Top Privateers to Kickstart 2025 Gravel Racing Season at Georgia's Homegrown Gravel Adventure
The South remains a hotbed for road and gravel cycling. Expect even more big names to join the start line on February 22 in the beautiful gravel country of Franklin, Georgia. $10,000 Prize Purse on offer for Privateers.
Welcome to Gravel Country. Where the U.S. Grade A Gravel is Always Fresh and Never Frozen!
Located an hour south of Atlanta, in the charming town of Franklin, Georgia—perched on the bluffs of the Chattahoochee River—the Homegrown Gravel Adventure offers a thrilling 100-mile course that navigates the rolling hills along the Georgia-Alabama border. Scheduled for February 22, 2025, the event boasts a $10,000 prize purse for the 100-mile race. Participants can also choose from a 62-mile timed race or a 30- or 40-mile ride.
The three-days of events features - in addition to the amazing gravel - camping, live music, delicious food and drinks, and pre- and post-race shakeout rides. Proceeds from the event will support the Heard County Food Pantry and MTB Atlanta, blending a love for cycling with community impact. It’s a weekend of adventure, camaraderie, and meaningful contributions.
Defending Champions Return
Lauren De Crescenzo – Representing – LDC LLC p/b Factor, The Feed, Castelli, et al., Lauren dominated the 2024 Homegrown (Border Wars) race, winning in a time of 5:04:49. She also won our sister race, the Dirty Sheets Gravel Grind in October 2023. Laurent carried her early-season form to win Midsouth, The Rad Fest, Levi’s Gran Fondo, and secured 2nd at the inaugural US Pro Gravel Championships.
Michael Garrison – Racing for MGR p/b NICH SpeedClub, Michael crushed the 2024 Homegrown (Border Wars) course with a winning time of 4:52:29. Michael carried his momentum into criterium season, earning 2nd overall in the Speed Week series in late April, along with strong results throughout the road season.
Pro Men’s Field
Ian Boswell – Wahoo–Specialized: Hailing from Vermont, Ian boasts victories like Unbound Gravel (2021) and Stage 1 at the 2016 Vuelta a España. A former Tour de France and Giro d’Italia rider for Team Sky and Team Katusha-Alpecin, Ian is bringing his wealth of experience to Franklin.
Joining Ian for the trip down south are two standout Canadian MTB riders:
Andrew L'Esperance – Third at the 2024 Belgian Waffle Ride Utah and the current Canadian XC Marathon National Champion.
Sean Fincham – A four-time Canadian National Champion, known for his grit and skill on the trails.
Other notable entrants in the Men’s 100-mile field include:
Gordon Wadsworth – Riding for BRC P/B Revel Bikes and Pippy the Dog, “Quadsworth” is a five-time National Ultra Endurance Series Champion.
Ty Magner– L39Ion of Los Angeles – widely regarded as one of the top criterium riders of his generation (2018 Criterium National Champion), hit the cyclocross circuit this year. He dominated the 2024 Georgia CX Cup, winning the overall series, and capped off the season with a victory at the US Cyclocross Masters 30-34 Championships in early December.
Andy Scarano – Third at Homegrown (Border Wars) and 27th at the 2024 National Gravel Championships.
Jame Carney – A two-time Olympian on the velodrome and Piedmont University coach, bringing a squad to back 2024 fourth-place finisher Dylan Lindsey, Preston Eye (looking for redemption after an early flat last year), and first-timer Ben Kolbie.
Other men to watch: Peter Glassford, Scott Moniger, Oakley Griffin, Brock Mason, and Nathan Surowiec.
Pro Women’s Field
Shanni Berger – One4Nine: The Israeli rider placed 7th overall and 1st in the U23 category at BWR San Diego. Her résumé includes the Vuelta Colombia, Vuelta Costa Rica, Giro Toscana, and Vuelta España Femenina.
Kae Takeshita – A gravel legend born in Sapporo, Japan, Kae boasts multiple podiums at DK200 (now Unbound Gravel) and LR100 (now The MidSouth), along with wins at Gravel Worlds, Barry Roubaix, and Iowa Wind & Rock, among others.
Mackenzie Myatt – Representing Baring Performance Management, this former Canadian national team member and poet aims for redemption after a season of injury in 2024. She enjoyed the Homegrown 30-miler for fun last year and is coming off a strong cyclocross season, winning the Georgia CX Cup series overall.
Piedmont University – Grace Wilson and Katie Prowell will be teaming up to keep them in the overall hunt.
Other women to watch: Andrea Buttine, Lisa Ray, Olivia Pantano, and Ali LeCraw.
$10,000 Prize Purse
Along with it's sponsors including Wahoo, Eliel Cycling, Outback Bikes, Revival Properties and S&S Fire Pits, race organizers have put together a prize list fitting for the event’s difficulty.
The $10,000 purse will be split equally between men and women and will be for the top male and top female, regardless of category.
Benefitting Heard County Food Pantry and MTB Atlanta
Thank to everyone last year, the organizers and sponsors made a sizable donation to the Heard County Food Pantry for $2,750.00 and smaller contributions to MTB Atlanta and the East Point Track Club.
Without your support, this would not be possible. Our goal this year is to triple that amount. After talking with the Food Pantry, reaching $9600 in donations would cover their yearly average food expenses.
Register NOW to Secure a Place
More and more top Privateers and Gravel Fans signing up every day, the South remains a hotbed for road and gravel cycling.
Expect even more big names to join the start line on February 22 in the beautiful gravel country of Franklin, Georgia.
A maximum of 800 places are available, 300 for the 100-mile Pro distance, 300 for the 63-mile distance and 200 for the 30/40mile distance.
When you register, you’re not just signing up for a race or ride; you’re signing up for an experience.
Your registration includes a Dope Rider t-shirt, Morning Snacks & Coffee to fuel your start, Paved Parking for easy convenience to the festivities, SAG Support for any on-road assistance, Aid Stop Food and Drink to keep you hydrated and energized. Finisher Winter Beanies for competing the distance, plus a Post-Ride Meal and Drink(s) to replenish your energy, Post-ride Entertainment to keep the fun going, and a Post-Ride Drawing for a chance to win exciting prizes. Registration also includes as much Kick-a$$ Photography and Video as our crew can manage to get.
For more information, visit www.homegrowngravel.com
Finally assembled and ready to go into the kiln to be glazed, this year’s custom handcrafted trophies for 19 lucky category winners will be waiting for them at the finish line. This year’s trophy surrounded by previous years trophies, medals and give away’s courtesy of Grouch Ass Pottery Studio.
