'Solid day out' - Paige Onweller and Cobe Freeburn win 2026 USA Cycling Gravel National Championships

Trek Driftless doubles up in Minnesota as Cobe Freeburn attacks late for solo victory and Paige Onweller wins a two-rider sprint

Anne-Marije Rook's avatar
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Cobe Freeburn racing the Fuego XL at the 2026 Sea Otter Classic
(Image credit: Life Time)

Trek Driftless had plenty to celebrate in Minnesota over the weekend, with Cobe Freeburn and Paige Onweller sweeping the elite titles at the 2026 USA Cycling Gravel National Championships. After 107 miles of racing, Freeburn clinched his Stars and Stripes jersey with a late solo attack, while Onweller won hers in a two-rider sprint.

For Freeburn, the victory came with another milestone: his first trip onto a national championship podium.

"The day was great. It was very chaotic with people up the road all the time," Freeburn said. "Luckily, we caught Griffin [Easter] right at the end, and I was able to attack in the forest and get away."

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The men’s field of 61 offered little opportunity to settle in. Attacks steadily reduced the bunch, and by mile 53, five riders had gone clear: Zach Calton, Marc Spratt, Braeden Sellinger, Chase Wark and Robert Oehler.

That move was back by the three-hour mark, leaving 12 riders at the front and Griffin Easter (OpiCure Gravel p/b Orbea and Castelli SOG) chasing half a minute behind. Easter worked his way across, then kept going. With 10 miles remaining, he was alone out front, 40 seconds ahead of a nine-rider chase.

It was a promising position, but in the effort of bridging and then attacking, Easter had perhaps burned one match too many. The chasers reeled him in during the closing miles, opening the door for Freeburn to launch his race-winning move.

The Durango rider quickly built a 20-second advantage and held clear to the finish. Cole Davis (SpeedStudio p/b Basso) won the sprint for second, while Easter salvaged third after helping shape the race.

“I’ve been thinking about this since last year and I really wanted it, so I’m really proud,” Freeburn said.

Freeburn’s path to gravel began on mountain bikes, including four years with the Bear National Team development programme. He joined Trek Driftless for 2026 after a privateer season that brought victory at Bighorn Gravel and a third-place finish at SBT GRVL. Completing his college degree before the 2025 season also gave Freeburn more time for training and recovery, helping set up his breakthrough year as a Life Time Grand Prix debutant.

Men's Podium

  1. Cobe Freeburn (Durango, Colo.; Trek Driftless)
  2. Cole Davis (Roseville, Calif.; SpeedStudio p/b Basso)
  3. Griffin Easter (Park City, Utah; OpiCure Gravel p/b Orbea and Castelli SOG)

Paige Onweller

(Image credit: Life Time)

In the women’s race, Onweller wasted little time to test the 25-rider elite field. After a hard opening sequence of climbs, she attacked around mile 38, using a long plateau and crosswind to force a separation.

By mile 41, she had 20 seconds on the chase, with two groups of eight behind her. After an hour off the front by herself, Onweller was joined by Sarah Lange (Velocio // Exploro)and the two worked well together.

At mile 66, the pair led solo chaser Emma Langley (Ventum / DT Swiss / Kenda / Rule28 / Monolith) by 40 seconds, with another five riders 2:40 behind. Onweller and Lange continued to cooperate, keeping the title contest between themselves.

"We work really well together, we’re both super strong, and really committed to working together to the finish," Onweller said.

Their partnership lasted until the final sprint, where Onweller took the win ahead of Lange. Langley completed the podium.

"I got her at the end, but she really pushed me today, and it was a really fun day with her," Onweller added. "Solid day out today at Gravel Nationals."

Onweller’s cycling story started comparatively recently. A former collegiate runner and emergency-room physician assistant, she began riding in 2020 to complement her running, then found competition on Zwift. Her first mass-start bike race was (the unofficial) Gravel Worlds in 2021, where she finished fifth; just over a year later, she won Big Sugar. She's now a familiar face at the front end of any pro gravel race.

Women's Podium

  1. Paige Onweller (Bella Vista, Ark.; Trek Driftless)
  2. Sarah Lange (Lyme, N.H.)
  3. Emma Langley (Richmond, Va.; Ventum / DT Swiss / Kenda / Rule28 / Monolith)
Anne-Marije Rook
Anne-Marije Rook
North American Editor

Cycling Weekly's North American Editor, Anne-Marije Rook is old school. She holds a degree in journalism and started out as a newspaper reporter — in print! She can even be seen bringing a pen and notepad to the press conference.

Originally from the Netherlands, she grew up a bike commuter and didn't find bike racing until her early twenties when living in Seattle, Washington. Strengthened by the many miles spent darting around Seattle's hilly streets on a steel single speed, Rook's progression in the sport was a quick one. As she competed at the elite level, her journalism career followed, and soon, she became a full-time cycling journalist. She's now been a journalist for two decades, including 14 years in cycling.

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