The second season of the Gravel Earth Series concluded last Sunday with the Ranxo Gravel. While last year the racing series featured 5 events, in 2024, the number has grown to 20 events spread across 13 countries, allowing all gravel enthusiasts to discover some of the most spectacular corners in the world for cycling.
Due to the attractiveness of the Ranxo Gravel, not only for the route but for the points up for grabs, 700 participants gathered in Points, Lleida, to tackle one of the three distances offered by the organizers. These points were going to be decisive in finishing the victory in the final general classification, since the scoring scale for this race left the door open to last-minute surprises. Up to seven riders depended on themselves to take home this year’s Gravel Earth Series.
Pure gravel in deep Catalonia
It was the fourth edition of the race, with illustrious champions such as Valverde or Verona in its history of results. The first year, it was organized as an independent race, not associated with any series or league. During the last two editions, it was part of the UCI Gravel Series, and for 2024, it was incorporated into the Gravel Earth Series as the final event.
While in other circumstances the organizers have to scratch their heads to design a route with a considerable percentage of gravel, the network of agricultural paths that surround the villages of the Noguera and Segarra regions provided a perfect setting for a race with top-level participants, even when the European Championship of the discipline was taking place on the same weekend.
The appeal of the Ranxo Gravel triggered many of the cyclists who had initially set the World Championship as their final goal, to extend their competition season for one more week. The level was exceptional, and Klassmark took the right measures to ensure a race in which women could compete against each other without interference. Her start was at 7.45 AM on Sunday 13 October, an hour before the rest of the participants in the long distance – 160 kilometers and 1,700 meters of elevation gain – and it was forbidden to draft behind the men in case of being overtaken by them.
Cold start before the action
Dawn took longer than desired to make an appearance, and given how cold it was in the early morning, most participants took shelter in their accommodation, camper or tent, until only a few minutes before the start. The rain of the previous night, in contrast to the high temperatures of the day of the race, left the terrain in perfect conditions, minimizing the dust in the air and providing a better grip on an extremely fast circuit.
We were captivated by the landscapes and the gravel paths in perfect condition in the area. The longest climb was at the start of the race, and since the fog characteristic of the province of Lleida was low at that time, it looked like the cyclists were riding above the clouds. On that first climb, the most physiologically gifted athletes managed to open a gap on the rest, but some of the specialists in the discipline took advantage of the more technical sections to rejoin the leading group.
The fog appeared again during the morning, adding a mystical touch and making it so that, on the long gravel straights in remote areas similar to the landscapes of Kansas, riders could only see what was a couple of meters ahead. The locals told us that it was the first day of dense fog of the year and that normally the conditions are ideal for gravel riding. We have serious doubts about the first, but from what we saw last weekend, the Noguera region is a highly recommended place to ride a bike without worrying about cars.
High speed in the leading groups
Both races had a similar narrative. Once they had left the longest single track of the day behind, the ones in the lead, with the vast majority of favorites among them, worked with each other and maintained a high pace. It was the mechanical problems, and not so much a lack of strength, that caused these groups to gradually lose members.
At the only feed point where external assistance was allowed, at kilometer 105, the men’s race was led by a group of nine cyclists, and in the case of the women, there were four of them set to contest the victory. Karolina Migon seemed to have everything under control to settle her lead in the Gravel Earth Series, and after three-quarters of the race riding cohesively with Morgan Aguirre, Danni Shrosbree, and Klara Sofie Skovgard, she accelerated and left her rivals behind, crossing the finish line alone after an effort of 5h44min.
The final reward
The Polish rider from PAS Racing achieved the double win, and was accompanied on the podium of the race by Morgan and her teammate Klara. Sarah Sturm, winner of the Migration Gravel Race, was unlucky as she had a puncture in the first hour of the race, but her competitive mindset and great form were rewarded with a second place in the overall standings.
Shortly afterward, highlighting Klassmark’s perfect time management, everyone present in the finish area was informed that in the men’s race, the American Griffin Easter had managed to open a small gap on his rivals and within the last kilometer of the race. He arrived in a time of 4h51min, and in less than three minutes, nine more riders made it to the finish in Ponts. The victory of the day was clear, but at first, it was not clear who had won the overall classification, as several of the contenders finished together.
In the end, it was the Norwegian Simen Nordahl Svendsen who, thanks to his second position in Ranxo Gravel, took the final classification of the Gravel Earth Series. Griffin himself moved up to second in the series, and Peter Stetina finished third in both the race and overall.
Once again, the vibes at the finish line were enviable. Cyclists cheering each other on, reliving racing moments, and enjoying that first beer that marked the end of the season. The Gravel Earth Series has managed, beyond the undeniable success in the strictly sporting aspect, to form a group of passionate gravel riders who travel and race together to discover the most impressive corners of the planet on a bike.