Joe Laverick and Chris Mehlman battled on the entrance of the race, with Laverick pushing away within the ultimate 5 miles(Symbol credit score: Rattlesnake Gravel Grind / @kendpruett)Lauren Stephens rides to solo victory(Symbol credit score: Rattlesnake Gravel Grind / @kendpruett)Sweetwater, Texas hosted the fourth version of Rattlesnake Gravel Grind in 2025(Symbol credit score: Rattlesnake Gravel Grind / @kendpruett)A quartet of riders lead the race in sturdy winds(Symbol credit score: Rattlesnake Gravel Grind / @kendpruett)2023 winner Justin Mcquerry was once with the leaders and fell again to fourth(Symbol credit score: Rattlesnake Gravel Grind / @kendpruett)For a 2d 12 months, Joe Laverick (on entrance) rode to victory forward of Chris Mehlman(Symbol credit score: Rattlesnake Gravel Grind / @kendpruett)Trio of guys main the race with slightly below 30 miles to head(Symbol credit score: Rattlesnake Gravel Grind / @kendpruett)Lauren Stephens rode to a solo victory within the elite girls’s 103.5 mile race(Symbol credit score: Rattlesnake Gravel Grind / @kendpruett)The mass beginning of riders crosses lengthy stretches of tough, rocky roads(Symbol credit score: Rattlesnake Gravel Grind / @kendpruett)
Joe Laverick and Lauren Stephens duplicated wins at Rattlesnake Gravel Grind and confronted the traditionally-windy stipulations from Sweetwater, Texas closing Saturday.
Laverick discovered himself on the entrance with a small crew of guys, and attacked a number of occasions to disrupt the gang much more, whittling it down to 3 riders for the overall 3rd of the 103.5-mile race. He would distance Chris Mehlman for a 2d 12 months in a row, this time successful in 5:05:11 and going 27 seconds forward of his Colorado contender. Hayden Christian would end 52 seconds off the tempo in 3rd, with 2023 winner Justin Mcquerry in fourth.
Stephens rocketed away within the mass-start match neatly forward of a small elite girls’s box, completing in 5:30:15. Terese Martens took 2d a bit a couple of hour later, and Erin Reedy repeated in 3rd for a 2d 12 months in a row to make it an all-Texas podium.
“Violently windy” stipulations was once a key issue within the trio staying in combination till an acceleration by means of Laverick was once best matched by means of Chris Mehlman on a difficult segment of double-track with unfastened rocks and sand, Hayden Christian falling off the again. Laverick stated he concept Mehlman was once nonetheless on his again wheel simply prior to the overall two miles of pavement, however the Texan had crashed right into a bush and left the Briton to sail away for the solo victory.
“With the first two races of my season going horrendously bad, I put an abnormal amount of pressure on myself going into Rattlesnake,” Laverick stated on his weblog, regarding crashes he had at Santa Vall and the cancellation of The Mid South.
“The goal of attacking early was to split the race up into a smaller group. I attack again. This time it’s a gate that thwarts the attack. We got to this section of private land faster than expected and it hasn’t been opened yet. We call neutral as we all scramble over it in our cleats.”
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The tempo was once so top on the entrance that the leaders reached a few gates that had no longer been opened but for the race, so that they stopped to dismount and climbed the steel obstacles. A complete of 14 ranches, together with the ones with farm animals and wind generators, accredited the race to go during the huge prairieland dotted with steep plateaus. There’s a reason why that the realm is standard for wind farms, and the ones winds have been in motion on Saturday.
As soon as previous the mid-point of the race, top winds become as menacing because the asymmetric, chunky floor and technical undulations up and down steep ravines, and heat temperatures driven 85 levels Fahrenheit underneath blue skies.
“I was on the ropes at the end with the heat, but saw an opportunity on the double track to the line and sent it full risk. There were more than a couple of hairy moments through the sand pits and over the drop offs, but I came to the line alone,” he added.
“I love coming to Texas. David has put on a true grassroots event which is gravel race meets nature retreat in a way. It’s private ranch land, mega gravel, and an all round good time.”
Now in a fourth version, the Rattlesnake Gravel Grind continues to boost budget for Nolan County house volunteer fireplace departments within the west Texas group, situated 225 miles west of Dallas. Remaining 12 months the development generated a complete of $62,500, which was once shared similarly amongst 5 fireplace departments.
