Low Gap Hopper: Christopher Blevins and Kate Courtney take wins to open the US gravel season

The Low Gap Hopper from the Grasshopper Adventure Series opened the US gravel season on Saturday with wins for two of America’s top mountain bike pros: Kate Courtney and Christopher Blevins.

The two former World Champions in cross-country and short track, respectively, took the wins ahead of the gravel specialists on the short but hilly course around Mendocino County, California.

With the explosion in gravel’s popularity, the race is a popular season opener because the temperate climate of Northern California’s coastal range and the lush redwood forests make for a perfect 47-mile race to get the engine running for the bigger races ahead, and it has become a key race in the calendar for many riders.

Read more:

• The complete 2024 USA gravel race calendar
• Top 10 must-do US gravel races
• 8 hidden-gems of US gravel

“I think this is quickly becoming my 20-minute FTP test to start the year because the first climb is basically as hard as you can go. I’ve had a lot of good battles with Pete [Stetina] in early-season races in northern California. It's awesome to have someone to push me, especially on the climbs,” Blevins said in a post-race interview, shared on the Grasshopper Adventure Series Instagram page.

The American is in a crucial Olympic year and will need a strong showing at the opening rounds of the World Cups later this Spring to clinch a place in Paris for the games.

Courtesy of the Grasshopper Adventure Series

The top three from the men's race: Sean Bennett, Christopher Blevins and Peter Stetina

Peter Stetina - who is a stalwart of the Grasshopper Series since he calls neighbouring Sonoma County home - was the runner-up to Blevins, only losing contact with the mountain bike pro on the final technical descent to the finish. The final podium place was taken by Sean Bennett who is one of the many former WorldTour pros who have transitioned to gravel, having previously competed for EF Pro Cycling.

“It's such a vicious start to the year, you start with a full-on 20-minute threshold test up a paved climb which seems to be where everyone sets their PR for the year it seems,” Stetina said after the race. “We were really evenly matched and with Sean Bennett, a former WorldTour pro as well, we crested the climb together. I think we set a record in the process.

“When we got to the dirt we got into Chris’ terrain and dispatched Sean really quickly. Chris was really cagey. He attacked right before the muckiest downhill and used the mountain bike technique to dance away from me.”

Stetina tried to claw back to Blevins’ wheel, but with Blevins having enough form to hold a similar pace to Stetina on the climb, and enough skill to put him under pressure every time the road went downhill, he did enough to win the two-man battle in the end. Nevertheless, at a season-opening race, the final result is only part of the equation.

“The biggest thing for Low Gap for most of us is the rekindling of everyone coming back after winter. It's also a test of who has done their homework,” Stetina said. “I would have loved to get him this year but the signs are there that we’ve all done the work.”

Kate Courtney is in a similar position to Blevins on the women’s side as she prepares for the season ahead. Like the men, the women will have their Olympic spots decided in the first few World Cup contests of the year. While the women have two spots per nation, their crop of World Cup mountain bikers is deeper than the men with several riders capable of top placings.

With that form in her legs, Courtney was able to win the race with a comfortable seven-minute margin ahead of Flavia Oliveira Parks and Katerina Nash.

“It's so special to be able to race with so many people from the community, I especially like mixing it up with the men a little bit,” Courtney reflected after the race to the Grasshopper Adventure Series. “You always get to have some respectful battles out there and you always have someone to ride with.”

The women’s field, however, was filled with several pros who had their priorities elsewhere. A number of the top women were a part of an U19 mentor program that paired adult cyclists with U19 riders from the local NICA high school mountain bike league.

• Read more: Girls gone gravel – A look inside a new solution to youth cycling development

Courtney, who came through the program, was not a mentor during the Low Gap Hopper, but she had helped the cause through her foundation and was keen to endorse the program after the race.

“There is nothing I want to see more than more girls on bikes and more women on bikes and this accomplished both of these things in one fell swoop,” she said.

“Efforts like this are a huge part of making it accessible and fun. It also teaches young women that there is a lot to learn in bike racing that is not about bike racing. It involves being around these awesome women who are taking the time to not help them eat snacks and pick the right tyres, but also to fight through tough times and grow as a person.”