Gravel racing in Truckee, California, began in 2018 with the Peter Sagan Dirt Fondo, which was won by Geoff Kabush and Olivia Dillon. We covered that event, seeing the current road World Champ at the time ride his own event in a rainbow jersey, well before the UCI jumped into gravel racing. The original event was timed to dovetail with the now-defunct Tour of California, minimizing the trips between Europe for the Slovakian cycling celebrity.
Creek crossings were part of the Sagan Fondo course. 2018 Sagan Dirt Fondo. © Jonathan Devich / epicimages.us
That inaugural event was organized by Carlos Perez and his Bike Monkey race promotion company, and despite a few name changes, course changes and distance variations, it continues on today, only with more attendees, more distance options, and expanded terrain.
2025 Truckee Gravel boasts three gravel distances, free racing for Juniors.
The original course stayed east of Highway 89, on chunky terrain on a route designed in part by Kurt Gensheimer (aka the Angry Singlespeeder), and maxed out at 67 miles, but eventually expanded to 76 miles with the course last used in 2023.
Now Perez says the new courses, first debuted in 2024, gain access to spectacular (and smoother) gravel terrain on the west side of Highway 89, thanks in part to new course designer and Truckee resident Levi Leipheimer. The longest course now tops out at 102 miles, with a whopping 7900 feet of climbing and going through Sierraville, with 66 and 25-mile options as well.
2025 Truckee Gravel boasts three gravel distances, free racing for Juniors.
The courses weren’t the only changes over the years, but also the event’s name, morphing from Sagan Dirt Fondo to Truckee Dirt Fondo and now Truckee Gravel.
This year’s Truckee Gravel will land on June 28, 2025, starting at Riverview Park just steps from downtown Truckee, 40 minutes from Reno, two hours from Sacramento, and 3-4 hours from the San Francisco Bay Area.
2025 Truckee Gravel boasts three gravel distances, free racing for Juniors.
Free Spirit of Gravel for Juniors
Truckee Gravel, like many fully-supported gravel events today, isn’t cheap to register for. The 25-mile event is $82, the 66-mile medium course will cost you $193, while the long course runs $215.
But that doesn’t mean the #spiritofgravel is dead. Starting today, Perez will be making the race free for Juniors, just as his company did with Stetina’s Paydirt. Select the Junior option next to each distance and your event fee will be reduced to $0 (but won’t include a post-race meal, which you can pay for day-of). At Stetina’s Paydirt, Juniors were all scored together as short course racers, but the more ambitious ones were invited to ride the longer course, but weren’t scored with those distances.
Under 18 years old and already registered? Bike Monkey is happy to issue a refund, or you can always decline the refund, if you have the means, to support the event.
Northern California is the birthplace of high school NICA mountain bike racing, and is flush with young mountain bike racers in middle school and high school. Want to try a gravel event, but only have a mountain bike you used in NICA racing? Perez emphasizes that the hillly offroad terrain is well-suited to mountain bikes and mountain bike tires. Been following #gravelpros recently? They’re almost all on mountain bike tires.
2025 Truckee Gravel boasts three gravel distances, free racing for Juniors.
More Than Just a One-Day Ride
2025 Truckee Gravel brings events on Thursday, Friday and post-race Sunday, including a shakedown ride with gravel star Lachlan Morton.
While the race is on Saturday, Truckee Gravel has a slew of events lined up for the weekend, starting with a Thursday social gathering and tire talk, a Friday shakeout ride with gravel star Lachlan Morton, and a two-day expo and Sunday cool-down ride. RSVPs are requested.
2025 Truckee Gravel boasts three gravel distances, free racing for Juniors.
The start/finish area is at the doorstep of the Truckee Bike Park, so consider bringing a full-face helmet to get rad on the free terrain features.
The four-day gravel festival kicks off on June 26 with the race on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
More info: truckeegravel.com
