could have run tighter but SRAM offers the 10-42, the best of both worlds” Ortenblad said. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The result of these mods? His second win at the Lost and Found gravel grinder.

Experience Trumps Intel

Coming into the event, Ortenblad was encouraged by locals to skip some of these mods and come prepared for fast, pack racing. After his win, the winner reflected on the changes he made and the advice he was given.

“I could have gone with a more compact cassette, but SRAM makes the 10-42, and it’s the best of both worlds,” Ortenblad explained.

As for his tires, Ortenblad was glad he resisted the pressure to opt for minimal tread.

[caption id="attachment_120154" align="aligncenter" width="1103"] Tobin Ortenblad ran 40mm Vittoria Terreno Mix tubeless tires front and rear at 32/33 psi. He didn’t flat, and said he might opt for a Terreno Dry out back, if he had to do it again. We expect he will, to defend his title. 2018 Lost and Found Santa Cruz Stigmata. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

“It’s super chunky [out there], and I ran chunkier tires because that’s what I did in the past,” he explained about his 40mm tires. “Coming into the event, some of my friends who live in the area said to run narrow files, but I’m glad I didn’t because it was still super gnarly. I think if I would have done it over, I would have run a file in the back, and kept the Mix in the front.”

As for his tire pressure, Ortenblad opted for 32 psi up front, 33 psi at back, and he rolled to the finish flat and leak-free, unlike the top two women who suffered multiple leaks, but ran similar if not higher pressure. “A big part of winning the race when you’re so on the edge is sustaining equipment, and if you flat, you’re done,” he explained. “I’ve always run higher here because I don’t want to hit the rim, I don’t want to slice [the tire].”

[caption id="attachment_120144" align="aligncenter" width="1254"] Despite suspect advice to run narrow file treads, Tobin Ortenblad opted for the bigger, knobbed Vittoria Terreno Mix 40mm tubeless tires and avoided flats on his way to the win. 2018 Lost and Found Santa Cruz Stigmata. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Ortenblad didn’t ignore all the advice he received. “Usually I’ll run alloy wheels out here, but some of my friends said it was going to be fast, pack riding, so I thought I’d put on a faster wheel.” He reached for the 45mm deep Zipp 303 tubeless wheels for a more aerodynamic profile rim.

The 100-Mile Plan

Ortenblad also made sure he was prepared, with both essential survival gear and information. He packed the tools necessary to ensure he wouldn’t be permanently lost in Plumas county should he experience equipment failure, and also equipped his bike with key data to help him plan out his ride.

[caption id="attachment_120142" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Tobin Ortenblad packed a tube, CO2, multi-tool, chain quick link, and glueless patch, while he carried a mini pump by his bottle cage and a Dynaplug installer on his seat post. 2018 Lost and Found Santa Cruz Stigmata . © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_120157" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Tobin Ortenblad came prepared, and brought a chart of the day’s major climbs taped to his stem He planned to be freshest at mile 95 for an attack, and the plan worked. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

On his stem, he had a table of all the major climbs he’d face in the 100 miles, while his Quarq crankset and Garmin head unit teamed up to offer up feedback on his effort throughout the day. Did Ortenblad use the power data much? “I didn’t dictate the speed on the climbs,” he explained. “You look at it after. I don’t want to see it during the fact, because if it’s some huge number, I’m like, Oh my God, I can’t do this, but when I’m taking pulls, I’ll make sure I’m not going crazy.”

[caption id="attachment_120158" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Tobin Ortenblad’ used a Quarq power meter and a massive 46t X-Sync wide-narrow chainring on his Santa Cruz Stigmata cyclocross bike. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Ortenblad used the information taped to his stem and from his Garmin to help ensure he had the legs when it mattered. “I knew I’d be the most fresh at mile 95 to attack. That was my plan.”

On Saturday, Ortenblad was the man with the plan, and the plan worked.

See the slideshow of Tobin Ortenblad’s Santa Cruz Stigmata bike below the specs:

Tobin Ortenblad’s 2018 Lost and Found Santa Cruz Stigmata “Gravel” Bike Photo Gallery:

Tobin Ortenblad and his Santa Cruz Stigmata cyclocross bike. © Cyclocross Magazine

The post Gravel Bike: Tobin Ortenblad’s Lost and Found Santa Cruz Stigmata Cyclocross Bike appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross News, Races, Bikes, Photos, Videos.