Sofia Gomez Villafañe and Daxton Mock Triumph in Gritty Valley of Tears Gravel Race Despite Harsh Weather and Challenging Course

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Riders percentage the street with the locals in Texas, with gentle snow at the pink gravel at Valley of Tears(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)Snow, sleet or even some hail fell at the route(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)Ladies’s elite podium at 2025 Valley of Tears(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)Males’s elite podium at 2025 Valley of Tears(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)Sofia Gomez Villafañe rides to moment consecutive victory at Valley of Tears gravel race(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)Ladies’s winner Sofia Gomez Villafañe rides solo on ultimate 41 miles(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)An afternoon for excessive climate because the peloton started the 67-mile route, which used to be first downsized from 97 miles and minimize additional to 47 miles(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)Elite males’s box compete in cold-weather equipment(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)Elite males’s trio of leaders – Daxton Mock, Hugo Drechou and Michael Garrison(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)Main trio of elite males on 47-mile route(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)Temperatures hovered across the freezing mark all day with sleet and ice falling on portions of the route(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)Extensive open areas in west Texas for Valley of Tears(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)Michael Garrison leads Daxton Mock(proper) and Hugo Drechou (left) on dry phase of Valley of Tears(Symbol credit score: Alex Roszko / Valley of Tears)

Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Specialised Off-road) conquered harsh climate prerequisites and made it two-for-two at Valley of Tears gravel race in Turkey, Texas on Saturday. Within the elite males’s race, Daxton Mock (Undergo Nationwide Group) took the victory from a three-rider lead workforce on a mud-caked route shortened to 47 miles (75.6km).

In only a moment version, Valley of Tears made impressions past the wealthy prize handbag of $26,0000 shared via the 2 elite fields. Elite women and men had their very own begins however shared similarly within the bold climate prerequisites that grew to become the sandy washes and punchy climbs of the Tampico Tundra into sticky, claret-coloured clay.

The swing in climate prerequisites used to be drastic for 2 days of racing on the gravel match, with heat spring temperatures of 76°F available for the inaugural filth criterium on Friday. An afternoon later, the thermometer plummeted 40 levels, winds gusted to over 30 mph and rain transitioned from sleet to snow because the temperatures hovered across the freezing mark. 

Organisers made the decision to shorten the lengthy 97-mile route for protection causes, first starting off 30 miles on a northern phase after which some other 20 miles eradicated as a result of thick dust for a last distance of 47 miles for the west Texas gravel stampede. 

Villafañe ruled the distinctly other classes, and climate prerequisites, first successful the inaugural Valley of Tears filth criterium on Friday when she took flight at the opening lap and dusted the sphere around the 20-lap race for the victory. The use of a an identical scheme on Saturday, the Argentina local broke away early and rode solo the remainder of the way in which for a moment consecutive win on the gravel staying power contest.

“I made a solo move 6 miles in after the now infamous gravel limestone pit and it stuck until the end. Questioned my choice a bit in the massive headwind sections but we finally had a race where it was separate start and no drafting between fields which was very sick,” Villafañe posted to her social media.

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Mock deliberate to make BWR Arizona his first gravel race of the season, however pulled out because of sickness. The 24-year-old from Wisconsin had lots in reserves as soon as around the end line, because the trio of leaders had no longer won communications that some other 20 miles have been minimize from the path, so the preliminary go below the end banner didn’t sign a moment loop however the finish of the race.

French rider Hugo Drechou (Numéro 31 par Café du Cycliste) completed moment and USA’s Michael Garrison (MGR p/b NICH SpeedClub)

“Got in a good break, and as I was rolling into town, I guess I got a bit excited through the finish line and thought, ‘Why not sprint to the line, just in case?’ Turns out it worked when they shortened the original course due to weather,” Mock defined on Instagram.

“Would’ve loved to battle it out more with the guys, but a win’s a win and I’m loving it!”

It is been a hectic early gravel season for Drechou, who received L. a. Bescanonina Gravel in Spain in early February and used to be fourth at BWR Arizona closing week. Garrison, who received HomeGrown Gravel in an uphill dash in mid February, mentioned the trio didn’t know the route have been shortened a moment time, so authorized his third-place end as “frustating” however “happy with the form”.

Final yr’s males’s champion Keegan Swenson used to be one spot in need of getting a percentage of the prize handbag on Saturday,  completing eleventh. He got here away with a small take a look at on Friday, on the other hand, with a victory within the criterium as a comfort prize.

Junior Gravel Nationwide Collection opener

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Juniors at the place to begin on a chilly day in Turkey, Texas(Symbol credit score: Invoice Scheiken)Juniors compete within the first spherical of USA Biking’s Junior Gravel Nationwide Collection(Symbol credit score: Invoice Scheiken)

Valley of Tears served as the outlet spherical of USA Biking’s Junior Gravel Nationwide Collection, a bunch of 5 present races throughout the United States with scoring to be had in 4 classes: 15-16 Males, 15-16 Ladies, 17-18 Males, and 17-18 Ladies.

Carter Lembke received the lads’s 17-18 junior department in 2:03:38, a half-second higher than Alex Snider, who received the lads’s 15-16 department.

Sara Shannon took the victory for the ladies’s 17-18 junior department in 2:30:52, whilst Kate Elwell used to be below a minute again and  the highest finisher within the ladies’s 15-16 junior department.

Complete effects from Valley of Tears are to be had on-line.

Standings within the Junior Gravel Nationwide Collection rank best riders with easiest general ranking from 3 in their easiest finishes, with at least 3 occasions to be finished. Most sensible-ranked riders from the sequence might be invited to a USA Biking Junior Ability Identity Camp in October 2025.

Lifestyles Time Sea Otter Vintage Gravel is the following match, held April 11 in Monterey, California. The opposite 3 contests at the calendar come with Lifestyles Time Unbound Gravel 50 on Might 31, SBT GRVL p/b Wahoo on June 29 and USA Biking Gravel Nationwide Championships on September 20. The nationwide championships might be held in L. a. Crescent, Minnesota for the primary time.

Elite best 10sSwipe to scroll horizontallyElite males best 10PositionRiderTime1Daxton Mock02:17:012Hugo Drechou+00:013Michael Garrison+00:024Russell Finsterwald+02:175Adam Roberge+02:196Torbjørn Andre Røed+02:197Chase Wark+02:198Tobin Ortenblad+03:119John Borstelmann+03:2710Dylan Johnson+03:38Swipe to scroll horizontallyElite ladies best 10PositionRiderTime1Sofia Gomez Villafañe02:39:352Emily Newsom+04:503Crystal Anthony+10:274Cecily Decker+11:505Axelle Dubau-Prevot+15:136Lauren Stephens+19:427Ellory Clason+23:248Erin Reedy+30:299Maire Noonan+30:5310Terry Moore+35:03