Tiffany Cromwell has a new lease of life as she targets UCI Gravel World Championships

Tiffany Cromwell has cited gravel as one of the key reasons behind her new-found motivation and love for the sport. The Australian has been a pillar of consistency on the European road racing scene for over a decade but since her transformation into a hybrid road and gravel racer, the Canyon-SRAM rider has found some of her best form, with a string wins under her belt in 2023.

This weekend, Cromwell will line up in Veneto, Italy, as one of the favourites for the women’s race at the UCI Gravel World Championships. After a stellar season that has included wins at the European Championships and Unbound 100, the 35-year-old is aiming for a podium or even a rainbow jersey.

“Gravel has helped give me longevity to my career and it’s helped me find the fun in cycling again,” Cromwell told GCN from her temporary base near Veneto.

The Australian rider has been busy riding recon over Saturday’s women’s course, and firmly believes that her shift into gravel has boosted her morale and motivation across her off-road and road calendars.

“When you have a long career you have ups and downs if you’re not continually successful and you do question your motivation at times. Of course I enjoy working for a team but you can lose your enjoyment a bit," she said.

"Gravel has been a new outlet for me, and it’s a new challenge where I can be competitive. So when I come back to the road I’m fresh and motivated again.”

This weekend, however, it’s all about gravel and Cromwell will go head-to-head with a stacked field that includes some of the biggest names from road, mountain biking and gravel. While the UCI Gravel Worlds faced a wave of scepticism last year, there’s no doubting that the line-up for Saturday’s race – with Lorena Wiebes, Demi Vollering, Sofia Gomez Villafañe, and Annemiek van Vleuten all registered – represents an incredible level of competition.

“It’s hard to say how it will go because we’ve also got some super strong US riders who are really good on the gravel but maybe don't have the tactical knowledge,” Cromwell told GCN.

"The roadies are the opposite, and then you throw in some mountain bikers. I’m excited, and I’m motivated but we’ll have to see how it goes on the day. The terrain isn’t perfect for me but I can still compete on an amazing day.”

© Sprint Cycling Agency

Tiffany Cromwell racing Gent-Wevelgem earlier this year

The level of competition within gravel has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years as more and more road elites shift their focus towards the dirt. Better races in the US and now Europe have been key, but so has sponsorship diversification.

“Every year gravel is getting more and more important. It’s still in that growing phase but gravel is definitely on the upward trends," Cromwell said.

"The flux of road riders brings more attention to the races but you don’t want gravel to lose what makes it special when it comes to the style of racing. We don’t want to turn it into a road race on dirt. Having the names there does elevate the sport, and having TV coverage is pretty cool.

“Worlds are unique and that’s what we learned last year. Obviously last year there were lots of unknowns in terms of what field would turn up and it was fascinating to see so many top riders from a number of different disciplines turn up. This year I’m going in with confidence but I know that the course is going to be very different on Saturday to the one we raced on at Euros.

"There are going to be a lot more steeper climbs in Italy, and set-up is going to be super important with tyre selection. I’m spoiled with some great partners in Canyon, SRAM and Schwalbe, who offer me anything that I want, and that gives me a leg up.”

Always learning and improving

Cromwell’s transition into gravel has been in motion for a few years and the processes and improvements are constantly refined. One of the biggest challenges has been the balancing act between road and gravel - transatlantic travel and the differing stresses that both disciplines can put on a rider’s mind and body.

“It’s been an experiment with what works best. At times it’s been challenging but we’ve been smart with saying to the team these are the gravel races I’d like to do and then putting the road season around that,” she said.

"Over the last few years, we were going in blank but last year we segmented periods towards gravel and road. I feel like we did it better because I was able to focus on the Classics in the first part of the year. I like that part of the season, and then transition to gravel.

"I had four gravel races in four weeks but the challenge there was that I was racing on three continents, with North America, Europe and Australia. The challenge was going immediately back to the road and we’re still trying to work out that transition."

Backed by a strong team, Cromwell has learned several lessons along the way and the Australian is set to keep on racing across both disciplines for another year, at least.

“I have one more year with Canyon-SRAM and I still plan on racing road and gravel. It’s an Olympic year so I will put a bit more priority on the road at the start of next season because of the selection process. I want to put a priority on that and then it will be more gravel focused with a few road races in there."