Project Echelon Racing scores trophies at Challenge Mallorca, Ted King among 2025 class entering Gravel Hall of Fame

The second round of five days of racing at Challenge Mallorca earned recognition for two of the three North American teams in Spain this week, where a deep field includes eight WorldTour and 12 ProTeams. Project Echelon Racing scored a pair of trophies, as Colby Lange and Ethan Craine took advantage of their aggressiveness in a six-rider breakaway that lasted 141km. Lange secured the mountain classification prize and Ethan Craine took the sprint classification hardware. 

On the hilly 184.5km Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx on Thursday, Lange finished with nine points across the four KOMs. Craine scooped up six points in the sprints, double the take of his competitors, Victor Martinez (Sat) and Edgar Curto (IBA) each taking three points across three intermediate scoring lines. 

Petrolike of Mexico finished as the second-best team at Ses Salines, with two riders in the top 15, Jose Juan Prieto and Carlos Alfonso Garcia.

Racing continues on the weekend with Saturday's Trofeo Pollença-Port d'Andratx, a day for the climbers, and a sprinter's finish at Trofeo Palma on Sunday.

Ted King and Amanda Nauman-Sheek among 2025 class for Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame

Ted King, Amanda Nauman-Sheek, John Hobbs and LeLan Dains were selected this week as the newest members to the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, based in Emporia, Kansas, now with 19 men and women among those receiving recognition for being pioneers and inspirational leaders in the growing discipline.

King was one of the first WorldTour pros to move into gravel racing, winning Unbound Gravel 200 twice (2016, 2018) after retiring from a 10-year road career. He also won SBT GRVL, Grinduro, Rasputitsa Redemption, and was second in 2019 at The Rift. King is well known for hosting events, such as the New England fundraiser King Challenge, and consulting on gravel events.

Nauman Sheek is also a two-time winner of Unbound Gravel 200, finished second at Unbound XL and has won Rock Cobbler five times. The Mid South. She moved into gravel after a career in cyclocross, and is now an event organiser and popular member co-host of Groadio Podcast.

As far back as the mid-1980s, Hobbs was hosting formal “rough road rides” in the southern Flint Hills of Kansas, and founded the Matfield Green 100k, which became the Kansas Death Ride, which inspired the creation of what is now the world's most prominent gravel race, Unbound Gravel.

One of the leaders to get Unbound Gravel started, and flourish, is Dains, who served as the director of Visit Emporia for four years and now serves as executive director for Emporia Spanish Speakers. Dains also played a leadership role in creating the 3,800-mile Great Plains Gravel Route, a network of gravel roads and trails that enable cyclists to experience the rugged beauty of the Central Plains states.

Both Nauman-Sheek and Dains also serve on the Advisory Board of the Hall of Fame.

The official induction ceremony for the quartet will be held May 29 in Emporia, Kansas, which coincides with Unbound Gravel races, the XL 350 race expected to begin Friday, May 30 followed on May 31 with the signature Unbound 200 plus three other distances.

Jakroo looks for women to apply for composite road team

Are you a talented female cyclist and looking for a way to gain entry to compete at Redlands Bicycle Classic, April 9-13? How about two days of one-day races at Amazon Armed Forces Cycling Classic, May 31-June 1? Custom cycling apparel maker JAKROO announced this week they would create composite women's teams to compete in both US competitions.

Applications are open online, which include submission of a race resume, two references and meeting certain other requirements. February 25 is the first deadline to seek entry for Redlands Bicycle Classic, and the deadline for AFCC is on April 17. 

Selected athletes will receive paid entry fees, housing, race and logistic assistance, race clothing, and will be eligible for travel stipends. JAKROO, the official clothing sponsor for both events, put together composite teams from 2014 to 2018, and bringing the programme back is to inject enthusiasm and access for women in the sport.

The selection process by the apparel company will be conducted in collaboration with the JAKROO Women’s Composite Leadership Team, which includes Kristen Arnold, women's development road director at Team USA, and Julie Kuliecza, executive director of Amy D. Foundation. 

"JAKROO is excited to bring back the composite team program and provide more road racing opportunities for women at the top of the sport in the USA. With a dwindling number of professional women's cycling teams in the USA, these composite teams are a great way to boost the field sizes and provide starts for both up and coming and seasoned athletes," Arnold told Cyclingnews.

Last year at Redlands USA Cycling put together a Redlands Development Team, with Natalie Quinn going fourth on GC.

Elite men get own start at Gran Premio NYC, women's race targetted

The UCI 1.2 men’s elite pro race Gran Premio New York City returns for a second year, scheduled on May 18, 2025, and the 120 pro riders representing 20 teams will have a dedicated start ahead of thousands of amatuers. There will be a 10-minute difference between the pro field and amateurs, which compete on the same course in the 13th Michelob ULTRA GFNY World Championship NYC.

Event organisers, GFNY Global Endurance Sports Series is a sports event company, confirmed in a press release that a race for women would fit into the format, with the women starting 45 minutes ahead of the men’s pro race. However, the extended road closures required for this addition could cost as much as $100,000, so GFNY was looking for sponsors to cover the bill. It was not disclosed if a women's race could be implemented in 2025.

Last year Tibor Del Grosso of Alpecin-Deceuninck won the inaugural race. The second edition men's race begins on the traffic-free lower level of the iconic George Washington Bridge, the world’s busiest bridge. Both pros and amateurs tackle the same 137-kilometer (85-mile) loop through Bergen County, NJ, and Rockland County, NY, featuring 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) of climbing.