Once again our friend Brian Co of Veloworthy did an excellent job giving us an inside look at one of the biggest gravel races on the calendar, SBT GRVL. In this video Veloworthy goes behind the scenes, and in some cases, inside the minds of the some of the top gravel athletes at this Steamboat, CO event on Aug 15, 2021. Along with the increasing popularity of these events comes an increased responsibility of event organizers, teams and individual racers to maintain a level playing field. In 2021 we find ourselves at a critical moment where the growth of gravel racing meets the realities of competition. Should teams be allowed to work together to support their top contender? How should no-assistance feel zone rules be regulated? There are a few moments in the video that highlight these difficult questions.

In a sign of race organizers beginning to come together with some common ground rules, on Tuesday Aug 17 the following message was posted on the Stetina’s Paydirt Instagram page.

The message was quickly met by support from fellow races organizers from Mammoth Tuff and Rooted VT in the comments.