On Saturday the Grasshopper Adventure Series began with Low Gap Hopper in Ukiah, California, and with them the start of the gravel season in the USA.
The race was very challenging for several reasons, including the weather conditions, which probably favored the MTB profile of the winners
The organizers gave the green light to start the race, verifying that the terrain was manageable. It had a length of 77 km and a gradient of 1950 meters.
Kate Courtney won in women, although she had a puncture at the end of the race that she managed to overcome to win the women's title. “I managed to get within a mile of the finish line without deflating and crossing the line,” said Kate Courtney. Courtney's time was 2:52:02.
Christopher Blevins took the trophy in the men's race after battling with Stetina and Bennett. Blevins employment 2:28:40
Images by: Brian Tucker / Grasshopper Adventure Series
Courtney stated, “These races are always a great way to start the season. We always say it's like training, it's January, but you know, it's a bike race. There's a start line, there's a finish line and we work really hard all winter, so it's fun to go out and feel good on the bike, test your legs and get your energy level up for the season.”
Blevins, on the other hand, explained that his choice of 42mm tires gave him the grip he needed. “It was a great battle. The mud helped me. Especially in conditions like these, it's increasingly about choosing equipment. I haven't done many gravel races, but it's fun when it's so technical. The more technical, the better. The first climb is as difficult as possible.”
Peter Stetina, however, stated: “It's such a cruel start to the year. You start with a full threshold, a 20-minute test on a climb up a paved road. Apparently, everyone here sets their public relations”
Stetina explained that “Chris was at a new level this year. I couldn't overtake him on the climbs, so we were very even.”
Bevins also notes that "I've had a lot of really good battles with Peter Stetina in the early season races at Northern Cal." But he said, "Today was super fun."
We share with you the female and male classifications of the race extracted from runningup.com
Women's classification
Men's classification
