USA Cycling named its team for the 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships with the two elite gravel national champions crowned in Gering, Nebraska – Lauren Stephens and Keegan Swenson – leading a 23-strong team.
The second edition of the Gravel Worlds is due to take place in Veneto, Italy, with the elite women racing on October 7 and the men on October 8.
Swenson (Santa Cruz Bicycles-SRAM) has dominated the Life Time Grand Prix gravel series this season, winning all but the most recent event, the Chequamegon MTB Festival, where he came second to Alexey Vermeulen (Jukebox-Shimano-Q+M).
Vermeulen also made the team for the elite men’s race along with Brennan Wertz (Mosaic Cycles), who was third in Gering. Payson McElveen (Allied Cycle Works) and criterium champion Luke Lamperti (Trinity Racing) are other pro riders taking part.
Zach Calton, Ian Kutzleb, Andy Lydic, Justin McQuerry, Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz Bicycles-SRAM), Ethan Overson (Scuderia Pinarello), Artem Shmidt (Hagens Berman Axeon), David Van Orsdel complete the men’s team.
Stephens (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB), who finished 15th behind winner Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (France) at the first edition of the UCI Gravel World Championships, will be joined by last year’s participants Emily Newsom (Roxo Racing) and Sarah Sturm (Specialized).
The two podium finishers from nationals, Alexis Skarda (Santa Cruz Bicycles) and Crystal Anthony (Liv Racing Collective), along with Heidi Franz (DNA Pro Cycling) will also head to Veneto. Morgan Aguirre, Katherine Sheridan, and Kyleigh Spearing round out the women’s team.