Lauren De Crescenzo wins fourth Rad Dirt Fest while Cole Davis takes surprise victory; Unbound Gravel lottery and BWR registrations open soon

Lauren De Crescenzo (Factor-The Feed-Castelli-Maxxis) won her fourth consecutive title at The Rad Dirt Fest last weekend in Trinidad, Colorado. While De Crescenzo soloed for victory on the familiar 110-mile course, Cole Davis (Project Echelon Racing) earned his first gravel victory in only his second attempt.

The new queen of the Rad Dirt crossed the line in 6:01:45, good for a 30-minute margin to runner-up Ruby Ryan of Durango, and she was 13th overall among women and men in the mass start event.

"The mass start was wild! I tried hanging with the male leaders early and definitely burned a few matches. But once the course tilted upward, I slipped away into my happy place," De Crescenzo wrote on Instagram.

"The terrain is relentless. The climbs are long and unforgiving, and you’re even pedaling on the 'downhills'. I’d love to see it back in the Life Time Grand Prix someday."

The Rad Dirt Fest was part of the off-road series for several years, De Crescenzo earning top points as one of the riders in the Grand Prix's invitation-only field. This year the Colorado race was dropped from the series and Little Sugar MTB in Arkansas was added in its place.

Davis emerged at the front of the race with Caleb Bottcher and Ethan Overson, who then finished second and third, respectively. The Project Echelon Racing road rider finished in 5:24:53, with the chasers 10 seconds back.

Davis, who finished second at the Bucks County Classic to close his road season, completed his first gravel race just one week before, earning the bronze medal for elite men in the US Gravel National Championships. From nationals in Minnesota, he had booked a flight to Colorado to visit family in Leadville, so added Rad Dirt Fest at the last minute, which earned him an electric guitar, the award for division winners.

"My family has a cabin out there, and usually I don't make it out because it's just too high [altitude] to go in the middle of the season. So I went there to start my off season," he said about shifting to a second gravel race of his career.

"I think races that have cool trophies will always have a special spot in my heart. I'd much rather have something memorable that I can hang up in my house than a few 100 extra bucks for sure."

Unbound Gravel opens 2026 lottery November 1

Life Time, the owners of Unbound Gravel held in Emporia, Kansas, announced that the lottery window for the 2026 events will open on November 1 at 12:00 p.m. CST for the 20th anniversary of the event.

Riders can register for the 25, 50, 100, 200-mile rides and the Unbound XL that is 350 miles. The lottery window will close on November 21.

Separate from the lottery selection, individuals can gain entry by participating in a four-day camp next April in Emporia, the Life Time Unbound Gravel Training Camp presented by Shimano. The cost for a camp-Unbound entry combo is $2,200, good for your choice of 100, 200 or 350-mile Unbound event later in the year. Camp registration opens October 15.

Next year Unbound XL begins on Friday, May 29 while the other four distances will be contested on Saturday, May 30.

Belgian Waffle Ride confirms 2026 four-race series, opens registration October 14

October is here and it means registration time for many US gravel and multi-surface races. The four US-based Belgian Waffle Ride events that comprise next season's Quad-Tripel Crown of Gravel will begin accepting registrations on October 14, at 8:00 a.m. PST. The four events include: BWR Arizona on February 28, BWR California on May 3, BWR Utah June 13 and BWR Montana on June 20.

The Quad-Tripel Crown was introduced this season, with series winners decided from the top points earned at three of four of the races. For 2026, individuals who register for the series will pay for three events and receive the fourth event for free, according to organisers Monuments of Cycling.

This year two of the stand-alone BWR events are yet to take place, BWR North Carolina on October 4 and BWR Mexico on November 23. Registrations are still available for these final events of the 2025 season.

Blevins on pace for MTB World Series double titles in XCC and XCO

This weekend, October 3-5, Lake Placid, New York will host the penultimate rounds of the UCI MTB World Series for endurance and gravity disciplines, with the downhill races being held at Whiteface Mountain and the XCC/XCO races at Mt Van Hoevenberg.

Back on his home turf, USA's Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) looks to make history.

Through eight of 10 rounds of the World Series, Blevins leads both the elite men's XCO and short track (XCC) standings. Should Blevins wrap up his season in two weeks at Mont-Sainte-Anne in Canada atop the standings, he would become the first elite men's rider to win both the XCC and XCO titles in a single World Cup season, dating back to 2018 when XCC joined the series. In 2024 Alessandra Keller swept the two disciplines for elite women.

Among other North American riders, Canadian Ella MacPhee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) is second overall in the women's U23 XCO standings and third in XCC for U23s.