Peter Stetina takes the microphone for live stream at Santa Vall; Deanna Mayles wins Old Man Winter as former winner Maddie Munro goes off course - Gravel Bits

Santa Vall opens the 11-race Gravel Earth Series this weekend providing live streaming for both days of the two-stage event near Girona, Spain. Accomplished riders Peter Stetina and María Mayalen Noriega will provide commentary for the YouTube broadcast, with start-to-finish coverage shown for both the pro women's and pro men's divisions.

Stetina became known as a climber during his 10 years on the road with three WorldTour teams. He then switched exclusively to gravel after the 2019 season, and set pro standards for off-road racing, built on the strength of his storytelling and race successes - winning Belgian Waffle Ride California, The Traka 360 and landing on the podium twice at Unbound Gravel 200.

Noriega raced for six years on the road in Europe and twice earned silver medals at Spanish road nationals. At the 2012 London Paralympic Games she earned a silver medal as the pilot for Josefa Benitez Guzman in the road race. She brings a distinct knowledge of the course and competitors to the broadcast, having competed at Santa Vall the past two years, and now working as a spokesperson for the Gravel Earth Series.

Santa Vall is the opening round of the Gravel Earth Series, now in a fourth season. A total of 11 races take place in six countries, carrying through to the final and required round at The River by The Traka in Belgium on September 6, where bonus points will be offered. The top 10 finishers in the pro categories for men and women will share a €25,000 prize purse.

Gravel Earth Series TV will provide free online streaming for all races this season. Live streaming for both days of Santa Vall begins Saturday at 8:00 a.m. CET with the pro/elite women's start, followed an hour later by the pro/elite men's start. Stage 2 will decide overall winners on Sunday, February 15, the pro/elite women starting at 9:00 a.m. CET and the men 10:00 a.m. CET.

The route for Stage 1 on Saturday is expected to be 10km longer than the original 120km route, due to high river levels in the area. There are 1,600 metres of elevation gain on the opening day, the bulk of that on the ascent of Montigalar and surrounding Gavarres nature area. Stage 2 is expected to be 85km with 1,100 metres of elevation gain.

Deanna Mayles captures women's title at Old Man Winter after Maddie Munro DQ'd

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Deanna Mayles (Specialized-SRAM) and Justin Peck (Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club) won the early-season Old Man Winter Rally mixed-surface race in Lyons, Colorado on February 1.

Winners on the 75-mile (120km) course across gravel and paved roads on the front range of the Rocky mountains were determined by the best time on two segments. Mayles' combined time of 3 hours, 43 minutes, 32 seconds gave her the victory over Annie Hines in second and Angela Martell in third.

The best time for elite women was posted by Maddie Munro (Liv Cycling), 23, who won a mudfest at the Colorado race in 2024. However, despite a 20-minute lead ,Munro took a wrong turn on the course and disqualified herself.

Mayles, 32, first competed in her home race in 2023, Old Man Winter Rally her first-ever gravel race, which had frigid temperatures and lots of ice and snow. This time warm temperatures well above the freezing mark and headed to a balmy 50°F and lack of recent frozen precipitation made for a different experience and fast times at Old Man Winter Bike Rally in Lyons, now in a 12th edition.

Two-time US collegiate cross-country mountain bike champion Peck, 22, posted the best time on the first segment for the men, carving out a 39-second margin to Luke Walter and Griffin Hopper. The duo could not make up any time on the final segment, finishing second and third, respectively, to the 21-year-old's winning time of 3 hours, 10 minutes and 58 seconds.

Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame names Chase Wark as first Community Impact Award recipient

The Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame announced Jim Cummins, Paul Errington, Meg Fisher, and Kristen Legan as the inductees for 2026. The 2026 inductees were selected by a group of 60 electors, which included past inductees, board members, independent athletes, race promoters and industry professionals. There were also three new awards to recognize community service and Athletes of the Year.

Fisher earned four medals at the Paralympic Games for Team USA, including gold in the road time trial at the 2012 London Paralympic Games, before switching to gravel. She then won the para category at Unbound Gravel, Rebecca's Private Idaho, Lauf Gravel Worlds and SBT GRVL, and continues as an advocate for para divisions.

Legan has multiple Unbound Gravel 200 podiums and won Unbound XL in 2203. She continues to inspire other athletes as a coach and works with cycling brands Shimano, Lazer and others to advance and promote gravel as a discipline.

Cummins was an easy choice as a co-founder of Unbound Gravel, his counterpart Joel Dyke inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023. Errington was an early advocate for gravel as a participation sport and was responsible for the global expansion of the Grinduro gravel series.

The Community Impact Award was created to recognise an individual who went above and beyond in the past year to give back to the sport of gravel cycling. Chase Wark, who finished fifth at the 2025 US Gravel Nationals, received the award for raising funds after the wildfires at The Mid South Gravel, and helping to create Lunchbox Racing development gravel team.

Matt Beers and Rosa Klöser were selected as Athletes of the Year. The Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held May 27, 2026, at the Granada Theatre in Emporia, Kansas.

Five new events join USA Cycling Junior Gravel Series

USA Cycling has announced a 10-race calendar for their second edition of the Junior Gravel National Series. Junior men and women ages 15-18 are eligible, with individual series race winners receiving free entries into the 2026 USA Cycling Gravel National Championship, the finale in La Crescent, Minnesota on September 12.

The Junior 17-18 men and women overall series champions will receive an automatic invite to a Talent ID Camp in Colorado Springs in October 2026, while Junior 15-16 men and women will be evaluated for selection based on performance throughout the season.

The four returning races are Valley of Tears, Sea Otter Classic, Unbound Gravel and SBT GRVL. The first of the new events will be held February 28 at Rouge Roubaix XXII in Louisiana. Two evens in June are Rothrock Grit Gravel Race in Pennsylvania and Dirty Dino Gravel Race in Utah. Late summer events before US Nationals are Dust Bowl 100 in Indiana and Core4 in Iowa.

Riders must hold a valid USA Cycling license for 2026 and compete in a minimum of three races to be included in the official overall series standings. A license is not required for individual race participation.

Last year's series winners in the junior 15-16 division were Mason Wilson (Sugar Bottom Bikes) for men and Kate Elwell (Zangi Bikes) for women. Titles in the junior 17-18 division were won by Ethan Shirey (Rouleur Development) and Kailey Knox (Team ANB).