SBT GRVL commits to separate women's start in 2025
Colorado gravel race joins Unbound Gravel in giving women a separate start wave from men
SBT GRVL has committed to providing a separate start for the elite women’s category in 2025. The move by SBT puts it in company with other marquee races like Unbound Gravel, who transitioned to separate starts for safety and fairness reasons. Notably, the announcement comes just three days after the 2024 edition of the race where discusssion continued among racers, media, and fans.
“Beginning in 2025 we will be separating the starting times of our most competitive course into separate categories for our Elite fields for all GRVL events,” the race wrote in a statement posted to social media.
The statement continued: “This year’s percentage of female participants was the highest we’ve ever seen, with more than 30% women on the starting line, and that’s thanks to all of you and our collective efforts to promote women’s sports and raise overall participation in cycling. We hear you. Let’s keep growing this sport together.”
Historically, SBT has used a mass start with professionals and amateurs intermixing and no separation of genders. This has been the traditional model for gravel events, but as gravel becomes more competitive and professionalized, racers have called for separate starts. Less people on the road is safer, racers say, and it’s offers a more level playing field.
At gravel events with combined mass starts, women racers often mix with groups of men on the road, meaning that the results sheet is impacted by which riders can stay with men’s groups the longest. Some racers have called for no-drafting rules to further combat this dynamic, but SBT’s statement does not address co-ed drafting.
This year’s race was won by gravel national champion Lauren Stephens, who rode in a group for more than half of the race that included her husband Mat Stephens. That was 100% in the rules this year at SBT, and it’s unclear if riding together was a pre-meditated strategy on the Stephen’s part.
There was also a crash near the beginning of the race that casued some athletes to renew calls for start regulations.
This is not the first time gravel races have been put in the hot seat for topics such as start times. In 2021, Lauren De Crescenzo won SBT and was criticized for working with male teammates on the Cinch team. Critics also said this dynamic took place at that year’s Unbound Gravel.
The gravel scene may continue to see additinal regulations as the sport professionalized. However, the decentralized nature of gravel racing will continue to offer different rules at different races.
Subscribe to Ryan MTB for further updates on this story and the latest gravel and mountain bike news.