Grant and Voss win inaugural titles at Red Bull Rio Grande Gravel

Emma Grant and Paul Voss entered the record books as the inaugural winners of the 127-kilometre Red Bull Rio Grande Gravel event, which was contested Saturday from Cibolo Creek Ranch near Marfa, Texas. Dubbed the “one of the best gravel dules in the Far West,” the new event featured a 127-kilometre course with 1,275 meters of elevation gain through dirt and gravel roads.

Grant dominated a small women’s field in the Rio Grande Gravel, sealing victory in 4 hours, 40 minutes, 47 seconds for a 25-minute advantage over runner-up Jenn Real. The two competed a week ago in the 212km Belgian Waffle Ride in California, with Real finishing 18th and Grant following a place behind in 19th. In Texas, Grant made a statement by finishing well ahead of Real, while Celene Oberholzer finished third.

In the men’s division, Voss pounded the dry, bumpy terrain in the foothills of West Texas’ Chinati Mountains for the victory in 3 hours, 55 minutes and nine seconds. The only other runner to clock less than four minutes was runner-up Innokenty Zavyalov, who finished four minutes behind. Zavyalov came to Texas after finishing in the top 20 at the Belgian Waffle Ride California, and with his seventh place the following day at the Wafer ride (114 km), he finished with a podium finish at the weekend Dubbel Header challenge.

Colin Strickland, from Texas, was touted as the clear favorite earlier in the year but entered the race recovering from a respiratory infection that caused him to retire from the BWR race in California . Strickland settled for third place overall on Saturday.

“A few days after Sea Otter, I was knocked out with a nagging illness, which I assumed was a viral flu, after multiple negative tests for COVID-19. Seven days of the flu, my symptoms turned into an upper respiratory infection It lasted another 11 days and finally subsided after a round of heavy antibiotics, so I’m 20 days down, approaching the heaviest running block of the year and feeling hopelessly behind the competition. during preparation,” Strickland posted on his Instagram account a few days before lining up at the Rio Grande Gravel.

“Every professional cyclist has to go through major setbacks periodically, and I will be fighting to get back to the front of several gravel races leading up to Unbound in 4 weeks. This is where I am. Not ideal, but I’m grateful to have my health back!