Adam Roberge (centre) celebrates on podium as elite males’s winner 2024 Canadian Gravel Nationwide Championships(Picture credit score: Biking Canada / Cody Shimizu @Shimizuimg)
Katja Verkerk celebrates elite ladies’s victory on high step of podium at 2024 Canadian Gravel Championships at Ghost of the Gravel(Picture credit score: Cody Shimizu – @Shimizuimg)
Adam Roberge (Felt UN1TD) outsprinted Julien Gagné (Équipe Qui Roule) to win the elite males’s title on the Canadian Gravel Championships on Sunday, whereas Katja Verkerk (Bodily Tradition Straight Up Cycles) outlasted Haley Smith (Trek Driftless) to take the elite ladies’s gravel nationwide title.
The 118km course featured a clockwise loop in western Alberta with 6,800 toes of climbing, the very best level of the route hitting on the half-way level and climbing to five,400 toes above sea stage. Rolling hills prevailed all through a chilly, moist and wet day.
After the third and remaining feed zone and 30km to go, Roberge and Gagné had made separation with Michael van den Ham (Large Biking) on the entrance of the race. Van den Ham was dropped with 5km to go. Within the remaining kilometres on the pavement, Roberge rushed to the road for the win in 3:44:31, three seconds forward of Gagné. Van den Ham held on to 3rd place, 44 seconds again.
Verkerk got here into the gravel championships after a spring of highway racing, the place she had stage wins at Valley of the Solar Stage Race and Tucson Bicycle Traditional in Arizona in class 4 and three divisions, respectively. The Victoria, British Colombia rider took the solo victory in 4:37:45, 2:54 in entrance of Smith. Anna Gabrielle Traxler was third, one other one minute again.
“I wasn’t anticipating to place a Canadian jersey on as we speak, so it’s sort of loopy. I’m new to racing, so I don’t know anybody,” Vervek informed Canadian Biking Journal, saying she simply took a chance to maneuver out entrance and stayed there.
“I attempted to observe the primary 5 to 10 wheels and I adopted an assault from a rider for some time, till she had a mechanical, the place I may move her.”
This yr’s nationals had been a part of Ghost of the Gravel weekend, an hour from Calgary in Water Valley. The identical 118km course, referred to as the Scary route, was used for different begin waves for leisure fondo riders. Final yr the gravel nationals had been held in Ontario.
Outcomes – elite ladies high 5
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Pos.
Rider
Time
1
Katja Verkerk (Bodily Tradition Straight Up Cycles)
04:37:45
2
Haley Smith (Trek Driftless)
00:02:54
3
Anna Gabrielle Traxler
00:04:00
4
Kelsey Duffield (Peloton racing)
00:05:11
5
Emily Neill (Diversion)
00:07:59
Outcomes – elite males high 5
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Pos.
Rider
Time
1
Adam Roberge (Felt UN1TD)
03:44:31
2
Julien Gagné (Équipe Qui Roule)
00:00:03
3
Michael van den Ham (Large Biking)
00:00:44
4
Cameron Jones (POA Racing)
00:04:26
5
Sean Fincham (Maxxis Manufacturing facility Racing)
