Grasshopper Adventure Series: Brennan Wertz delivers knock-out punch in three-up sprint for third consecutive win at Huffmaster

Former US gravel champion Brennan Wertz (Scott-Skipstone) and Alia Shafi (MAAP-BikeTiresDirect-Arundel) earned season-opening victories Saturday from a pair of three-rider sprints in the elite fields at Huffmaster mixed-terrain race, the second round of the Grasshopper Adventure Series in northern California.

Wertz earned his fourth victory in six editions, but had to fend off fellow US riders Skyler Taylor (Pinarello-Q36.5) and Marcis Shelton (Competitive Edge Racing) when the trio came together at the front of the race, pacing Leesville Gap and on the long 20-mile descent on Huffmaster Road to the finish.

Wertz's time of 3:50:02, matched by Taylor in second and Shelton going one second later in the sprint, set a new course record at the 90-mile race.

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"Coming into the end, it was probably the most tactical addition so far. It was Skyler, Marcus and I, and I tried to get away maybe four or five kilometres from the finish. But these guys are super strong, and they were definitely not giving me wiggle room," Wertz told organisers at the finish in Maxwell.

Shelton, who took second at the Grasshopper opener in January at Low Gap, rode with Wertz across the first big climb, nearly 20 miles of asphalt and dirt to reach mile marker 43.

"I was on his wheel most of that climb, just a blistering pace up that and he had me hangoing on by a thread. I stopped in the feed zone. He was a gentleman, kind of slow rolled out of the feed zone so I could get back on," Wertz explained.

"Then we hit it pretty hard. Skylar bridged across to us, and then the three of us continued to pick off the other guys with us on that last climb."

On the final descent, Shelton led at the front and gained a 20-second gap. Wertz took turns with Taylor to reel back the leader, "I was just kind of chilling back there, just watching", and he was patient with his final surge of speed.

"Awesome way to kick the year off. It's one of my favourite courses. It's a local race series, so wouldn't miss it," the California-native added about a third consecutive win at Huffmaster.

Shafi, from nearby Portland, Oregon, launched her new MAAP off-road programme at Huffmaster, with her road team, Fount Cycling Guild, closing at the end of last season. Last year, she won the overall at Redlands Bicycle Classic and earned a bronze medal at the USPro Road Championships in the time trial.

Four women made a separation from the field, a first-time women's only start at Huffmaster, across the first climb. Larissa Connors would get dropped from the front on the final climb, but caught and passed the lead trio on the long descent down Huffmaster Road. The quartet rode together on the final miles, leaving tactics to play out in the women's race similarly to the men's.

"I was hoping for a sprint finish [because] I have a good hit at the end," Shafi said, who finished ninth in her only other Huffmaster race three years ago.

Shafi led the way in 4:34:20 for the three-way sprint, with Flavia Oliveira Parks (Excel Sports) going second, Jen Tavé (SpeedBlock-Terun) third, and Connors going fourth. Both Shafi's closest adversaries had raced at Grasshopper Series events for years, with Parks winning Huffmaster in 2024 ahead of runner-up Tavé.

"It was my first time coming in for a sprint finish, probably not the best for me, gotta work on that sprint, but it's hard to get away anywhere else on this course," said Tavé.

The series moves to the western edge of Sonoma County for King Ridge on March 28. The mainly paved course will have timed segments across the 91-mile route.

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