Canada’s only UCI Gravel World Series race took place in the Blue Mountains outside Ontario on Sunday. Blue Mountains Gravel Fondo offered riders the opportunity to qualify for the 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships on 127km gran fondo and 85km medio fondo routes by finishing in the top 25% of their age/gender category.

Pro MTB rider Andrew L’Esperance, 32, won for team Maxxis Factory Racing by a wide margin. He finished the gran fondo in 3:39:57. The rider from Nova Scotia was two-and-half minutes up on elite cyclocross racer Connor Wilson, 31, and ten minutes ahead of one of the best junior riders in North America – Ashlin Barry (EF Education – ONTO), who at 16 years-old is too young to race in the Gravel World Championships.

Newly crowned Canadian Gravel National Champion Devon Clark won the women’s race in 4:09:20, followed by Tessa Neefjas at 4:16:42 and Ella Blor with a time of 4:23:03.

13 year-old gravel wonderkind (just turned 13!) Josh Tyers won the medio fondo in 2:46:38, and 16 year-old Elly Moore did the same in the women’s category with a final time of 2:58:18 while placing sixth overall.

More than 200 riders participated in the UCI Gravel World Series race.

Photo Credit: Maxxis Factory Racing, EF Education – ONTO

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