US Gravel National Championships: Lauren Stephens and Bradyn Lange win elite titles

Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling Foundation) won the elite women’s title at the USA Cycling Gravel National Championships in La Crescent, Minnesota, for the third consecutive year, while Bradyn Lange (Pinarello / Orange Seal) claimed the victory in the men’s elite contest.

Stephens set a time of 5:09:51 over the 100-mile (161 km) race to defend her title on a course with 7,171 feet (2816 m) of elevation gain. Sarah Lange crossed the line 24 seconds later for second place while Laura De Crescenzo (LDC LLC p/b Factor Racing) secured third. Emily Newsom (PAS Racing) took fourth and Melisa Rollins (Liv Racing Collective) finished fifth.

“The race was, I think, the hardest one we've had so far with, I don't know, six to 8000 feet of climbing. I was confused as the course changed, but somewhere between there,” Stephens said. “Every climb, the group would splinter and kind of get down to a selection, and then finally, at the most southern end of the course, we were probably a selection of six or seven riders.”

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“But then what really made the race was coming out of Hokah, there was quite the muddy slick section that a few riders went down and that and a few riders made it through. And I would say that that was really the point that made the race. The following climb, Sarah Lange and I pulled away from Emily Newsom, and from then on, Sarah and I worked together all the way till this final steep cyclocross kicker, and I was able to pull off the wind out of that section.”

In the opening section, the racers marked each other, shutting down early attacks, as the 26-rider field stayed intact through much of the first half. At the midway point, a decisive move formed when six riders established a gap. The group included Stephens, De Crescenzo, Newsom, Rollins, Leah Van Der Linden (Lauf | Continental | Tifosi | Hunt | Eliel) and Emma Langley (Aegis Cycling Foundation).

Lange hung just 10 seconds off the back, with the main field sitting two minutes behind. The marsh section proved pivotal, where the pace split the group and left Stephens, Newsom, and Lange out front. On Chicken Ridge, Stephens and Lange launched repeated attacks on one another in the closing 20 miles, but neither could shake the other.

As the race approached town, the stage was set for a head-to-head sprint between the two leaders. However, Stephens had different plans and was able to power away from Lange in the final miles, rolling in for gold, and keeping the Stars and Stripes jersey for another year.

Lange soloed to victory with a time of 4:23:21 over the same 100-mile course. Nine seconds later, Michael Garrison (MGR) secured second in a 3-way sprint. Cole Davis (Project Echelon Racing) was third, and Alexey Vermeulen (ENVE + Wille's dad) took fourth. Chase Wark (Lunchbox Racing) rounded off the top 5.

From the start, the pace was high in the 54-rider men’s field, topping 32 mph, with early attacks setting the tone for a fast and tactical day on course. The field began to splinter on the first climb, with a small group gaining two minutes as they entered the second gravel section.

The gap grew to over four minutes with Wark, Garrison, Zach Nehr (ZNehr Coaching), Marc Spratt, Nathan Spratt, Thomas Fuller (Cyclery USA/Big Wheel Coaching), and Tim McBirney (Team Mike's Bikes p/b Equator Coffees) driving the move. The leaders held a three-minute advantage over a main chase group of 18 riders as they reached the southernmost part of the course.

Nearly three hours into the race, Lange, Brennan Wertz (Scott/Skipstone), and Daxton Mock (Lake Mills, Wis.; Bear/Orange Seal) launched a counterattack, closing the gap to one minute and 45 seconds. At mile 71, a crash in the break disrupted the group, with four riders losing contact. Marc Spratt, Wark, and Garrison stayed upright and pressed on toward the finish.

With about 10 miles remaining, Davis, Vermeulen, Freeburn (MAAP Trek), and Lange bridged across, forming a seven-rider lead group. Garrison made a late bid for victory, gaining 20 seconds with five miles to go before being reeled back in. From there, attacks flew inside the closing miles. Lange was able to slip away to ride solo into the finish and earn the Stars and Stripes jersey.

“It was an interesting race, like, didn't start out too hard, a break had four minutes on us, and it just kind of turned into survival on all the final climbs, just all out,” Lange said.

“I bridged to the lead group with maybe 10 miles to go, and then there were five of us entering the final section, which really suited me well being a mountain biker. I hit it on that first kicker and got away and held it to the finish, so I'm stoked.”