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From Paris-Roubaix and unbound gravel to the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana and everything in between when you>”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link” }}”>join from outside+.
On Thursday, nearly 4,000 people received an exciting email from Life Time telling them they had won the lottery to enter Unbound gravel.
Although Life Time will not disclose the total number of applicants for the Kansas gravel race, we can only assume that the number of applicants is roughly double that received.
For those who didn’t make the cut this year, there are plenty of other places to put number plates on those flared handlebars come June 3.
Here are five:
The Dusty Bandita – Ovando, Montana
The Dusty Bandita debuted last year in Missoula, Montana. as the first women’s only gravel race. This year, the event returns to a new host venue and with twice as many spots for riders.
In 2023, as many as 200 women could participate in an 80- or 45-mile race outside Ovando, Montana. Ovando is a small town about an hour from Missoula that is well known to anyone who has ridden the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Race founder Brie Louis said routes will be revealed closer to the race date and are subject to pending snowpack and weather changes.
“We’re already about half full, which is exciting,” he said.
Registration costs either $150 or $135 (for shorter distances) and include raffle tickets for prizes valued at over $2,500, stocked aid stations, post-race food and a finisher’s bandana.
Nordic Gravel Chain – Kimito Island, Finland
We keep hearing that Finnish gravel is all the rage, so what better time than another event to check it out 2023 Nordic Gravel Series,
The series’ Kimito Island event takes place on the Finnish archipelago, which the race organizers call “a gravel paradise”. There are course distances of 50, 85 and 150 kilometres; However, none of them are timed for a section on the 150km route.
Registration costs $70, $90, or $130 depending on distance and includes a shakeout ride before the event, aid stations, and food and drink after the race.
Participants also have access to high-end bike rental; BMS URS and Kaius are available for all Nordic Gravel Series event weekends.
Another thing to consider: If you’re traveling to Finland for this event, consider staying a week for FNLD GRVL, which starts June 10 in Lahti.
Dirty Donuts – Martin, Michigan
Did you know that the first Friday in June is National Donut Day? Well, apparently it is.
This year, the “holiday,” which began in 1938 as a fundraiser for Chicago’s Salvation Army during the Great Depression, falls on June 2, and the Dirty Donut Gravel event in Michigan is again going heavy on the deep-fried dessert .
The fourth edition of The Dirty Donut will take place in Martin, Michigan, a small town between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. Four distances – 10, 22, 41 and 61 miles – will be offered with different ways to win.
According to the event’s website, “Serious racers will opt for the ‘sprint’ race, which is conducted like any other gravel race and the winner is the first to finish. The ‘doughnut’ racer will opt for a bit more strategy in the race.” where the winner is often not the fastest rider, but the rider who can combine speed with how many donuts they can eat.
In donut races, each race distance has a “donut stop” located along the race route. Participants deducted five minutes from their final finish time for each donut consumed at one of these stops. In addition, there are queen/king of donut prizes for the participant who eats the most donuts, regardless of their finishing time.
Looks sweet!
Lost and Found Gravel Festival – Portola, California
Not just the Flint Hills, the northeastern Sierra Nevada Mountains will host the Lost and Found Gravel Festival on June 3. Back for its eighth edition, Lost and Found is a beloved California race that last year back in the calendar After a covid gap of two years.
The event consists of three course distances – 100 miles with 8,000 feet of elevation gain and 80 percent dirt, as well as 60 miles with a gain of 5,000 feet and 35 miles with a gain of 4,000 feet.
All routes begin in Portola at City Park and head through the vast alpine valleys of the Lost Sierra into the surrounding mountains. The races are sandwiched into the weekend of the festival, and camping opportunities abound in Portola and neighboring areas.
Lost & Found is a longtime partner of Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and this year’s event supports it Lost Sierra Route, 600 miles of multiuse trail which will eventually connect 15 mountain communities to promote economic prosperity through recreation.
Buffalo Bill Gravel Grinder – North Platte, Nebraska
It’s no secret that Nebraska is one of the most gravel-rich states in the United States.
Home to new and old events like Gravel Worlds and Grounded Nebraska, the Cornhusker State may host gravel races in a different county every weekend. The Buffalo Bill Gravel Grinder, which debuted this year in the North Platte, will give people a glimpse into the unique scenery of Central Nebraska, filled with rolling hills and valleys, forests and native grasses.
The event will offer four distances – 16-mile fun rides, as well as 30-, 75- and 120-mile routes – at very manageable registration fees ranging from $25-40. (Tandems pay $60.)
The North Platte is less than a four-hour drive from Denver and about a six-hour drive from Kansas City. Those driving may consider bringing both bikes: This area is home to the Potter’s Paster mountain bike trail network.
