The Story of SBT GRVL® 2025: Windswept Roads and Wild Hearts

Words By James Ion - Photography provided by SBT GRVL®

High in the aspen-shadowed folds of northern Colorado, where the horizon stretches wide and the air carries the crisp bite of mountain dawn, 2,500 riders gathered to write a new chapter of gravel’s great American saga. The town of Steamboat Springs, nestled like a postcard between green-draped peaks and shimmering rivers, played host once more to SBT GRVL®, presented by Wahoo, a race that’s become more pilgrimage than competition.

They call it “champagne gravel” here, silky smooth ribbons of earth and stone, winding through Routt County’s ranchland and ridgelines, kissed by a weekend of perfect summer weather. The air held the faint scent of sage and dust, and the sun rose slowly over the hayfields, casting golden light across a cycling congregation bound by grit, grace, and gear ratios.

On Sunday, the spotlight shifted 25 miles west to the quiet town of Hayden, where a new 79-mile and 117-mile Black Course turned heads and twisted legs. It was there, in the heart of wind-washed prairie and pine, that the elite fields thundered across a 37-mile circuit.

From the gun, the men’s race ignited. At mile 5, Alex Howes (Velocio-Cannondale) lit the first match. By mile 28, the field had fractured into a lead group of six: Brennan Wertz (Scott - Skipstone), Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz - HTSQD), Cobe Freeburn (Trek Driftless), Alexey Vermeulen (ENVE - Orange Seal - Q+M), Pete Stetina (GRVL PRVTR), and Torbjørn Andre Røed (Trek Driftless). They danced over washboard flats and rolled through quiet canyon rollers, pulling, marking, waiting. At mile 112, it was Wertz who dug deepest, storming away solo, carving through the final rise like wind slicing over wheat.

His time: 4:56:19. A victory written in rhythm, patience, and the final flick of the pedals.

The women’s race, just five minutes behind, unfolded like a slow-burn thriller. Emily Newsome (PAS Racing) tested legs early at mile 36, but the real move came at the halfway mark. Alexis Skarda (Santa Cruz - HTSQD), Melisa Rollins (Liv Racing Collective), Sarah Lange (Velocio-Pivot), and a host of hardened pros split from the bunch. Together they worked the crosswinds and climbs, a fluid force sharing turns and suffering. By mile 100, only four remained: Rollins, De Crescenzo, Stephens, and Lange, their wheels carving through the gravel like ink across parchment.

Melisa Rollins surged late, trading fire with De Crescenzo before claiming the win in 5:36:55. Behind her, a tight battle for the podium unfolded, Lauren Stephens and Sarah Lange fighting for every inch to round out the top four.

Elite Men’s Podium

1. Brennan Wertz (Scott - Skipstone) – 4:56:19

2. Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz - HTSQD) – 4:56:26

3. Cobe Freeburn (Trek Driftless) – 4:56:26

4. Alexey Vermeulen (ENVE - Orange Seal - Q+M) – 4:56:29

5. Pete Stetina (GRVL PRVTR) – 4:57:06

Elite Women’s Podium

1. Melisa Rollins (Liv Racing Collective) – 5:36:55

2. Lauren De Crescenzo (Factor Racing/TheFeed/Castelli SOG/Maxxis) – 5:36:57

3. Lauren Stephens (Aegis Cycling) – 5:37:26

4. Sarah Lange (Velocio-Pivot) – 5:37:30

5. Paige Onweller (Trek Driftless) – 5:39:02

   
   

Our predictions? Let’s just say they aged like an opened can of flat soda. A bit off this time, the gravel gods had other plans. Apologies to those we tipped. We might’ve jinxed you all. We owe you a post-race coffee and a proper redemption story.

This year also welcomed the GRVL® Femmes Team Challenge, a fresh take on team spirit rooted in community, representation, and the raw joy of racing. Inspired by Zwift’s Watch the Femmes movement, it opened new doors for amateur women to take the line, not just as individuals, but as teammates. The World Bicycle Relief squad clocked the fastest collective time, while the Adventure Femmes claimed the Team Unity Challenge, riding for more than one finish line.

“SBT GRVL is more than a race,” said founding partner and CEO Amy Charity, as sunset washed over Dry Creek Park. “It’s a celebration of place, of people, and of the world-class riding found right here in Routt County.”

A race. A ride. A community.

In Steamboat, the gravel always tells a story, and 2025 might be its finest yet.