Top US gravel riders take on a 'Spirit Tour' in preparation for the 2024 season

On Tuesday gravel racers Keegan Swenson, Russell Finsterwald, Kerry Werner and Cody Cupp set off on a five-day adventure through southern Arizona.

Instead of a traditional training camp, the four riders started a tour that both ironically and sincerely tries to find that elusive 'spirit of gravel', while also gaining fitness and camaraderie along the way.

“The first year we did it none of us had raced any gravel and it was kind of a joke, poking fun at the whole spirit of gravel thing,” Keegan Swenson told GCN. “We went out and it ended up being one of the better times I had on the bike.

“I hadn't really done any tour or bikepacking before and it was funny because, in the end, it seemed like that was the spirit of gravel: being out exploring with friends and riding hard.”

Courtesy of Russell Finsterwald/John Segesta

The crew from 2023 riding a paved section between the more rowdy sections of the ride

With the appropriately named ‘Spirit Tour' in its third year, the crew has the drill down to almost a science, exploring slight variations of the mould of a five-day mixed surface loop from Swenson and Finsterwald’s winter base in Tucson, Arizona. Within those parameters, the rest of the trip changes as Finsterwald, in particular, looks for new climbs, hike-a-bike connectors and towns to explore.

“Somehow I have become the designated travel agent for the trip,” FInsterwald told GCN about the trip.

“I do all the lodging and the route building, so for the most part, the other guys just get the luxury of just kind of showing up.

“There have always been multiple goals. First is to kick off the season by getting in some big days out in the the desert and exploring some terrain we can return to later. But, secondly, it also originated because we all were switching over to gravel at the same time. So we used it as a good opportunity to go ride gravel bikes and get familiar with all the elements of gravel after coming from mountain bikes.”

Courtesy of Russell Finsterwald/John Segesta

Gas stations make the tour go round, with the crew packing light to keep the feel of the bikes similar to when they are unloaded

Ultimately, even if the trip has adventure and friendship as core elements, the riders are all professional cyclists at the top of gravel cycling and the discipline is beginning to approach the professional level of WorldTour road racing. Thus, the training elements are fundamental.

Yet, the demands of gravel are different and not too far afield from the more rugged, adventure-oriented aspects of a bikepacking trip.

“It's a great way to get a big volume in and it's not as mentally taxing as riding big hours on pavement. But also, riding on gravel is different,” Swenson said. “Everything gets more abused so it's good to get a proper gravel camp in. We can try new equipment and new setups. Like the first year I ran 38s and this year I have 50mm Maxxis Ramblers and a suspension fork. So it's as valuable a tool as anything to test gear and figure out what is durable and works for us.”

Regardless, there would almost certainly be more efficient and optimised programmes for the riders instead of a point-to-point exploration of unknown desert roads. The trip relies on a beating heart of wanderlust to keep the spirit burning.

“It’s pretty unique to go and do the thing we’re doing all the time all together,” Werner told GCN.

Werner is a former top-flight cyclo-cross racer who tried his hand at the big gravel races this year. While it did not go as he hoped, the 'Spirit Tour' was enough of a highlight that he is back in the desert for a third go, despite racing much less in 2024.

“I’m getting paid to work and not really paid to race for the first time in years. I have the ability to race whenever I want, but the budget to go to the biggest races isn’t there. But I’m excited to get back to a bit more cyclocross.”

Courtesy of Russell Finsterwald/John Segesta

Friendship between competitiors is a Spirit Tour staple

Werner’s continued participation in the 'Spirit Tour' is a great example of what makes elite gravel racing in the US so interesting. Regardless of the money involved, the science in the training, and the competitiveness of the sport, there is still ample room for the foundational aspects of riding hard on dirt with friends, even at the highest level.

“[The trip] is not the smartest thing for me to do but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. We’re doing it for the training aspect but there is this venn diagram aspect too, with friendship and adventure making up the other circles.

“The centre of the venn, diagram is probably the spirit of gravel.”

To follow the journey, Swenson, Finsterwald, Werner and Cupp will all be posting daily to Strava and Instagram as they tackle the five days of rugged riding in Arizona. To find out more about some of the terrain they are riding, be sure to check out our recent video from Patagonia, Arizona where Hank and Ollie went on a quest of their own to find the best gravel in the US.