The rattlesnakes around Sweetwater, Texas were not very lucky last weekend at the World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup, but on Saturday two cyclists proved they could escape on the caliche roads of parched Nolan County. The 2026 Rattlesnake Gravel Grind delivered 100 miles of pure West Texas grit, with Beckam Drake and Crystal Anthony overcoming the elements – temperatures up to 101F – to stand tall on the podium at the end.
18-year-old Beckam Drake of Amarillo, Texas – who finished 4th in the 2025 UCI Junior World Championship Time Trial – stomped on the competition like a cowboy boot on a diamondback rattler, winning the overall title in a scorching 4:48:22 at an average pace of 20.95 mph. Tanner Cook, also out of Amarillo, rode second overall in 4:53:44, while Austin’s Justin McQuerry rounded out the podium in 4:54:21. Norwegian visitor Simen Nordahl Svendsen slithered into fourth in 4:55:08, and Belgian Merlijn Decoster grabbed fifth in 4:57:14 – proving West Texas gravel has gone international.
On the women’s side, 2x UCI Highlands Gravel Classic winner Crystal Anthony, 45, of Bentonville, Arkansas rattled off an impressive 5:19:40 for the women’s win and ninth overall, averaging 18.90 mph. Lauren Stephens of Dallas, last year’s winner and a familiar star in American road and gravel cycling, rode second in 5:22:27. Terry Moore of Albuquerque, New Mexico finished third in 5:41:07, followed by Texans Kate Rhyne of Kerrville in 5:53:53 and Thanh Lien of San Antonio in 6:21:40.
Complete 2026 Rattlesnake Gravel Grind results HERE
Photo Credit: Loveleigh Photos
© 2026 Copyright Gran Fondo Daily News – All Rights Reserved