Many US riders are turning their back on the sport in Europe to ride in gravel races back home. There is less support but more opportunities For decad

Good money, no team tactics and cute dogs: the rise of pro cycling freelancers

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2024-10-22 03:00:02

Many US riders are turning their back on the sport in Europe to ride in gravel races back home. There is less support but more opportunities

For decades, professional cycling has been dominated by European World Tour teams. But in the last decade, American gravel privateers have disrupted that paradigm.

“The World Tour is like being in the NFL or NBA,” says Peter Stetina, who rode for three different teams on the tour, the highest tier of professional road cycling, from 2010 to 2019. “You get drafted and signed. You have a salary and your job is just to pedal, nothing else. Racing is cutthroat, resigning is cutthroat.”

In 2019, Stetina’s contract with Trek-Segafredo allowed him to take time away from the World Tour to try his hand at three American gravel races. He took advantage of the opportunity, winning the BWR and placing second at Unbound (then named Dirty Kanza), the most prestigious gravel race in the world. However, competing in these races strained his relationship with team brass, who wanted him to focus on racing in Europe.

“My managers weren’t happy, but the recognition I got was incredible,” says Stetina, who found himself at a crossroads. At the end of the season he chose to leave the World Tour and switch to gravel full-time, drawn to the agency over his career path and the financial opportunity it presented.