USA Cycling announces 2023 Gravel World Championship team

September 18, 2023

A total of 113 athletes have qualified for the World Championships to be held in Veneto, Italy, from October 7 to 8, 2023.

September 18, 2023, COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships will take place in Veneto, Italy, October 7-8, 2023. In the second year of the event, USA Cycling will send a team with podium goals for American runners.

As part of the UCI’s Cycling for All initiative, the qualification process for the Gravel World Championships is multifaceted. Riders can qualify for their age group by finishing in the top 25% of one of the Trek UCI Gravel World Series events. Additionally, riders who won their National Championship class at the 2023 National Championships were also nominated, including the top three in the elite races. USA Cycling then has the opportunity to enter 20 additional athletes across all categories, including amateur and elite. Athletes had to request that those final quotas be considered in the process.

Ultimately, USA Cycling will send a team of 13 Elite men and 10 Elite women who will battle it out for the coveted Elite world title. Off-road phenomenon Keegan Swenson (Heber City, Utah; Santa Cruz, SRAM, htSQD) will have Team USA on their side with gravel superstars like Alexey Vermeulen (Pinckney, Michigan; Jukebox – ENVE), Brennan Wertz (Mill Valley, California; Mosaic Cycles), and Payson McElveen (Durango, Colorado; Allied Cycle Works), along with three-time US Criterium National Champion Lucas Lamperti (Sebastopol, California; Trinity Racing).

Women’s Elite Gravel National Champion Laura Esteban (Dallas, Texas; EF EDUCATION-TIBCO-SVB) will lead the charge along with a member of the Road Worlds team Heidi Franz (Seattle, Washington; DNA Pro Cycling) and returning Gravel Worlds members Emily Newsom (Fort Worth, Texas; Roxo Racing) and Sara Sturm (Durango, Colorado; Specialized/ Rapha/ Wahoo). Alexis Skarda (Grand Junction, Colorado; Santa Cruz Bicycles) and antonio cristal (Bentonville, Arkansas; Liv Racing Collective) will also be ones to watch after their silver and bronze medals at the inaugural National Gravel Championships.

The US team roster is as follows:

elite men

Zach Calton (Salt Lake City)
Ian Kutzleb (Durango, Colorado)
Lucas Lamperti (Sebastopol, California; Trinity Racing)
Andy Lydic (Boulder, Colorado; BMC #ItCouldBeMe)
Payson McElveen (Durango, Colorado; Allied Cycle Works)
Justin McQuerry (Austin, Texas; Novo Nordisk Development Team)
Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz, California; Santa Cruz, SRAM, htSQD),
Ethan Overson (Tucson, Arizona; Escudería Pinarello)
Artem Schmidt (Cumming, Georgia; Hagens Berman Axeon)
Keegan Swenson (Heber City, Utah; Santa Cruz, SRAM, htSQD)
David Van Orsdel (Minneapolis)
Alexey Vermeulen (Pinckney, Michigan; Jukebox – ENVE)
Brennan Wertz (Mill Valley, California; Mosaic Cycles)

elite women

Morgana Aguirre (Seattle, Washington)
antonio cristal (Bentonville, Arkansas; Liv Racing Collective)
Heidi Franz (Seattle, Washington; DNA Pro Cycling)
Emily Newsom (Fort Worth, Texas; Roxo Racing)
Paige Onweller (Belleville, Michigan; Trek/WTB/ABUS/HED/SRAM)
Laura Esteban (Dallas, Texas; EF EDUCATION-TIBCO-SVB)
Alexis Skarda (Grand Junction, Colorado; Santa Cruz Bicycles)
Katherine Sheridan (Omaha, Nebraska)
kyleigh spear (Frankfort, Illinois)
Sara Sturm (Durango, Colorado; Specialized/ Rapha/ Wahoo)

Gravel World Series and National Championship Qualifiers

*If riders have an elite UCI license and plan to compete at the World Championships, they will automatically compete in the elite category.

Visit USACycling.org for more information on athletes, events and membership programs, and follow @USACycling on all channels for the latest on Team USA.

For more information, contact Angelina Palermo at apalermo@usacycling.org.

ABOUT USA CYCLING (usacycling.org)

USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross and BMX disciplines. USA Cycling’s mission is to increase participation and commitment to the sport of bicycle racing and achieve sustained international success in all cycling disciplines. USA Cycling supports cyclists of all levels and abilities, from those just starting out in the sport to international caliber athletes. The organization identifies, develops and selects cyclists to represent the United States in international competitions through the support of youth and interscholastic programs, grassroots and amateur bicycle racing events, athlete development programs and operational support for cycling clubs, cycling teams. races and event organizers. . USA Cycling has 80,000 members, sanctions more than 2,500 events annually, and is a member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).