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Tribute to the 2020 North American Spring Classics

The 75th edition of Omloop Het Niewsblad on February 29th marks the start of the European Spring Classics, and North America hosts a plethora of events that pay homage to the cobbles and dirt tracks of Northern France and Belgium

The brutal but legendary one-day races including the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Strade Bianche draw huge crowds and audiences to watch the hardest Pros do battle over infamous cobbles and climbs, often in the most terrible weather conditions imaginable.

Every year, across North America, dozens of events pay tribute to the European Spring Classics. There's no need to cross the Atlantic, when you can enjoy Beer and Frites (French Fries) with Mayo in your own back garden.

Luckily, North America has over a 1.4 million miles of gravel and dirt roads that host some of the most unique challenges in the form of the Gravel Grinder, some these events are very challenging.

A lot of these races can be tackled on a range of bikes, but Gravel Fondo specific bikes are fast becoming the norm, with clearance for wider tires and disc brakes that can handle 650 and 700 wheel sets. Gravel bikes have blurred the lines between traditional road (Gran Fondo) and off-road (Gravel Fondo) riding, and so have many events that now feature large sections of both tarmac, gravel and even worse terrain, where shouldering your bike on some parts, is all part of the early season "fun".

North America invented the Gravel Grinding genre, which is catching on fast around the world. As Europe and North America, Gran Fondo and Gravel collide - a new buzzword has emerged, the Gravel Fondo. Think big fun, lots of gravel, endurance, good bike handling skills, self reliance and lots of beer afterwards!

For those riders looking to start training or hone their form before the Road and Gravel season gets into full swing, these events can kick-start your season.

Date Event Location Routes Diff  Type My Rides
Jan 25 - Jan 26 Texas Chainring Massacre Valley View Tx 30, 50, 70, 100 miles D GRAVEL
Feb 02 Old Man Winter Rally Lyons Colorado USA 50, 100 km C GRAVEL
Mar 01 Road Apple Roubaix Garrettsville Ohio USA 15, 25, 50 miles C GRAVEL
Mar 01 Dirty Pecan Gravel Ride Monticello FL 40, 60, 80, 100, 150, 200 miles F GRAVEL
Mar 01 Dirty South Roubaix Alto Pass Illinois 50, 100 km C GRAVEL
Mar 09 Hell of the NorFla Newberry FL 315 km F GRAVEL
Mar 09 Stokesville 6040k Stokesville VA 40, 60 km C GRAVEL
Mar 13 - Mar 16 The Mid South Stillwater Oklahoma USA 50, 100 miles D GRAVEL
Mar 15 Redlands Strada Rossa Redlands California USA 35, 66, 100 miles D GRAVEL
Mar 23 Gran Fondo Ephrata Ephrata Washington USA 50, 80 miles E GRAVEL
Mar 29 Fish Rock Boonville California USA 72.4 miles, 9,670 feet D GRAVEL
Apr 05 Strada Bellamy Newberry Florida USA 212 km F GRAVEL
Apr 05 San Ysidro Dirty Century San Ysidro, New Mexico, USA 58, 73, 83, 98 miles D GRAVEL
Apr 05 Castell Grind Castell TX 50, 75, 100km C GRAVEL
Apr 12 Barry Roubaix Hastings MI 18, 36, 62, 100 miles D GRAVEL
Apr 13 Wahkiacus Gravel Premier Goldendale WA 50, 88 miles E GRANFONDO
Apr 19 Rasputitsa Spring Classic Jay VT 53 miles C GRAVEL
Apr 19 Dirty 30 Gravel Grinder Saranac MI 6, 16, 30, 50, 130 mils C GRAVEL
Apr 26 Dairy Roubaix Bagley Wisconsin USA 54, 107 miles D GRAVEL
Apr 26 Muddy Onion Spring Classic Montpelier Vermont USA 20, 40, 55 miles C GRAVEL
Apr 26 Waterloo G and G Gravel Road Race Grass Lake MI 10, 31, 62 miles C GRAVEL
Apr 27 Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo Duryea PA 40, 75, 100 miles C GRAVEL
Apr 27 UCI Paris to Ancaster Bicycle Race Paris Ontario Canada 45km, 70km, 110+ km C GRAVEL
Apr 27 Miesville FiftySix Miesville Minnesota USA 56 miles C GRAVEL
May 03 Black Fork Gravel Grinder pb Lauf Glenmont OH 23, 30, 54 miles C GRAVEL
May 03 Oregon Coast Gravel Epic Waldport OR 37, 60 miles C GRAVEL
May 04 PastryBIkePastry Aurora Illinois USA 25, 50, 60, 100 miles C GRAVEL
May 04 Brandywine Valley Roubaix IX West Chester PA 34, 61 miles C GRAVEL
May 10 Battenkill Cambridge NY 14, 23, 47, 63, 85, 106 miles C GRANFONDO
May 25 Hell of the North Ballantrae ON 70, 90 km D GRAVEL
Jun 01 Cowichan Crusher Gravel Fondo Lake Cowichan BC Canada 55, 110 kms C GRAVEL
Jun 28 Robidoux Rendezvous Gering Nebraska 25, 65, 100, 160 miles D GRAVEL
Aug 18 Dusty Nostril St. Jacobs, Ontario Canada 40, 65 km C GRAVEL
Sep 21 Sea 2 Sky Gravel Fondo Squamish BC 25, 50, 85km B GRAVEL
Oct 04 The Great North Battenkill Valley Cambridge NY 23, 27, 50, 70 miles D GRANFONDO
Oct 06 Barry Roubaix Fall Fondo Hastings MI 18, 36, 62 miles C GRAVEL
Oct 25 Lowell Classic Lowell MI 15, 33, 50 miles C GRAVEL
Nov 23 Belgian Waffle Ride Mexico Queretaro Mexico 50,100, 180 km F GRAVEL
 

About the North American Spring Classics

Barry-Roubaix in Michigan is by far the largest Gravel Race in North America, featuring around 3,500 riders.

Paris to Ancaster, "Canada's Spring Cycling Classic", is a 70km ride that does everything it can to pump up the hardness factor to Paris-Roubaix levels. There are a number of mud sections that see most riders shoulder their bikes and celebrates it's 27th edition this year. Other hellish rides in Canada are Hell and Heck of the North and Steaming Nostril 

The 17th edition of the "Queen of the Classics" Tour of Battenkill Gran Fondo in upstate New York allows amateur cyclists to experience the 75 miles of rolling terrain on both dirt and paved roads as they travel through the world famous Battenkill Valley. Set in early spring, the race starts and finishes in the scenic village of Cambridge, New York and courses through covered bridges, family farms, and rural villages along the many challenging backcountry roads that traverse Southern Washington County, New York. 

The Canyon Belgian Waffle Ride, in California, is "the most unique one day cycling event in the country", was created as an homage to the storied history of bike racing in Belgium—a wonderful country considered to be the epicenter of the hardest one-day bike races in the world. “A tribute to the beautiful—and equally grueling—races staged in Belgium during the early spring, this year’s route will once again be different than all of the previous years with some new and sinuous gravel, dirt, and rocky sections, and more climbing than rural Belgium could offer, promising more fun, more pain and more opportunity for excuses than ever before. Each year the course changes it's likely to 13 categorized climbs and more than 13,000 feet of climbing and headwinds no matter which direction you ride.

One ride that is due to sell out the moment it opens on January 1st is Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo which traverses the Endless Mountains region of Northeastern Pennsylvania that has grown to be a must do event for all cyclists in the Eastern United States. 

The Rasputitsa Spring Classic, Rasputitsa is Russian for “mud season", which gives you a pretty accurate preview of this 45-mile race for bragging rights in northern Vermont. In keeping with the Russian theme, the highlight of the course is “Cyberia,” a Class IV road that a former race participant described as “a scary backwoods where at any time a Yeti or Bengal tiger may jump out of the woods, bludgeon you with a blunt object, and either leave you for dead or drag you back into the woods for a nice little Saturday brunch.” It features Yeti's, maple syrup shots and, of course, Cyberia.

Remember gravel and dirt roads are not all created equally and each places very different demands on equipment.

Whatever you do, make sure you add at least one of these classics to your Bucket List next spring.

For a comprehensive, up to date and continually growing calendar of events througout the year, please visit:

2020 U.S. Gran Fondo Calendar
2020 Canadian Gran Fondo Calendar
2020 North American Gran Fondo Calendar
2020 U.S. Century Rides Calendar
2020 U.S. Gravel Fondo Calendar

Remember gravel and dirt roads are not all created equally and each places very different demands on equipment.

Disclaimer

The above list represents, to the best of our knowledge, The North American Spring Classics in the North America in 2020. 

The above events are very challenging are suited to experienced cyclists who can ride all day, over long very distances and mountainous terrain, typically unsupported. For less experienced riders or beginners, we have a full comprehensive list of 2020 Gravel Grinders across North America. Some of the dates for 2019 events have not yet been confirmed, hence their exclusion. If you know that some of the above details are incorrect, please let us know. If you are an organizer or an experienced Gravel Grinder and you feel an event should be included, please let us know.