Clogged valves, broken chains, cheap motels - The lessons to pivot and persevere a first year of privateering

Lauren De Crescenzo reacts to winning inaugural The Growler road race at the finish, greeted by race founder Levi Leipheimer
Lauren De Crescenzo reacts to winning inaugural The Growler road race at the finish, greeted by race founder Levi Leipheimer (Image credit: TOPO Collective / Deb Wilson)

The 2024 season marked the beginning of a new chapter for me. It was a season where I stepped away from the comfort of a team and embraced independence. 

Until this year, I always had a team mechanic, a logistics coordinator, and other support crew. Now, I wear all those hats and more: a 'pro' mechanic, travel guru, social media strategist, and, of course, the fire extinguisher for the unexpected challenges of running a solo operation.

Lauren De Crescenzo is an accomplished gravel racer, having gained fame as the 2021 Unbound Gravel 200 champion and racking up wins at won The MidSouth (three times), The Rad Dirt Fest and podiums last year at Crusher in the Tushar and Big Sugar Gravel. In 2016, she suffered a nearly fatal, severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a professional road race. While the bike almost took her live, she says the bike saved her life as a rehabilitation tool in the following years and she found a new love– gravel and off-road racing. She now wants to be a role model of tenacity, grit, and hard work to promote the vital message of TBI awareness, positively impacting the lives of those affected by TBIs.