Keegan Swenson captures elite men's title at US Gravel National Championships

Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz Bicycles-SRAM) continued his gravel domination on Saturday, claiming the US national title in the elite men's race at the first USA Cycling Gravel Championships held in Gering, Nebraska. 

In what turned out to be a close battle for the stars-and-stripes jersey, Swenson beat a three-rider chase group by 18 seconds to claim the title and a share of the healthy prize purse, totalling $60,000 between the men's and women's events. 

It continues his run of wins that includes Unbound, along with every other event so far in this year's LifeTime Grand Prix series, which has put Swenson in prime position to take the top spot for a second year running.

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Alexey Vermeulen (Jukebox-ENVE) led the chase group across the line to take second place, while Brennan Wertz (Mosaic Cycles) sprinted in for third and Payson Mcelveen (Allied Cycle Works) took fourth.

The race started and finished in Gering, a small town in the far western part of Nebraska,  just across the border from Colorado near the base of the Scotts Bluff National Monument. The elite men's and women's national championships race was held along a 131.4-mile course that included 5,600 feet of elevation gain, and 90% of the course was on gravel roads.

"It was a tough course," said Swenson. "It was windy, and the dirt was really soft and loose. It was a strange surface all day. Honestly, the best was the climb with 20 miles to go, and then we had a tailwind all the way home after that."

It was a tailwind that Swenson made the most of as while the race had hit the base of the climb with a lead group of around ten in the front, it had been significantly reduced by the top and then the Santa-Cruz rider was soon out the front alone.

"We went hard on the climb, with four of us reaching the top together," said second-placed Vermeulen. "I told myself not to underestimate Keegan (Swenson), and once again, he snuck through the inside, and we never saw him again until the finish line."

The climb may have been pivotal in the last part of the race, but the wind was also a crucial factor throughout and a large early crash also split the field early.

"I managed to sneak around the major crash that happened around mile 30," said third-placed Wertz. "Hopefully, everyone’s okay from that. Then, it was a solid group of us fighting the wind, battling it out. Really, really tough conditions, a really harsh wind. We had good cohesion. Everyone was working well together."

"It was fun to get to race with a good crew of the American guys," added Wertz. "It was really an honor. It was cool to be here for the first-ever national championships in this discipline. I can’t wait to see where the sports going and to be part of it."

As well as being the first opportunity to claim a US national title in the discipline, the race was also qualifying event for the UCI Gravel World Championships that are set to take place in Veneto, Italy, on October 8. 

The top three of the elite men's race –Swenson, Vermeulen and Wertz – automatically qualify for a spot on the US team in the race for the gravel rainbow jersey and USA Cycling will also fully support the elite winners for the trip to Italy.

None of those top three riders were at the first UCI Gravel World Championships in 2022, with Easter Griffin being the top finisher from the nation in 46th place.