Cécile Lejeune (CCB p/b Levin Regulation Group) gained three out of 5 levels for ladies(Picture credit score: Wil Matthews / Oregon Path Gravel)
The campsite on day 2 of Oregon Path Gravel(Picture credit score: Wil Matthews / Oregon Path Gravel)
Hugo Drechau rides in entrance of Peter Stetina on stage 1(Picture credit score: Wil Matthews / Oregon Path Gravel)
Griffin Easter rode to second general at 2024 Oregon Path Gravel(Picture credit score: Wil Matthews / Oregon Path Gravel)
Dry and windy situations made for plooms of mud throughout 2024 Oregon Path Gravel(Picture credit score: Wil Matthews / Oregon Path Gravel)
French riders Cécile Lejeune (CCB p/b Levin Regulation Group) and Hugo Drechau (Groove Gravel) outlasted prime contenders throughout 5 days of racing to safe the general titles on the 2024 Oregon Path Gravel stage race. The 350-mile (563km) competitors via the center Oregon’s Cascade mountains concluded in Bend on June 30, and offered prime factors within the Gravel Earth Sequence for the primary time.
Lejeune, who is predicated in Tucson, Arizona, dominated the 5 days of off-road competitors with 4 stage podiums, together with a solo victory on Sunday to finish a sweep of victories throughout the ultimate three days, posting a complete time of 17:35:54. She took the beginning line in Oregon as she was not a part of the CCB workforce which traveled to Europe to compete on this week’s Volta Portugal Feminana.
“Gravel Racing was nonetheless very new to me and gravel stage racing much more. It was with combine of pleasure and nerves that I toed the road on stage one. The primary days have been a battle however I discovered my legs via the week,” Lejeune informed Cyclingnews.
“I completed with two actually sturdy days the place I used to be out in entrance by myself a lot of the day. It was superb racing with a bunch of sturdy girls and much more to share a complete week with them. I’m wanting ahead to racing some extra gravel, boosted by this win in Oregon.”
US rider Serena Gordon (Sunnyside Sports activities) was closest to Lejeune, greater than 31 minutes again, for second general. The five-rider podium was accomplished by Flavia Oliveira Parks (Excel Sports activities p/b Specialised), Morgan Aguirre (Sufficient Biking) and Briton’s Danni Shrosbree (Felt Un1ted).
Drechou, the just lately topped marathon mountain bike champion of France, held off USA’s Griffin Easter (Opicure Basis) for the GC win, the 2 separated by three minutes, the Frenchman posting a time of 15:14:13.
Canadian Rob Britton (Issue-Ovrlnd) was third, 7:34 again. The five-rider podium was accomplished by Australian Cameron Jones (POA Racing) in fourth and US rider Peter Stetina (Wahoo Wheelin) in fifth.
In 2024 the ‘Pioneer’ lengthy course provided prime factors for professional divisions because the third of 5 instalments of the ‘International Occasion’ designation for the Gravel Earth Sequence. With third general in Oregon, Britton took the Gravel Earth Sequence general lead for males, a slim 16 factors forward of Hans Becking and 26 factors forward of Stetina.
US rider Sarah Sturm continued to guide the ladies’s general, whereas Oliveira Parks and Shrosbree moved into sixth and seventh within the girls’s standings. Geerike Schreurs, who was sixth in Oregon, moved into fifth place within the collection.
The way it unfolded
The Oregon Path Gravel began and completed in Bend, Oregon, traversing 350 miles (563km) with 29,527 ft (9,000 metres) of elevation achieve, organisers offering 4 fully-supported hearth campouts every evening.
Stage 1 was a 66.3-mile course, half of the gap on gravel, from Bend to Gilchrist. A dry day with winds that kicked up the mud ended with a three-up dash for males via high-terrain evergreen forests, Jones successful forward of Frenchman Alexys Brunel (Groove Gravel) in second and Stetina in third.
Dubau-Prevot Axelle (Groove Gravel) scored the stage 1 victory for ladies, crossing the road solo after a bit of greater than three hours. In a 3 rider-sprint for the opposite podium spots, Michael Thompson (Orange Seal-Specialised-Shimano) took second, with Gordon third and Oliveira Parks fourth.
The second day of racing featured an fascinating 92-mile route from Gilchrist to Oakridge, with 4,761 ft of elevation achieve however 8,045 ft of descending. It was on the rocky downhill sections that many riders suffered, together with Stetina, who suffered a heavily-damaged rear wheel and misplaced 18 minutes to each Brunel and Jones, who completed 1-2, and Drechou taking third.
The shortest day was stage 3, a 30.5-mile circuit round Greenwaters Park Oakridge that was contested as a time trial utilizing three timed sections, a single monitor section then a four-mile ascent adopted by a three-mile bumpy descent. Brunel took a seven-second win over Van den Ham, with Jones in third. For the ladies, Lejeune captured the victory, 1:04 over Thompson and one other 1:29 over Aguirre.
Stage 4 was the queen stage, with 59.3 of the 83.1 whole miles on gravel and greater than 9,000 ft of elevation achieve from Oakridge via the Willamette Nationwide Forest north to the McKenzie River. Easter outkicked Stetina to the road for a stage victory, whereas Drechou took third. Lejeune then took one other stage win, this time 10 minutes forward of second-placed Justine Barrow and Parks in third.
The ultimate day of racing began with a shuttle switch for riders to the Ray Benson Sno-Park at Santiam Go. From there, racing proceeded for 72 miles with heavy sand on dry filth roads to the end at Oregon State College in Bend.
Van den Ham gained the two-up dash towards Easter, with Stetina in third. Whereas Easter moved to second general, it wasn’t sufficient time to displace Drechou, who secured the GC win. Lejeune made it three for 3 with stage wins and took the GC title.
“Stage 4 and 5 had large days of climbing and proved to be the place cracks began forming for different riders,” Easter recapped on Instagram. “I threw all the pieces I had into the ultimate day and took again 4-ish minutes from chief Hugo Drechou however he was too sturdy and saved the lead.”
Outcomes
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Girls’s GC prime 5
Pos.
Rider
1
Cécile Lejeune (CCB p/b Levin Regulation Group)
2
Serena Gordon (Sunnyside Sports activities)
3
Flavia Oliveira Parks (Excel Sports activities p/b Specialised)
