SBT GRVL RACE WEEK
Previewing a big race weekend and an MG crash update
It’s a big week for +SpeedStudio as SBT GRVL is here.
It’s our fourth consecutive year, so obviously this weekend holds special place in our hearts. Between the jaw-dropping Steamboat scenery, the electric energy in town, the champagne gravel, and the unforgettable camaraderie, it’s a true highlight of the season.
This year brings a fresh twist: revised courses, a new weekend layout, and even more buzz surrounding the event. We’ve got big crew heading west with recon rides, team dinners, coffee meetups, and a post-race celebration all on deck.
Panic training peaked this past weekend with a group taking on the Red Clay Ramble gravel race and the world-renowned Caveman Century in CLT. The Ramble was a huge success with Andrew grabbing 7th overall and Doc Allen “The North Highland Hip Ripper” getting 2nd in his age group. As for the Caveman…what can we say, but they averaged 26.4mph or 3:46 with around 4K of climbing. Let that sink in for our Floridians out there. It’s all on Strava. WTF.
Anyway, for those headed to SBT prep is winding down. Tires debated, chosen, and mounted. Sealant topped off, chains waxed, kits dialed, and spreadsheets full of race plans are flying. We’ve studied the course down to the last mile marker—and some of us are already acclimating to altitude while others are still watching the clock, counting down the hours.
This is all very bittersweet as MG won’t be racing. He took a big tumble up at ToAD (see below). As of this writing, we’re still unsure if he can make the trip - which is so tough considering all his training and the high vibes he brought last year.
We plan to represent, and perhaps one of us will even debate making the switch to Sunday’s race to fly the flag.
Stay tuned.
MGR CORNER
Not the update I hoped to be sharing this week!
Last Sunday, during Day 4 of the Tour of America’s Dairyland in De Pere, Wisconsin, I was caught in a heavy crash just two laps into the race. It happened fast—blind downhill corner, pileup in the middle of the road, and nowhere to go. I hit the fence hard, flipped, and landed back on the curb.
It wasn’t just a small tumble. I couldn’t stand up on my own and ended up being carted off the course and into an ambulance. After all the checks, I was cleared of anything immediately serious, and—partly out of stubbornness, partly out of practicality—I skipped the hospital ride and headed back with friends (though I did go in for x-rays shortly after).
My back’s in pretty rough shape, and while it’s been a brutal few days, I’m extremely grateful it wasn’t worse. Grateful for the riders who checked in. Grateful for the people who got me off the course. And grateful for every person who’s sent a kind message since.
This sport gives us so much—and sometimes it takes its toll just as quickly. Right now, I’m focused on healing, taking things day by day (or hour by hour, depending on how it’s feeling), and trying to stay positive through it all.
I was meant to travel to Steamboat for SBT GRVL yesterday morning. That obviously didn’t happen. The race was a major target and a weekend I’d been looking forward to for months. Maybe with a drastic improvement, I can still head over for moral support. Day by day.
What’s carried me through this week, without question, is the incredible support of the people around me. I’ve been surrounded by the kindest, most thoughtful group of friends—helping me move, prep meals, get around, carry luggage, and even get my socks on. I’d be absolutely lost without them, and I’m endlessly grateful for the care and patience they’ve shown me.
This sport has a way of breaking you down and building you back up—over and over. Right now, I’m focused on the first part. Healing, slowly. Taking things day by day. And letting the people around me remind me why I love this sport and its community so much.
More soon,
MG
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