At the 100-mile Homegrown Gravel Adventure in Franklin, Georgia, Michael Garrison secured victory in a tight sprint against Andrew l'Esperance. Meanwhile, Lauren De Crescenzo dominated the women's race, solidifying her champion status with an 85-mile solo ride. Competitors faced challenging conditions after heavy rain, though only limited muddy patches were encountered on the mostly gravel route featuring significant elevation changes. Garrison expressed doubt about his performance but was pleased with his sprint finish, emphasizing his winter training focus on improving sprint abilities, a vital factor for success in the race.
"This is the first official event of my season. Today I really didn't have the best legs. I thought he would have me, Andrew's strong," Garrison told Cyclingnews at the finish.
"I have days on the gravel where the legs just feel good, I did not feel that today. I knew I wanted to come to a sprint...don't fuck this up."
The morning began with temperatures well below the freezing mark and organisers put the race's motto to the test, 'US Grade-A gravel that's always fresh and never frozen.'
The men's field also included former Unbound Gravel 200 winner Ian Boswell, eager to ride outside under sunny skies on a challenging course.
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