Australian National Gravel Champion Brendan Johnston won Belgian Waffle Ride Utah on Saturday, scoring his first-ever American gravel victory.

Johnston (GIANT OFF ROAD TEAM) relocated to the United States this season to compete in the 2023 Life Time Grand Prix off-road series. In-between races he has participated in Belgian Waffle Ride (BWR) events, earning fourth place in California and now winning Utah.

Johnston finished the challenging 131-mile gravel course in Cedar City with a time of 6:25:28, five-minutes ahead of runner-up Carter Anderson (6:30:21). Cody Cupp (6:33:18) earned the final podium step.

“It was a special day in Utah for me and one I won’t forget meeting my family at the finish line for my first victory on US soil,” he posted on Instagram. Adding, “There is no bigger test on gravel equipment than a BWR, you’ve just got to try one for yourself to know what I mean.”

From a small field of nine-riders Melisa Rollins (VIRGINIA’S BLUE RIDGE TWENTY24) dominated the women’s race, soloing for 40-miles to finish with a 10-minute lead in her first gravel race this year. She finished in 7:06:08 with Tiffany Cromwell (7:16:11) next. Flavia Oliveira Parks (7:54:31), who is the series leader in the BWR Quadrupel Crown of Gravel competition, finished third.

“For me, there was a lot of anticipation for this event,” Rollins said. “I knew I had gained a lot of fitness and a lot of race savviness since the last time I raced gravel.”

Two riders competed in BWR’s first Open/Gender Diverse race, neither finished.

BWR Utah is one of the most technical gravel races in the United States with 6900’ of vertical ascent on rocky jeep roads and single track in the parched Utah desert. Most riders need a lot of luck to make it to the finish. 30% of the field was not lucky on Saturday and did not finish, including former pro and now infamous doper Floyd Landis.

Photo Credit: Instagram/@trekky91

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