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Iceland’s Lauf has been getting involved in gravel in a big way in recent years. The company launched its spring-leaf Lauf Grit fork and then added the fork to its True Grit gravel bike. Lauf employees have also been traveling the U.S. attending gravel events from Utah to Florida and other places in between.

After making a big investment in building its gravel brand in the States, Lauf invited folks to come ride some gravel in its backyard at The Rift gravel race in Iceland.

Lauf invited graveleurs to experience Iceland's brand of gravel at The Rift. © Snorri Thor

Lauf invited graveleurs to experience Iceland’s brand of gravel at The Rift. © Snorri Thor

Named for the continental rift that runs through Iceland, the race billed itself as an event to bring the continents together to share gravel, the beauty of Iceland and of course, beer. The True Grit comes with a bottle opener, after all.

The inaugural Rift was a 200km (125-mile) race that started and finished in Hvolsvöllur, which is located southeast of Reykjavik. The route looped around the active Hekla volcano and included sections organizers called the Serpent of Midgard and Gate to Valhalla.

The Rift featured a challenging route that went around an active volcano. © Snorri Thor

The Rift featured a challenging route that went around an active volcano. © Snorri Thor

2019 Results

To help make the inaugural Rift an international event, Lauf invited a number of North Americans to come to Iceland to race.

Taking the 200km win for the Women was American Alison Tetrick (Specialized). Maria Ögn Guðmundsdóttir (Hvolsvöllur) finished second and Sami Suri (ENVE Racing) third. Ágústa Björnsdóttir (Kriakeppnis) and Peta Takai (La Grange) rounded out the Women’s wide-angle podium.

The Men’s top five featured several names familar to U.S. gravel fans. 2019 King of Kanza Colin Strickland (Meteor x Giordana x Allied) took the win, with rider cum race promoter Ted King (Cannondale / SRAM / Velocio / Vittoria) coming in second. Ingvar Ómarsson (Novator) took third and Christian Meier and Neil Shirley (ENVE) rounded out the wide-angle podium.

Results for the 200km Rift are below.

Women Results: 2019 The Rift Gravel Race

PlaceNameTeamTime
1Alison Tetrick8:03:53
2María Ögn GuðmundsdóttirHjólaþjálfun8:23:26
3Sami SauriENVE Racing8:50:27
4Ágústa BjörnsdóttirKriakeppnis9:06:22
5Peta TakaiLa Grange9:17:02
6Halla JónsdóttirLauf9:20:55
7Bríet Kristý GunnarsdóttirKriakeppnis9:33:51
8Kristrun JuliusdottirStjupsystir10:22:58
9Carrie BaxMoveUp OffRoad10:32:13
10Anne MooreBone Death Crew10:40:38
11Sædís ÓlafsdóttirHFR - Hjólreiðafélag Reykjavíkur10:41:27
12Cynthia BradleySBC Athletics10:41:39
13Brynja StefánsdóttirHFR/Ægir310:45:29
14Thora Katrin GunnarsdottirTindur10:47:15
15Sólveig HauksdóttirHFR - Hjólreiðafélag Reykjavíkur10:47:38
16Julia HerrmannG2 CREW11:05:18
17Vilborg JóhannsdóttirHjólaþjálfun11:07:00
18Sif GylfadóttirHjólaþjálfun11:08:40
19Sarah ClarkTeam Chili Dumpling11:36:33
20Arna Benný Harðardóttir11:39:26
21Suzanne Wheatall12:01:41
DNFTeresa Angot-LewisTeam Caterpillar
DNFJenny Acker

Men Results: 2019 The Rift Gravel Race

PlaceNameTeamTime
1Colin StricklandMeteor X Giordana X Allied6:38:47
2Ted KingCannondale/SRAM/Velocio/Vittoria6:39:48
3Ingvar ÓmarssonNovator6:40:41
4Christian Meier6:59:07
5Neil Shirley7:01:24
6Matt AckerSalsa Cycles7:02:00
7Sigurdur StefanssonAirport Direct7:02:23
8Soren Nissen7:06:06
9David JuarezCannondale/SRAM/Velocio/Vittoria7:36:22
10Yuri HauswaldGU Crew Niner Squad7:40:56
11Eyjólfur GuðgeirssonKriakeppnis7:44:30
12Armann GylfasonHFR Oldfarts7:44:35
13Jake PantoneENVE Racing7:45:26
14Guðmundur SveinssonBreiðablik7:45:55
15Jed ChristensenTeam Red Rock7:45:57
16Páll ElísSamVör7:45:57
17Steinar ÞorbjörnssonBreiðablik7:46:00
18Robb FineganJust Ride/ Lauf7:53:03
19Michael MorganBig Tree Cycling8:00:23
21Sune NicolajsenPas Normal Studios8:04:06
22Pasqual CanalsMarin Bikes8:08:27
23Aneel MawjiThe Service Course8:08:34
24Jonas StrombergPas Normal Studios8:09:44
25Stefan Karl SaevarssonBreiðablik8:11:21
26Willem Jewett1K2GO8:16:04
27David Zink8:20:18
28Arnþór GústavssonBreiðablik8:20:24
29Dan McEwan8:21:09
31Atli JakobssonHFR Oldfarts8:33:02
32Bjarni Már GylfasonHFR Oldfarts8:33:03
33Frederick MariusENVE Racing8:35:02
34Thomas Skov JensenAirport Direct8:40:03
35Björn Þór HallgrímssonSvefnpokar og gjarðir8:40:05
36Kent WoermannMoveUp OffRoad8:47:08
37Guðmundur ÞorleifssonKolibri Cycling8:47:17
39Alec ErorTeam Red Rock8:51:35
40Ólafur Þór MagnússonBreiðablik8:54:24
41Steinar Björnsson8:55:13
42Robert PeturssonBjartur8:59:16
43Oliver BridgewoodGCN9:02:30
44Jakob Lyckenvik9:03:05
45Matt Fischer9:05:34
46Bergþór JóhannssonBjartur9:06:06
47Mark LarsenTeam Red Rock9:06:16
49Gerard TarragonaKlassmark9:07:15
50ORIOL GIL OLIVEMEGAMO TEAM9:07:33
51Blaize Baehrens9:07:52
52Roger WilliamsMoveUp OffRoad9:08:22
53Gudberg BjornssonLauf Staff9:08:26
54Egill Valur HafsteinssonKolibri Cycling9:08:39
55Eiríkur Þór Jónsson9:08:45
56Guðfinnur HilmarssonVíkingur9:09:01
57Patrick Conneely9:10:00
58Eiríkur Ingi JóhannssonHjóla Eiki9:10:02
59Toby DogwilerSBC Athletics9:14:21
61Rudolph NapolitanoLa Grange9:17:04
62Bjarki Sveinsson9:18:52
63Troy TemplinRoad Bike Action Magazine9:19:56
64Ned Harding9:20:10
65Benedikt SkúlasonLauf Staff9:20:14
66Franz Fridriksson9:20:15
68Timothy RuggJust Ride/ Lauf9:23:33
69Jason ShearerOrdinary Epics9:24:01
70Marc Bousquet9:24:30
71Jóhann Baldursson9:25:03
72Hjalti SveinssonKolibri Cycling9:32:56
74Jón Arnar ÓskarssonKriakeppnis9:33:53
75Atli HafsteinssonHFR Oldfarts9:35:02
76Erlingur Fannar Jónsson9:35:32
77Gunnar Svavarsson9:44:01
78Hilmar Ævar HilmarssonBreiðablik9:46:31
79Joe PerryHand Banana Promotions9:47:48
80Chris HolmesMarin Bikes9:48:01
81James HeatonWTB9:52:56
82Brian BarrSBC Athletics9:52:57
83Nikki WhilesMarin Bikes9:53:09
84Russell UsserySBC Athletics9:54:05
85Jeff Young9:57:06
86Sigurður Guðgeirsson9:59:10
87Tomasz Chrapek10:02:15
88Róbert FarestveitKolibri Cycling10:02:29
89Jules Benson10:05:43
90John Day10:07:31
91Lars HjortMARIN Bikes - Made for fun10:09:24
92Jón JónssonKolibri Cycling10:12:22
93Anders Claesson10:18:11
94Siggi Sigbjornsson10:18:34
95Mike Sabin10:19:00
96Ryan Locher10:19:06
97Cully MacDonald10:19:13
98Mark DuncanTeam Hammersaw10:19:59
99Edward Hult10:21:36
100Jim Jenkins10:22:09
101Shane Jessen10:22:12
103Jóhann Friðriksson10:24:30
104Matthías GuðmundssonTindur10:24:40
105Sigurjón Magnússon10:27:17
106Ryan Cook10:32:07
108Grettir YngvasonÖssur Racing10:35:32
109James StoutVelocio10:36:05
110David NoakesMarin Bikes10:36:40
111Björn Jakob TryggvasonLaufBjörn10:36:57
113Christopher MooreBone Death Crew10:40:41
116John BradleySBC Athletics10:41:41
117Viðar Einarsson10:45:27
119Jonathan Elrath10:47:05
120Hákon Örn HákonarsonBreiðablik10:47:09
122Leifur Geir HafsteinssonBreiðablik10:47:17
124John RussellMuddy Funsters10:51:58
125Guðmundur SkúlasonBreiðablik10:52:03
126Magnús LárussonBreiðablik10:52:35
127Garðar Þorsteinsson10:52:39
128William MaceSBC Athletics10:52:42
129Finnur MagnussonBrewDog Chain Gang10:52:55
130Uggi Kaldan HeuserAltomCykling.dk / Dirty Jutland10:53:35
131Bjarni LúðvíkssonLauf Staff10:54:46
132Troels Iversen11:02:45
133Jens Peter Frederiksen11:02:50
135Jón SveinssonHjólaþjálfun11:06:48
136Eric ChaseGrand rapids bike company11:06:54
139Bobby Thompson11:21:12
140Smitty Smith11:21:15
141Þorsteinn AsgrimssonKolibri Cycling11:21:21
142Scott Pinkerton11:22:44
143Arnþór Gunnarsson11:23:27
144Mörður Finnbogason11:28:08
145Einar HreinssonÖssur Racing11:32:56
146Landon VollerBoardtown Bikes11:33:04
147Guðni ÁsgeirssonTeam VSÓ Ráðgjöf11:34:49
149James ClarkTeam Chili Dumpling11:36:35
150Friðrik Helgi FriðrikssonVíkingur11:36:56
151Evan SimulaTeravail/Blackrocks Brewery11:39:01
152Tyler KeuningHand Banana Promotions11:39:08
153Jónas Stefánsson11:39:24
155Eirikur Vigfusson11:42:41
156Tyler Benedict11:42:59
157Dennis Lindkvist Pedersen11:54:00
158Jens Sonnichsen12:00:30
159Tommy PetersenPas normal studios12:00:33
161Michael Wheatall12:01:44
162Felix SmithBikeRadar12:01:47
163Matthew Copeland12:08:31
164Tyler Newman12:25:35
165BRIAN SQUIRE12:25:37
166Lasse Andersen HodnePas Normal Studios12:32:36
167David Gabrys12:36:55
168Frank LundeenEsker Cycles12:36:58
169Peter Thompson12:50:09
170Þorsteinn HallgrímssonBreiðablik12:52:07
171Daði ÓlafssonNAS12:52:10
172Jeremy Hutsell12:59:51
173James Crean13:01:36
174Mack Pearce13:04:54
175Nathan Levine13:14:27
DNFPeter GaskillThe Service Course Team Tan Lines
DNFPétur Már ÓmarssonBrewDog Chain Gang
DNFJóhann ThorarensenBjartur
DNFHreinn ÓskarssonHjólreiðafélag Selfoss
DNFPaul Fleming
DNFScott TenCateFOUNDERS BREWING CO. RACING
DNFPetur EinarssonBreiðablik
DNFKarol Michalski
DNFHafsteinn GeirssonHjólaþjálfun
DNFThaddeus SparrowG2 CREW
DNFKari Helgason
DNFJason RossGrand rapids bike company
DNFCraig MacIntyre
DNFBergur BenediktssonLauf