top of page

All the Story Lines to Follow in Pro Gravel Racing in 2025

Pictured: SBT GRVL
Pictured: SBT GRVL
The 2025 gravel race season kicks off in March. As the sport evolves and the community and events experience shifts for a new era, here are the story lines we're watching most closely. These all started showing up in the spotlight in 2024 and continue to gain global attention moving into 2025.

Pro gravel racing is entering a transformative era. From skyrocketing prize purses to growing competition between race series and the growing international appeal of the sport, the gravel scene is evolving in many ways.


These story lines are sparking spirited conversations, challenging traditions, and creating new opportunities for both elite athletes and amateur racers.


As the gravel calendar fills with high-stakes events, here are the storylines shaping the sport this year:


Rapidly Increasing Prize Purses

More and more races are competing for elite athletes to participate in their events followed by the online engagement of audiences following along with races, series, and the sponsors that support those races. Lauf Gravel Worlds announced that 2025 would include a $100,000 prize purse, the largest single day prize purse in gravel history. Life Time Grand Prix also increased their total prize purse to $380,000 across their many events. Shortly after, Gravel Burn announced a record breaking $150,000 prize purse, the largest for a single event.


Competition for attracting elite races is heating up. Some say the prize money is ruining gravel, others say it's making it more exciting while giving elite athletes the ability to make a legitmate career of this.


[Local Storyline]: Can Chase Wark Fight His Way Back Into the Life Time Grand Prix?

Chase Wark was a surprise late addition to the 2024 Life Time Grand Prix. Chase is from Minnesota and is a self-proclaimed aero-dork with the most unique bike setup at Unbound last year.


During the Grand Prix last year, he didn't attend Leadville and then crashed out at Chequamegon which hurt his Grand Prix total points and he finished the season in 24th place overall. For 2025, the field shrunk to just 22 racers each for men and women and Chase did not make it back in to the Grand Prix. But there are 3 men and 3 women 'wild card' spots for the best results at Sea Otter and Unbound and Chase plans on racing both of those events to see if he can sneak back in the back door of the Grand Prix through one of those wild card spots. Follow along with his season on Instagram to see if he can fight his way back in.


Competing Series & Competing Dates for Big Races

Massive events that are part of massive race series are competing more and more for pro and amateur attendance. Life Time Grand Prix is on it's 4th season while the Gravel Earth series is on it's 3rd season trying to build a following of races all round the world without such an exclusive cast of riders. Meanwhile, the long standing Belgian Waffle Rides also started the Quad Trippel Crown of Gravel with a yet to be announced prize purse.


Dates for 2025 are already packed with major rides competing for overlapping weekends. SBT GRVL, the inaugural Montana Belgian Waffle Ride, and Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder all taking place on the weekend of June 28.


The SBT GRVL Drama

SBT GRVL, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has faced several challenges in recent years, primarily stemming from tensions with local ranchers and community members. Concerns have been raised about the event's impact on rural roads, disruptions to daily life, and instances of public misconduct by participants.


In response to these issues, organizers have implemented measures such as altering race routes, adjusting start times, and eliminating organized pre-rides to mitigate conflicts. Despite these efforts, local authorities, including the Routt County Sheriff and Colorado State Patrol, have recommended significant changes. These include reducing the number of participants from 3,000 to between 1,500 and 1,800, eliminating prize money, and transforming the event into a non-competitive gran fondo on Saturday, followed by a closed-course circuit race on Sunday.


For the 2024 event, organizers introduced new courses featuring more remote and rugged terrain to address community concerns. The Black course, for instance, was shortened from 141 to 125 miles. Additionally, SBT GRVL has continued its commitment to inclusivity by partnering with organizations like Ride for Racial Justice and All Bodies on Bikes, aiming to create a welcoming environment for all participants.


The 2025 installment of SBT GRVL will include a non-competitive gran fondo-style event for up to 1,800 riders on Saturday, June 28, and the Sunday race takes place June 29th on a brand new spectator friendly 37-mile rolling champagne gravel loop. The elite race will consist of 3 laps with top pros competing for their share of a prize purse, and amateurs will do 2 laps and compete for age group podiums and prizes.


Separate Starts for Elite Women (And No Drafting Rules?)

To illustrate where we are on this one, take SBT GRVL. It's one of the most famous gravel races in the world but even in 2024, elite women didn't have their own start times. Lauren Stephens won the women's category while riding alongside and drafting with a group of men, including her husband, Mat Stephens, for over half the race.


This led to discussions within the gravel cycling community about the fairness of such race dynamics. In response, SBT GRVL organizers announced that, starting in 2025, they will implement separate start times for elite men's and women's fields to ensure fair competition.


Last year, Life Time Grand Prix introduced separate start times for all 7 events which marked a significant step toward promoting fairness and inclusivity in gravel racing. It also directly led to one of the most epic finishes ever, a 9 up sprint, for the women's Unbound finish. Expect more races, like SBT GRVL to follow suit this year and in years to come.


While women are are finally getting the separate start times they've been asking for, there continues to be heated debates around the idea of women still being able to draft behind men in these races. Sofia Gomez Villafane has been one of the most vocal proponents of a 'no drafting' policy for women drafting behind men. Interestingly however, she took 2nd place at the 2024 Rad Dirt Fest by drafting behind men for several miles to get ahead of Cecily Decker who had been sitting in 2nd place. When Sofia crossed the finish line, she held up a number 3 with her fingers indicating she quickly recognized she didn't feel like she fairly earned the 2nd spot which goes to show that if it's legal, people who will do it even if they feel like it should be officially against the rules.


Accelerating Global Growth

Gravel cycling's global appeal is accelerating, with series like Gravel Earth expanding from 12 events in 8 countries in 2023 to 25 events in 15 countries in 2025. The UCI Gravel World Series is expanding from 18 to 33 races in 2025. These series show not only localized growth of international gravel communities but the globalized collective expansion of the sport's interest.


Kenya’s Migration Gravel Race and Australia’s RDL GRVL (new in 2024) and Seven are drawing elite riders from around the world as well. Life Time Grand Prix also saw a record number of international athletes in 2024, reflecting a growing trend of riders traveling to compete in marquee events like Unbound Gravel and Big Sugar.


BRANDS WHO SUPPORT YOUR ADVENTURES & COMMUNITY

GO PHYSIO
WrenLogo.png
Gravel Bear.jpg

Get Cycling Adventures & Community Straight to Your Inbox

✔️ Weekly adventure cycling ideas

✔️ News round-up from around the web

✔️ 1,137 adventure cyclists already in

Thanks for subscribing!

bottom of page