In an ever-more-common move, Peter Stetina, who enjoyed 10 years at the top of elite racing at the WorldTour level, took the decision to step away from the pro peloton at the end of the 2019 season, leaving his trade team Trek-Segafredo in favour of going it alone in the growing scene of gravel racing.
A subsection of cycling that has exploded over the past few years, gravel racing is very much en-vogue in 2020, and Stetina is not the first to swap out his road wheels in favour of a slightly more knobbly set of gravel bike wheels.
That said, for upcoming gravel races Grasshopper Super Sweetwater and Fish Rock, Stetina is very much using a lightweight road bike that's more likely to be found tackling the cols of the Tour de France than the Sonoma County singletrack. Stetina hinted this may be his setup for Belgian Waffle Ride, although his choice of tubeless tyres may change.
In 2018, Stetina dabbled in an alternative calendar of racing both on- and off-road, taking on Dirty Kanza and Leadville alongside his WorldTour commitments.
"Gravel is kind of the new excitement in the US scene," Stetina told Cyclingnews in October. "I grew up on the mountain bike, and I've always ridden off-road for a bit of training and in the off-season, so it's been quite an easy choice for me to hop into those and just experience the community of cycling."
Cyclingnews recently recorded a podcast with Stetina, where he discussed his decision to step into the world of gravel racing, along with how his outlook was changed by a career-threatening crash at Pais Vasco in 2015.
For his upcoming races, Stetina's setup is based upon a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX, fitted with a Shimano Dura-Ace groupset, although he's swapped the rear derailleur for the Ultegra RX clutched option, which is designed to reduce the chance of chain slap over rougher terrain.
Shimano features heavily across Stetina's setup, with Dura-Ace C40 tubeless wheels and S-Phyre RC9 cycling shoes being on the kit list. Finishing kit comes via Shimano's components subsidiary, Pro, including Pro Vibe handlebars, stem and seatpost, Turnix saddle, Race Control bar tape and Discover saddle bags.
Nutrition comes courtesy of Clif Bar, and navigation is provided by Wahoo's Elemnt Roam GPS cycling computer.
Click through the gallery above for a closer look at Peter Stetina's gravel-adapted Canyon Ultimate CF SLX
Peter Stetina's Canyon Ultimate CF SLX full bike specifications
Frameset: Canyon Ultimate CF SLX, Size M
Front brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 Hydraulic Disc caliper
Rear brake: Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 Hydraulic Disc caliper
Brake/shift levers: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9170 Hydraulic Disc Brake Dual Control Lever
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9150
Rear derailleur: Shimano Ultegra Di2 RX805
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100, 11-30T
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace
Crankset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 Power Meter, 53-39T, 172.5mm
Bottom bracket: Shimano Dura-Ace
Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace PD-R9100 SPD-SL
Wheelset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9170 C40 Tubeless
Bar Tape: PRO Race Control
Tyres: IRC Formula Pro RBCC tubeless 28c
Handlebars: PRO Vibe Aero carbon, 42cm
Stem: PRO Vibe Team Edition, 120mm
Saddle: PRO Turnix AF carbon, 142mm
Seat post: PRO Vibe Carbon, 27.2mm, 20mm offset
Bottle cages: PRO Alloy
Accessories: PRO Discover saddlebags and frame bags
Computer: Wahoo Elemnt ROAM
Shoes: Shimano S-PHYRE RC9
Rider height: 1.8m
Bike Weight: 16.5lbs / 7.5kg
Nutrition: CLIF BAR food, bars, and hydration
