Sarah Sturm and Zach Calton plunder Utah gravel for solo wins at Crusher in the Tushar

Sarah Sturm (Specialized) and Zach Calton (Ventum) claimed solo victories at the Crusher in the Tushar gravel race in west-central Utah.

Migration Gravel champion Sturm, fresh off third place at the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder stage race, put on a 'clinic' on the gruelling 69-mile off-road race, finishing in 4:57:13. Emma Langley (Aegis Cycling Foundation) finished 56 seconds back for second place, with Anna Gibson (Pas Normal Studios) another 1:04 later for third.

Calton, most recently second at Big Horn Gravel, dominated his home race on Saturday, riding in with a time of 4:09:48. He held off his Life Time Grand Prix adversary Torbjørn Røed (Trek-MAAP) who was 2:07 behind for second. Henry Nelson took third, nearly 7 minutes adrift.

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Last year Crusher in the Tushar was cancelled just days before the event as there were safety concerns about wild fires still threatening people, livestock and property in that area of Utah.

The event is now in its 13th edition, with Crusher founder T. Burke Swindlehurst competing in the elite men's division, finishing 24th.

This year the event organisers, Life Time, refreshed the climbing-heavy formula - 10,000 feet of elevation gain - with the usual start in downtown Beaver and a new finish at Utah’s newest ski and summer resort, Eagle Point. The course featured 60% gravel through the Tushar Mountains and Fishlake National Forest.

The event had been part of the Life Time Grand Prix but was not included in the schedule this year.

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