Past results and wildcard invitations now define 'pro' categories at The Traka World Series events, The Rift keeps a limited number of entries open for women – Gravel Bits

Organisers of The Traka World Series, formerly Gravel Earth Series, announced the ranking procedures to determine overall winners for 2027, with balanced points for the top 25 riders in pro divisions at each of the seven races, and a new system for riders to earn entry into the pro category as well.

There will be no enhanced scores for individual events, which had been the case in the past at The Traka 360 and the series finale, The River. At Traka Girona and the final series stop, now The Last Dance, points will be the same as other events.

In the past, riders could compete at either The Traka 200 or The Traka 360, or both, which was rare, with more points on the line in the longer distance. This year, pro fields will be consolidated in the reworked 300km distance on May 1, which will offer points and recognise clear winners in the big tune-up before Unbound Gravel.

There are new criteria for riders to line up in the pro division for the popular Girona race, which prioritise results from last year. Riders having finished within 5% of the winning time in their gender category can race as pros. Top finish times from the year before also apply from The Traka 200, Santa Vall, and the longer distances from Ranxo Gravel, Gravel Desert and The River 160.

And at the first three series races in 2027, the same 5% margin will apply for riders to gain pro status, including a new event in late spring referred to as ‘The Traka in the Americas’. Organisers added that a limited number of wild card entries would be considered, “assessed on the sporting information provided and the eligibility criteria of each application”.

There will be no minimum number of events required in the series, however, athletes must start the season finale in October, The Last Dance. Once the seventh and final event has been completed, the final standings will be decided from points earned after dropping the two lowest scores in the calendar.

The final top 10 in The Traka World Series pro leaderboards, men and women, will share a €20,000 overall prize purse. At each event, the top five pro riders, men and women, will have another €8,000 on offer, with CORE4’s purse double that amount.

The Rift seeks more women to register for 200km distance

The Rift gravel race in Iceland is officially sold out for 2027, but organisers announced a few days ago that they are keeping a limited number of entries open for women in the 200-kilometre distance. They want 200 women on the July 24 start line for the 200km distance.

Started in 2019, The Rift offers routes from 60km to 330km from Hvolsvöllur, Iceland across the rough volcanic highlands, marked by multiple icy-cold water crossings. The 200km distance is considered the main event, won last year by Anton Stensby and Haley Smith.

Registration for The Rift 200k is $320. For any rider, male or female, who wishes to compete in shorter categories - 140km or 60km - opportunities are still available to join the waitlist. The long-distance 'Abyss' event is closed.

Valley of Tears expands racing for US Collegiate Gravel Championships

Valley of Tears returns next year for a fourth year, March 5-6, with two days of racing in Turkey, Texas. Organisers announced they will expand the number of titles on offer for the USA Cycling Collegiate Gravel National Championships, with four stars-and-stripes jerseys up for grabs in 2027.

A star-studded elite field is expected to compete for a $45,000 prize purse, split evenly between pro women and pro men. The first payouts are at Friday's Dirt Crit presented by QTS with $10,000 for pro/open competitors. The balance is shared on Saturday for the 93-mile main event, with chunky gravel, old rail trail, sand and singletrack that passes through Caprock Canyons State Park.

In 2026, Valley of Tears hosted the inaugural nationals for collegiate riders, won by Nate Meister (Fort Lewis) and Emma Kasza-James (Midwestern State). Fort Lewis College took the team title. This year, four categories will be offered - Varsity Men, Varsity Women, Club Men and Club Women.

The event offers three ride distances - 20 miles, 50 miles and 93 miles. Registration is limited to 1,000 riders across all fields and opens with discounted rates at 7:00 a.m. CDT on December 1, 2026.

Last year, Sofia Gomez Villafane (Specialized Off-road) captured her third consecutive victory at Valley of Tears, holding off Paige Onweller (Trek Driftless), while Alexey Vermeulen (ENVE) won from a three-rider sprint among the elite men.