Should gravel races have separate fields for elite women? We asked the riders

Controversy in gravel racing is making headlines, and women’s racing is the central storyline. Is the integrity of the professional women’s race threatened by the presence of male teammates? And should gravel race promoters have a separate start for the elite women’s field?

Some events, like BWR San Diego and Crusher in the Tushar, do separate male and female fields. However, many other gravel events, including Unbound Gravel and SBT GRVL, follow tradition with a mass-participant start.

We interviewed multiple elite female gravel racers to dig into the discussion, to debate the pros and cons of having separate fields at the start of races.

No consensus has been reached, but all agree on one thing: decisions about women’s racing should ultimately be made by women.

We are family – keep the fields together

Amity Rockwell: Don’t separate us. It’s absolutely a crucial part of the gravel racing experience that we’re all in it together. Women racing alongside men is doing more good for women’s cycling than anything else has in forever. I think every man I ride alongside, I think that’s one more changed opinion of what a woman can do on a bike, and I think it’s really important.

I think it’s really important that gravel is a human experience, not a gender-divisive one. If we combine men’s and women’s races, we’re implicitly including everybody.

Obviously, the downside is that it oftentimes feels unfair and unregulated. And to be honest, as someone who has been on both sides of that coin — I’ve won races because I’ve timed a paved section well and happen to be with a dude or a group that worked well together and I’ve also been alone and in a headwind for hours and hours and end up losing the race or being passed or caught because of it – that’s what makes it challenging and exciting.

Laura King: Separate starts would be a return to road racing in my opinion. A decade ago I tried road racing and found the vibe to be intimidating, catty, and just all-around unwelcoming. It turned me off. Soon after that, I lined up for a Grasshopper Adventure race. I’d often say ‘if road racing was like the Hopper races, I’d be all about it.’ Lining up together with all my friends, long, hard, challenging yet fun courses, working with men and women on the course and celebrating together at the finish. Little did we know that was the start of what gravel would become.

Here I am, stuck in the middle — undecided

Tiffany Cromwell: I’m of two minds. If it’s a women’s start, I’d want a shorter race, but then that takes away the equality piece. I enjoy a shorter, fast race versus the bit of having the boys being naturally faster, and then we’re just hanging on. So I guess it depends if you want tactics involved and a proper race, or if you’re happy seeing who’s strong enough to hang on.

Let us shine — separate the fields

Sofia Gomez Villafañe: We don’t really get to shine and show what we’re capable of when we’re starting with men and doing mass starts. We don’t get to dictate the way that the women’s race is played out.

Regarding a women’s start, I think it really depends on the depth of the field. At Steamboat, we had over 300 women we could have easily done our own start. Here [at BWR Asheville], no. But I also think these races are really long. The men have so many guys that can go strong for two, three, four, five hours, and then they crack and the top of the field gets to shine in the last two. My ideal racing scenario would be that men race for four, four and a half hours, and women race for five and a half. That way each gender and each category could have their own race. I think that people who really want the adventure could take that longer course. The race becomes more dynamic when it’s a bit shorter.

Competition-wise, I love to be able to read the group of women I am racing with. I like to know where people are, how they are pedaling, and evaluate the dynamics of each rider altogether. I think having women’s neutral or separate starts enables women’s pack to define and set their own race without the influence of agro dudes pinching someone out, or pushing the pace too early.

Kaysee Armstrong: I personally love the mass starts, and I understand where everyone is coming from as far as ‘let’s keep mass starts as the origin of gravel.’ But for me and other pro racers, our livelihoods are kind-of dependent on it now. I hate to say it but results do matter.

At BWR, they did the pro men, and five minutes later the pro women, and it just made for such a different dynamic because you know where you are in the group. You just know where you’re at, which is cool. The scary thing about mass starts is they are so dangerous.

Even if you start five minutes later, you’re still going to be out there with a mass of people. You’re still going to see them. It just cuts down on the chaos and let’s be honest, I’m already feeling so chaotic at the start line.

Maybe that would be a little change in gravel that would actually be really fun.