0

New gravel cycling race coming to Big White Ski Resort

Registration open for two-day gravel stage race in June

Will you BOG, BLOG or LOG?

These are race distance categories to suite elite as well as age-group cyclists for the Okanagan Graveller that comes this way in June 2022.

The new event is organized by the people behind the long-standing Okanagan Granfondo cycling ride.

The Okanagan Graveller is a two-day gravel cycling stage race set for June 18 and 19 atop Big White Mountain.

In its inaugural year, the event will feature an open (or elite) division, where racers in the men’s, women’s and non-binary categories will vie for a prize purse of $7,500.

One rider looking to claim a share of the prize money will be 2021 Unbound Gravel 200, and former UCI WorldTour professional rider, Ian Boswell from Bend, Oregon.

Boswell rode in the inaugural Okanagan Granfondo event in 2012 and returns to the Okanagan to race one of the newest, toughest gravel cycling courses in North America.

“In 2012, I had the chance to ride the beautiful roads of the Okanagan," Boswell said in a media release. "I’ve long wanted to get back and explore more of the beautiful landscape, and see if I can find Ogopogo."

Gravel bikes picking up steam

Gravel riding combines the endurance-testing lengths of road races with some of the rugged terrain you

might see in cross country mountain biking or cyclocross.

The gravel bikes used are at a midpoint between traditional road bikes (drop handlebars and rigid fork) and mountain bikes (slacker geometry and bigger tire clearance).

In the world of cycling, next to e-bikes, gravel ranks as one of the fastest growing categories in terms of bike sales.

“Our intention is to capitalize on the meteoric rise of gravel cycling this coming spring, all the while complementing our well-established Granfondo event in the summer,” Okanagan Graveller organizer, Jodi Merckx said.

“Hosting a world-class event atop a world-class ski resort such as Big White Ski Resort will offer cyclists a truly unique, fun experience.”

The event will appeal to elite as well as age-group gravel cyclists, with three distance options on Saturday:

Big Okanagan Graveller (BOG) – 204 km

Big-Little Okanagan Graveller (BLOG) – 120 km

Little Okanagan Graveller (LOG) – 90 km

On Sunday, participants will ride a 65 km Gravel Grovel stage to complete the 2-day stage race format. Age-group participants will be eligible for unique prizes following the Sunday stage.

Published 2021-11-22 by Keelan Bourdon

Get a fresh daily look

See what’s happening in and around our city, and the people who call it home.

Our newsroom abides by the RTNDA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and follows the Canadian Press Stylebook. If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to send us a news tip, please contact us.

Kelowna10 is division of Pattison Media, and strives to achieve the highest ethical standards in all that we do.