The Weekly Dirt: New GAFG, qualify for UCI gravel worlds, and win a cool bike from Revel
This article originally appeared on Velo News
Greetings!
I am writing this from 30,000 feet. Not figuratively, I am literally flying over the Atlantic Ocean. It’s been a whirlwind 36 hours between the end of Unbound and traveling to Scandinavia for FNLD GRVL, but I am here for all of it.
Those two events obviously have had and will have their own airtime here at Velo, but today’s Weekly Dirt is to fill in the blanks.
New Gravel Adventure Field Guide
The folks that produce the Gravel Adventure Field Guide have been busy at work, adding to the library of pocket-sized gravel field guides. The latest to hit the shelves is the Fruita & Palisade book, which showcases the gravel riding on Colorado’s Western Slope.
With a long heritage of cycling history, namely mountain biking in Fruita and road riding around Palisade, this guide re-imagines the region from the perspective of gravel cycling. The book features 11 routes, whimsical art, and historical narratives about the region. From smooth gravel to overland roads with short areas of rough technical gravel, the Western Slope has it all.
As always, the guides are available for purchase online or at bike shops in the feature region.
Qualify for UCI gravel world champs in Arkansas
This year, there is only one qualifier in the United States for the UCI Gravel World Championship, and it’s in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The Highlands Gravel Classic returns for its second edition on June 24. The race is part of the UCI Gravel World Series, and the top 25 percent of each age group and gender will qualify for the UCI Gravel World Championships, set to be held in Veneto, Italy the first weekend of October.
The course is around 70 miles with 5,500 feet of elevation gain on 95 percent gravel roads in the rural backcountry of the Ozark Mountains.
Register here.
Revel Bikes x Skida, for a great cause
Revel Bikes and Skida have teamed up to create a one-of-a-kind Revel Ranger featuring the Fuulbari pattern, Skida’s newest print deigned by Nepali Artist Ubahang Nembang.
(Fuulbari means ‘flower garden’ in Nepali).
The bike is up for grabs in a fundraiser for dZi Foundation, a Colorado-based nonprofit with the mission of strengthening Nepali mountain communities. Every $10 donation to dZi Foundations gets you a chance to win the Skida collection (brim hat, sun tour, cashmere scarf, and bike fender), the custom Revel Ranger, and Ubahang’s original Fuulbari artwork.
Watch: Rising Tide from Pinarello
Pinarello has a unique take on the ‘ambassador’ model; its Scuderia gravel squad is made up of athletes as varied as freeskier John Collinson and ultra runner Hillary Allen to cycling legends like Mari Holden and Jamie Bestwick.
In this new film, Holden and Bestwick reflect on their personal legacies oi the sport, while Unbound 100 Champion Ethan Overson and national collegiate road and TT champion Cecily Decker explore what it means to look forward to the start of their careers
Gravel Earth final to be held in Barcelona
After six races held around the world, the province of Barcelona will crown the first champions of the Gravel Earth Series on the weekend of September 16-17.
For those participating in the series, the ranking will include their top two results from any of the six races, plus the result from the Earth Final.
The final race in the inaugural series will be 160k in length and include 2600m of climbing. There will be three feed zones on the unmarked route.
The event will also be open to riders not competing in the series, with three distances on offer.
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