Brennan Wertz holds off chasers to win his first national title at US Gravel Championships

Brennan Wertz (Mosaic Cycles) emerged victorious in the elite men’s category at the US Gravel National Championships, crossing the finish line in Gering, Nebraska ahead of a pack of nine chasers.

Wertz completed the 131.5-mile course in 5:50:37, narrowly beating John Borstelmann (Slowtwitch Goodlife Racing) who came in second, and Colby Simmons (Visma-Lease a Bike) who finished in third. Defending champion Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz Bicycles) placed sixth.

Wertz had secured a spot at the UCI Gravel World Championships with a previous win at the Highlands Gravel Classic in Arkansas. Now, he will represent the US at the Worlds in Belgium on October 6 wearing the national champion jersey. Last year, he placed third at the US Gravel Nationals.

The top five finishers, including Wertz, earned automatic qualification for the Gravel World Championships. The list also includes Borstelmann, Simmons, Russell Finsterwald (Trek Driftless), and Griffin Easter (OpiCure Foundation Gravel Team p/b Canyon).

Wertz took home $10,000 as part of the $40,000 prize pool awarded to the top elite finishers. Dry conditions on the course in Nebraska led to fast times, with Wertz shaving off over 10 minutes from his previous performance.

Both the elite men’s and women’s races covered the same challenging course, featuring gravel roads and 5,600 feet of elevation gain. Wertz’s victory marked his first national title in cycling.

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