2026 USA Cycling Gravel Nationals returns to La Crescent, Minnesota on September 12, with distances up to 110 miles through the bluffs and coulees of the Driftless Region. Here's what to know about the course and how to build a Best Bike Split race plan for the Stars and Stripes.
If you're racing USA Cycling Gravel Nationals 2026, you're chasing the biggest prize in domestic amateur gravel racing: a Stars and Stripes jersey. The race returns to La Crescent for the second straight year, again routing through Houston County's Driftless Region, a landscape of steep river bluffs, hidden coulees, and gravel roads that locals already call the "champagne of gravel." Riders can choose between 60 and 110 miles depending on category, with the flagship distance deciding the elite national titles.
Race Overview
USA Cycling Gravel Nationals is the sport's newest national championship, first contested in Gering, Nebraska in 2023 before moving to La Crescent for a two-year run in 2025 and 2026. The race draws both elite pros racing for a national title and prize money, and age-group amateurs racing simply for the jersey and the bragging rights that come with it.
The 2025 edition, the first held in Minnesota, set the tone for what riders should expect this year. Lauren Stephens won her third straight women's title in 5:09:51 over the 100-mile course, calling it the hardest edition yet with somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 feet of climbing. Bradyn Lange took the men's win with a late solo move off the final technical section into town. Both races were decided not on a single defining climb but on a string of punchy bluff-country ramps that wore riders down over five hours.
For 2026, organizers have again built the course around La Crescent and the neighboring city of Houston, promising a route that showcases the region's champagne gravel along with a couple of new wrinkles, including a stretch through an apple orchard and a working gravel quarry. Full course maps for 2026 had not yet been published at the time of this writing, so the numbers below reflect the confirmed 2025 route, still the best available guide to what this course demands.
Course Description
The 2025 course rolled out from downtown La Crescent and spent its first miles finding a rhythm before hitting the terrain that actually decides the race: the punchy, repeated climbs out of the river coulees that cut back from the Mississippi bluffs. Riders described the course as a constant sequence of short, steep efforts rather than one long grind, with the field splintering climb by climb rather than on a single selection point.
A muddy, technical section near the town of Hokah proved decisive in 2025, catching several riders off guard and helping split the front group. From there, the course pushed into a marsh section that further thinned the lead group, followed by a sustained pull up Chicken Ridge, where the day's main selection took shape. The race then turned back toward La Crescent, finishing with a short, steep, cyclocross-style kicker in the closing meters that rewarded whoever had saved the most for last.
Roughly 70% of the 2025 course ran on gravel, with the rest on paved connector roads linking the coulees and climbs. Total elevation gain came in at 7,171 feet over the full 100-mile distance, all of it accumulated in short, repeated pitches rather than long sustained climbs. For 2026, expect a similar profile: frequent short climbs, a technical finish, and enough surface variation between smooth county gravel and rougher backroads to reward a rider who has planned for both.
Forecasted Weather
Mid-September in La Crescent sits at the edge of the seasonal turn, with average highs around 71°F (22°C) and morning lows dropping into the low 50s°F (around 11°C). Given the race's position along the Mississippi River valley, expect cool, sometimes foggy starts that burn off by mid-morning, followed by mild afternoon temperatures that stay comfortable for most of the field's finishing window.
Rain is the bigger variable than heat this time of year. The Driftless Region sees regular precipitation into September, and the coulee terrain drains unevenly, so a wet week before race day can turn already-loose gravel sections greasy, and turn the Hokah-style technical stretches into the deciding move of the race regardless of category. Checking soil conditions in the days leading into race weekend is worth as much attention as checking the sky.
Why This Course Rewards a Best Bike Split Plan
Gravel Nationals is a race decided by repeated efforts rather than one big climb, which makes it easy to under-plan. There's no single mountain to save yourself for, so riders tend to treat every bluff climb as a moderate effort and end up with nothing left for Chicken Ridge or the finishing kicker. A BBS race plan for USA Cycling Gravel Nationals 2026 will:
- Set targets for repeated short climbs, not one big effort. With the elevation spread across dozens of punchy coulee climbs instead of a few long ones, a plan built around your actual FTP tells you how hard each pitch should feel so the tenth climb doesn't cost you more than the first.
- Flag the technical sections before you reach them. The Hokah-style stretch and marsh section in 2025 decided the race well before the finish. Knowing where those sections fall lets you arrive with the focus and reserves a technical move requires, instead of getting caught out.
- Give you a number for the closing kicker. The finish in La Crescent rewards whoever has the legs for one last hard effort. A plan that accounts for accumulated fatigue over the full distance sets a realistic ceiling for that final push rather than a number that assumes fresh legs.
- Account for the gravel-to-pavement mix. With roughly 70% of the course on gravel and the rest on paved connectors, a plan that treats the whole route as one surface will misjudge your speed on both, leaving you either overcooked on the pavement or under-geared on the gravel.
Note: because USA Cycling had not yet published the 2026 course maps or final distance breakdown at the time this preview was written, the terrain and elevation details above are drawn from the confirmed 2025 La Crescent course. Build your race plan once the 2026 GPX file is released, and treat this preview as a guide to the region's character rather than the exact 2026 route.
Interactive Race Plan and Course Map
This power plan was modeled for an athlete with an average CdA of 0.3433, an FTP of 250 watts and weighing 165 lbs. Want to see what your time would be on the 2025 Gravel Nats course? Try the Time Analysis feature below, where you can quickly adjust Drag, Power, Weight and Crr to your own values. Check out our demo race plan to see what a premium race plan looks like.
| Interval | Int. Time | Total Time | Int. Dist. | Total Dist. | Grade | Speed | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 00:19:54 | 00:19:54 | 6.02 mi | 6.02 mi | -0.09 % | 18.14 mph | 147 w |
| #2 | 00:05:16 | 00:25:10 | 1.46 mi | 7.48 mi | +0.87 % | 16.64 mph | 157 w |
| #3 | 00:02:14 | 00:27:25 | 0.42 mi | 7.90 mi | +3.90 % | 11.17 mph | 215 w |
| #4 | 00:18:04 | 00:45:30 | 3.82 mi | 11.72 mi | +2.83 % | 12.68 mph | 193 w |
| #5 | 00:00:06 | 00:45:36 | 0.04 mi | 11.76 mi | -7.05 % | 22.48 mph | 1 w |
| #6 | 00:05:31 | 00:51:07 | 1.48 mi | 13.24 mi | +0.56 % | 16.08 mph | 175 w |
| #7 | 00:09:41 | 01:00:49 | 3.13 mi | 16.37 mi | -1.60 % | 19.33 mph | 116 w |
| #8 | 00:00:55 | 01:01:45 | 0.30 mi | 16.67 mi | -3.94 % | 19.66 mph | 17 w |
| #9 | 00:02:08 | 01:03:53 | 0.71 mi | 17.38 mi | -0.92 % | 20.00 mph | 128 w |
| #10 | 00:00:10 | 01:04:04 | 0.06 mi | 17.44 mi | -2.73 % | 20.18 mph | 26 w |
| #11 | 00:18:35 | 01:22:39 | 3.48 mi | 20.92 mi | +4.26 % | 11.24 mph | 202 w |
| #12 | 00:00:47 | 01:23:27 | 0.26 mi | 21.18 mi | -3.33 % | 19.43 mph | 16 w |
| #13 | 00:02:12 | 01:25:39 | 0.54 mi | 21.72 mi | +1.75 % | 14.68 mph | 172 w |
| #14 | 00:00:25 | 01:26:05 | 0.14 mi | 21.86 mi | -7.26 % | 19.65 mph | 0 w |
| #15 | 00:02:14 | 01:28:19 | 0.65 mi | 22.51 mi | 0.00 % | 17.34 mph | 151 w |
| #16 | 00:00:07 | 01:28:26 | 0.04 mi | 22.55 mi | -5.62 % | 20.74 mph | 1 w |
| #17 | 00:04:48 | 01:33:15 | 1.16 mi | 23.71 mi | +1.35 % | 14.46 mph | 185 w |
| #18 | 00:04:19 | 01:37:34 | 1.78 mi | 25.49 mi | -4.80 % | 24.67 mph | 40 w |
| #19 | 00:01:05 | 01:38:39 | 0.23 mi | 25.72 mi | +3.31 % | 12.44 mph | 212 w |
| #20 | 00:01:12 | 01:39:52 | 0.38 mi | 26.10 mi | -3.25 % | 18.96 mph | 11 w |
| #21 | 00:03:22 | 01:43:14 | 0.90 mi | 27.00 mi | +1.41 % | 15.94 mph | 174 w |
| #22 | 00:00:39 | 01:43:54 | 0.20 mi | 27.20 mi | -4.30 % | 18.38 mph | 1 w |
| #23 | 00:02:01 | 01:45:55 | 0.40 mi | 27.60 mi | +3.82 % | 11.95 mph | 218 w |
| #24 | 00:00:50 | 01:46:45 | 0.26 mi | 27.86 mi | -3.25 % | 18.48 mph | 3 w |
| #25 | 00:01:15 | 01:48:00 | 0.18 mi | 28.04 mi | +6.56 % | 8.77 mph | 225 w |
| #26 | 00:00:18 | 01:48:19 | 0.08 mi | 28.12 mi | -3.81 % | 16.51 mph | 1 w |
| #27 | 00:03:16 | 01:51:35 | 0.90 mi | 29.02 mi | +1.15 % | 16.47 mph | 173 w |
| #28 | 00:01:11 | 01:52:47 | 0.42 mi | 29.44 mi | -3.37 % | 21.30 mph | 20 w |
| #29 | 00:25:51 | 02:18:39 | 5.77 mi | 35.21 mi | +2.68 % | 13.38 mph | 189 w |
| #30 | 00:00:08 | 02:18:47 | 0.05 mi | 35.26 mi | -7.67 % | 21.33 mph | 0 w |
| #31 | 00:04:01 | 02:22:48 | 1.01 mi | 36.27 mi | +0.76 % | 15.12 mph | 178 w |
| #32 | 00:01:48 | 02:24:37 | 0.95 mi | 37.22 mi | -7.88 % | 31.39 mph | 4 w |
| #33 | 00:15:56 | 02:40:34 | 4.58 mi | 41.80 mi | +0.40 % | 17.22 mph | 160 w |
| #34 | 00:08:56 | 02:49:30 | 1.23 mi | 43.03 mi | +5.91 % | 8.25 mph | 225 w |
| #35 | 00:01:45 | 02:51:15 | 0.57 mi | 43.60 mi | -1.75 % | 19.53 mph | 96 w |
| #36 | 00:02:01 | 02:53:17 | 0.44 mi | 44.04 mi | +2.67 % | 12.91 mph | 191 w |
| #37 | 00:00:33 | 02:53:50 | 0.25 mi | 44.29 mi | -4.65 % | 26.50 mph | 1 w |
| #38 | 00:04:35 | 02:58:25 | 1.13 mi | 45.42 mi | +1.88 % | 14.84 mph | 175 w |
| #39 | 00:03:55 | 03:02:21 | 1.57 mi | 46.99 mi | -3.09 % | 24.03 mph | 7 w |
| #40 | 00:05:32 | 03:07:54 | 0.81 mi | 47.80 mi | +6.29 % | 8.71 mph | 226 w |
| #41 | 00:02:08 | 03:10:02 | 1.10 mi | 48.90 mi | -6.38 % | 30.85 mph | 0 w |
| #42 | 00:20:17 | 03:30:20 | 4.80 mi | 53.70 mi | +2.06 % | 14.18 mph | 184 w |
| #43 | 00:04:27 | 03:34:47 | 1.16 mi | 54.86 mi | +0.82 % | 15.58 mph | 169 w |
| #44 | 00:01:25 | 03:36:13 | 0.76 mi | 55.62 mi | -8.67 % | 32.07 mph | 0 w |
| #45 | 00:02:32 | 03:38:45 | 0.86 mi | 56.48 mi | -0.93 % | 20.33 mph | 128 w |
| #46 | 00:00:52 | 03:39:37 | 0.31 mi | 56.79 mi | -3.86 % | 21.14 mph | 6 w |
| #47 | 00:21:43 | 04:01:21 | 4.78 mi | 61.57 mi | +3.22 % | 13.21 mph | 194 w |
| #48 | 00:00:47 | 04:02:08 | 0.28 mi | 61.85 mi | -2.87 % | 21.30 mph | 35 w |
| #49 | 00:03:03 | 04:05:12 | 0.90 mi | 62.75 mi | +0.88 % | 17.64 mph | 168 w |
| #50 | 00:01:10 | 04:06:22 | 0.42 mi | 63.17 mi | -2.14 % | 21.36 mph | 60 w |
| #51 | 00:01:25 | 04:07:48 | 0.30 mi | 63.47 mi | +3.90 % | 12.57 mph | 213 w |
| #52 | 00:05:05 | 04:12:53 | 1.61 mi | 65.08 mi | -0.25 % | 18.92 mph | 139 w |
| #53 | 00:00:13 | 04:13:07 | 0.07 mi | 65.15 mi | +1.48 % | 19.83 mph | 188 w |
| #54 | 00:09:24 | 04:22:32 | 3.54 mi | 68.69 mi | -1.66 % | 22.56 mph | 104 w |
| #55 | 00:00:59 | 04:23:31 | 0.34 mi | 69.03 mi | -3.05 % | 20.90 mph | 2 w |
| #56 | 00:10:08 | 04:33:39 | 3.26 mi | 72.29 mi | +0.24 % | 19.33 mph | 145 w |
| #57 | 00:00:54 | 04:34:33 | 0.31 mi | 72.60 mi | -4.47 % | 20.81 mph | 0 w |
| #58 | 00:34:19 | 05:08:52 | 8.35 mi | 80.95 mi | +2.57 % | 14.59 mph | 182 w |
| #59 | 00:00:22 | 05:09:15 | 0.16 mi | 81.11 mi | -8.39 % | 25.74 mph | 0 w |
| #60 | 00:00:33 | 05:09:48 | 0.21 mi | 81.32 mi | +1.89 % | 22.90 mph | 200 w |
| #61 | 00:00:51 | 05:10:40 | 0.30 mi | 81.62 mi | -2.90 % | 20.73 mph | 42 w |
| #62 | 00:07:45 | 05:18:25 | 2.67 mi | 84.29 mi | -0.85 % | 20.69 mph | 121 w |
| #63 | 00:01:57 | 05:20:23 | 0.47 mi | 84.76 mi | +2.88 % | 14.47 mph | 205 w |
| #64 | 00:01:11 | 05:21:34 | 0.39 mi | 85.15 mi | -2.92 % | 19.71 mph | 31 w |
| #65 | 00:12:17 | 05:33:52 | 1.79 mi | 86.94 mi | +7.21 % | 8.73 mph | 225 w |
| #66 | 00:00:18 | 05:34:10 | 0.10 mi | 87.04 mi | -4.67 % | 20.24 mph | 1 w |
| #67 | 00:02:55 | 05:37:06 | 0.82 mi | 87.86 mi | +1.13 % | 16.83 mph | 185 w |
| #68 | 00:01:44 | 05:38:50 | 0.63 mi | 88.49 mi | -1.83 % | 21.74 mph | 84 w |
| #69 | 00:02:36 | 05:41:27 | 0.52 mi | 89.01 mi | +3.93 % | 11.98 mph | 224 w |
| #70 | 00:09:35 | 05:51:02 | 3.37 mi | 92.38 mi | -2.64 % | 21.04 mph | 88 w |
| #71 | 00:01:51 | 05:52:54 | 0.32 mi | 92.70 mi | +3.89 % | 10.41 mph | 215 w |
| #72 | 00:00:51 | 05:53:46 | 0.34 mi | 93.04 mi | -4.96 % | 23.51 mph | 1 w |
| #73 | 00:04:20 | 05:58:06 | 1.09 mi | 94.13 mi | +1.69 % | 15.04 mph | 174 w |
| #74 | 00:07:01 | 06:05:07 | 2.15 mi | 96.28 mi | -0.15 % | 18.38 mph | 141 w |
| #75 | 00:00:38 | 06:05:45 | 0.21 mi | 96.49 mi | -4.36 % | 20.02 mph | 0 w |
| #76 | 00:04:34 | 06:10:19 | 1.25 mi | 97.74 mi | +0.99 % | 16.44 mph | 173 w |
| #77 | 00:00:32 | 06:10:51 | 0.20 mi | 97.94 mi | -4.98 % | 22.72 mph | 0 w |
| #78 | 00:02:45 | 06:13:37 | 0.40 mi | 98.34 mi | +6.74 % | 8.62 mph | 233 w |
| #79 | 00:00:59 | 06:14:36 | 0.41 mi | 98.75 mi | -6.62 % | 25.11 mph | 0 w |
| #80 | 00:00:46 | 06:15:22 | 0.31 mi | 99.06 mi | -0.03 % | 23.61 mph | 147 w |
| Totals/Avg | 06:15:22 | 06:15:22 | 99.05 mi | 99.05 mi | -0.78% | 15.83 mph | 160.10 w |
Climb Summary by Category
| Category | Climb Count | Total Time | Total Dist. | Avg. Time | Avg. Dist. | Avg. Grade | Avg. Speed | Avg. Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat4 | 30 | 01:56:19 | 18.18 mi | 00:03:52 | 0.61 mi | 5.00 % | 10.31 mph | 221 w |
| All Cats | 30 | 01:56:19 | 18.18 mi | 00:03:52 | 0.61 mi | 5.00 % | 10.31 mph | 221 w |
| Climb | Start Time | Start Dist. | Duration | Distance | Speed | Power | Grade | Elevation Gain | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 00:25:10 | 7.48 mi | 00:02:14 | 0.42 mi | 11.17 mph | 215 w | 3.90 % | 86 ft | Cat4 |
| #2 | 00:28:14 | 8.13 mi | 00:12:06 | 2.22 mi | 10.99 mph | 206 w | 3.44 % | 403 ft | Cat4 |
| #3 | 01:05:30 | 17.84 mi | 00:01:47 | 0.25 mi | 8.38 mph | 217 w | 5.82 % | 77 ft | Cat4 |
| #4 | 01:14:00 | 19.85 mi | 00:08:13 | 0.98 mi | 7.18 mph | 229 w | 7.21 % | 375 ft | Cat4 |
| #5 | 01:28:26 | 22.55 mi | 00:00:57 | 0.19 mi | 11.97 mph | 217 w | 4.04 % | 41 ft | Cat4 |
| #6 | 01:37:34 | 25.49 mi | 00:01:05 | 0.23 mi | 12.44 mph | 211 w | 3.33 % | 40 ft | Cat4 |
| #7 | 01:42:14 | 26.80 mi | 00:01:00 | 0.19 mi | 11.22 mph | 226 w | 4.49 % | 44 ft | Cat4 |
| #8 | 01:43:54 | 27.19 mi | 00:02:01 | 0.40 mi | 11.95 mph | 220 w | 3.86 % | 82 ft | Cat4 |
| #9 | 01:46:45 | 27.85 mi | 00:01:15 | 0.18 mi | 8.77 mph | 205 w | 6.36 % | 61 ft | Cat4 |
| #10 | 01:52:47 | 29.44 mi | 00:00:51 | 0.17 mi | 12.26 mph | 224 w | 4.76 % | 44 ft | Cat4 |
| #11 | 02:02:59 | 32.06 mi | 00:08:43 | 1.24 mi | 8.50 mph | 228 w | 5.44 % | 355 ft | Cat4 |
| #12 | 02:30:50 | 39.17 mi | 00:01:14 | 0.18 mi | 8.55 mph | 229 w | 6.42 % | 60 ft | Cat4 |
| #13 | 02:40:34 | 41.79 mi | 00:08:56 | 1.23 mi | 8.25 mph | 227 w | 5.86 % | 381 ft | Cat4 |
| #14 | 02:51:15 | 43.60 mi | 00:01:09 | 0.21 mi | 10.94 mph | 226 w | 5.14 % | 58 ft | Cat4 |
| #15 | 02:53:50 | 44.28 mi | 00:01:11 | 0.20 mi | 9.79 mph | 230 w | 7.12 % | 73 ft | Cat4 |
| #16 | 03:02:21 | 46.98 mi | 00:05:32 | 0.81 mi | 8.71 mph | 224 w | 5.96 % | 253 ft | Cat4 |
| #17 | 03:17:20 | 50.89 mi | 00:09:24 | 1.58 mi | 10.08 mph | 218 w | 4.54 % | 379 ft | Cat4 |
| #18 | 03:30:20 | 53.69 mi | 00:00:46 | 0.17 mi | 12.92 mph | 218 w | 3.92 % | 34 ft | Cat4 |
| #19 | 03:42:49 | 57.79 mi | 00:01:31 | 0.30 mi | 11.93 mph | 215 w | 3.39 % | 54 ft | Cat4 |
| #20 | 03:50:48 | 59.75 mi | 00:10:33 | 1.81 mi | 10.27 mph | 214 w | 3.69 % | 352 ft | Cat4 |
| #21 | 04:06:22 | 63.15 mi | 00:01:25 | 0.30 mi | 12.57 mph | 212 w | 3.91 % | 61 ft | Cat4 |
| #22 | 04:53:41 | 78.28 mi | 00:10:10 | 1.28 mi | 7.57 mph | 228 w | 6.80 % | 461 ft | Cat4 |
| #23 | 05:06:54 | 80.57 mi | 00:01:58 | 0.36 mi | 10.98 mph | 220 w | 4.18 % | 80 ft | Cat4 |
| #24 | 05:10:40 | 81.61 mi | 00:02:07 | 0.38 mi | 10.75 mph | 227 w | 4.75 % | 95 ft | Cat4 |
| #25 | 05:23:05 | 85.65 mi | 00:10:29 | 1.23 mi | 7.03 mph | 241 w | 7.83 % | 509 ft | Cat4 |
| #26 | 05:38:50 | 88.49 mi | 00:02:36 | 0.52 mi | 11.98 mph | 224 w | 3.93 % | 108 ft | Cat4 |
| #27 | 05:51:02 | 92.37 mi | 00:01:51 | 0.32 mi | 10.41 mph | 201 w | 3.86 % | 66 ft | Cat4 |
| #28 | 05:53:46 | 93.03 mi | 00:01:04 | 0.22 mi | 12.43 mph | 226 w | 4.60 % | 54 ft | Cat4 |
| #29 | 05:56:55 | 93.91 mi | 00:01:11 | 0.21 mi | 10.72 mph | 219 w | 4.58 % | 51 ft | Cat4 |
| #30 | 06:10:52 | 97.94 mi | 00:02:45 | 0.40 mi | 8.62 mph | 232 w | 6.74 % | 141 ft | Cat4 |
Build your own personalized 2026 Gravel Nats power plan today! Sign up for a free Athlete Basic account to get started with your athlete profile and bike setup, then grab the 2025 Gravel Nats course to model your own race plan.
2026 Gravel Nats FAQs
Your target power depends on your FTP, body weight, bike setup, and finish time goal — not a generic number that applies to every rider. The variables that matter most are your current fitness, your aerodynamic position, and the specific demands of the 2026 Gravel Nats course. The best approach is to build a personalized plan in Best Bike Split using your actual athlete profile — you'll get a segment-by-segment power target based on your specific inputs rather than a one-size-fits-all recommendation.
Every course is different and requires its own unique pacing plan. On a multi-loop course, fatigue and wind shift between laps and what felt comfortable early can become unsustainable later. On an out-and-back, headwind in one direction becomes tailwind in the other — an asymmetry a flat power target can't account for. On a point-to-point or single-loop course, you only get one pass at every section with no opportunity to recalibrate. When you create a Best Bike Split race plan for 2026 Gravel Nats, we model the specific demands of that course so your pacing strategy reflects the race you're actually doing.
Significantly — and the effect varies depending on the course profile. On flatter courses, wind and aerodynamics become the dominant variables in your speed equation, more so than on courses where gradient naturally dictates effort. On climbing-heavy courses, your power-to-weight ratio and how you manage the descents matter most. A Best Bike Split race plan lets you model the specific conditions forecasted for 2026 Gravel Nats, so your targets reflect what you'll actually face on race day rather than what the course looks like on paper.
It depends on the course and how well you pace it. Flat, fast courses offer genuine PR potential but only if you execute correctly — without terrain to naturally regulate your effort, going out too hard early is easy and costly. Technical or hilly courses reward smart segment-by-segment pacing over raw fitness. Either way, a physics-based race plan from Best Bike Split gives you a realistic split prediction based on your actual profile so you know before race day what a well-executed bike leg looks like for you specifically.
Yes — and this is one of the most underused features. Once you've built your 2026 Gravel Nats race plan, you can export it directly to Zwift, TrainerRoad, or any ERG-mode trainer for indoor sessions, or push it to your Garmin, Wahoo, or Karoo for outdoor rides. Training on your actual race plan means you arrive at 2026 Gravel Nats already knowing what your target effort feels like at every section of the course — not just what the number says on paper.
Using Best Bike Split for Gravel Racing
Coach Dave Schell of Kaizen Endurance wrote a great primer on how gravel racers should think about course modeling, from drafting value and group dynamics to equipment selection and aid station timing. It's definitely worth a read before you build your plan.
