Gravel Results: “The Sand Box” Proves Decisive at Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder Stage Race

The first-ever Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder five-day stage race made an impressive debut last weekend with a field filled with Dirty Kanza and Lost and Found podium finishers and professionals from across disciplines.

Throw in five days of beautiful views, challenging routes and some appropriate 90s nostalgia, and the first race was a rousing success in its first go-round. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” 2019 DK200 winner Colin Strickland said after the final stage. “I’m definitely bringing friends with next year.”

The total distance of 350 miles of riding that covered a loop through the Cascades west of Bend kicked off on Wednesday and riders raced and camped their way back to the starting point in Sisters. Each day had a different vibe, with a sandy wagon road forming a decisive spot in the first stage and Stage 3 serving as the climbiest Queen Stage.

Beautiful views and challenging routes were in store at the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. 2019 Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. © Adam LaPierre

“People were stoked,” Matt Lieto said about the week. “Gravel is such a wide spectrum, and maybe some folks expected everything to be buff, but there were sections that felt like 1980s mountain biking.”

He continued, “We’re excited because there were already people asking us how to make sure they don’t miss pre-reg for next year.”

For more on the race, the vibe and some of the Elites competing, you can check out our race preview.

Lieto, one of the members of Chad Sperry’s race team, provided details on how things went down for the mini race reports below.

Women’s Race

Stage 1 checked in at 77 miles. Lieto said part of the goal when laying out the routes was to highlight the best of Oregon’s gravel roads while also incorporating some historic wagon roads to keep with the theme of the race.

One of those wagon roads was a particularly sandy one in Stage 1 racers quickly dubbed “The Sand Box.” Three women were the cleanest through the sandbox—Rebecca Fahringer (Kona Maxxis Shimano), Sarah Sturm (Specialized/Rocket Espresso) and Serena Bishop Gordon (Liv Cycling).

Bishop Gordon pressed her advantage on the final technical descent to get a gap on the other two women and take the overall lead one day in. Part of the key to her success was running 50mm tires that helped her through the sand and then the descent.

It is worth noting that due to issues with her flights, Kaysee Armstrong (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) missed Stage 1 but was able to ride the other four stages.

Stage 2 proved to be the decisive stage in the Women’s GC. In the last four days, Fahringer made it her goal to stick with the Men’s leaders as long as possible. The fruit of those efforts was finishing nearly 8 minutes ahead of Jasmine Duehring (Sho-Air Twenty20 Cycling) on Stage 2.

Fahringer’s advantage was widened when Duehring and Sturm both crashed hard midway through the stage. Sturm sat out Friday’s stage after suffering a separated shoulder, while Duehring was forced to dial it back after going down hard.

The Queen Stage on Friday started with a massive climb, and Fahringer again stuck with the Men’s leaders, taking advantage of her short bursts of power honed in cyclocross training to stay with any surges from the men. She finished Stage 3 nearly 12 minutes ahead of runner-up Bishop Gordon.

The Queen Stage was a pretty one. 2019 Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. © Adam LaPierre

Fahringer won Stages 4 and 5 as well and won the GC by 47 minutes over runner-up Bishop Gordon.

Heading into the last day, Sarah Max (Argonaut) held a small advantage on Duehring and Amity Rockwell (Easton Overland Gravel Team), and she finished a strong third on Sunday to hold onto her podium spot. Duerhing took fourth and Rockwell fifth in the overall GC.

Full stage and GC results are below.

Men’s Race

The “Sand Box” proved to be decisive in the Men’s race as well. As Lieto mentioned in the preview, Carl Decker (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) did a pre-race moto trip of the entire course, and the Oregonian found it CD-Send-It Certified. He also used some knowledge to his advantage on Wednesday.

Armed with some shaved down mountain bike tires, Decker and Barry Wicks sent it through the sandy wagon road. Many of the other riders behind them had to dab or even dismount. The result was a front of the race that was ripped apart.

Decker and Wicks finished 6 minutes ahead of Josh Berry (Giant / Velocio) and Jacob Rather (Ottolock Adventure Team), and the next rider finished 15 minutes (!) behind them.

On Stage 2, it was Decker’s teammate Berry’s turn to send it. Berry took the stage, with Wicks and Decker crossing together for a joint 2-3 finish.

Stage 3 was Rathe’s turn to shine on a cold, wet day. He went off the front early on the Queen Stage and held his advantage to win the stage by over a minute. Stage 3 proved to be decisive for the GC, with Decker finishing in third alongside Berry, while Wicks popped on one of the big climbs. To be fair, Wicks had done a 9-hour day of climbing on Monday, but that result did not count in the GC.

The aggressor in Stage 4 was Kevin Girkins (Meteor x Giordana x Allied), who attacked early and soloed to the stage win. Teammates Berry and Decker finished together and no one near the top of the standings was able to make a major dent in Decker’s lead.

In the 5th and final stage, the Giant Off-Road duo of Berry and Tristan Uhl (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) covered early moves, and Girkins again got away to take his 2nd stage win.

Decker took the five-stage GC, finishing 5:45 ahead of Berry. Wicks recovered from the Queen Stage to finish third. Rathe took fourth and Uhl fifth. Dillon Hollinger (Specialized x Rocket Espresso), an employee of Specialized, took the Working Man award by finishing sixth.

Full stage and GC results are below.

Women's Omnium Results: 2019 Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder

Men's Omnium Results: 2019 Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder