F1 driver Valtteri Bottas finishes second for his age in his first gravel race

Canyon-SRAM rider Tiffany Cromwell and her boyfriend Bottas raced the tough SBT GRVL event in Colorado

Valtteri Bottas and Tiffany Cromwell
Valtteri Bottas and Tiffany Cromwell
(Image credit: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

F1 superstar Valtteri Bottas is not taking it easy during his racing summer break, as he competed in his first gravel event in the USA.

Finnish driver Bottas, who races for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team alongside Lewis Hamilton, headed out to Colorado to race the SBT GRVL event on Sunday (August 18), competing in the 64-mile red course around the city of Steamboat Springs. 

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Alex Ballinger

Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.