Bike manufacturer, BMC, is partnering premium apparel company, Velocio, and component manufacturer, SRAM, to launch a new gravel team.
Named the “No Borders Gravel Team,” the team is co-ed and made up of five riders from five different nationalities.
As a so-called ‘independent international initiative,’ the team will be self-managed by the five riders but receive product and financial support from the aforementioned brands.
According to the press release, the No Borders Gravel Team aims to be a multinational force that offers an unrivalled connection to the nature of performance racing, to test athletic boundaries and deliver adventure across different surfaces.
“The team aims to connect, inspire and welcome all riders to join the next gravel ride – to show that there is a way with no borders,” said David Heine, Head of Marketing at BMC, in a statement.
“We are pleased to be at the starting line of an exciting new community in the field of gravel racing that sees five riders with five different nationalities being united by one singular purpose – to show that gravel provides endless possibilities to race each other.”
The five-rider roster is made up of:
Lisa Wörner, an orthopaedic resident and former Olympic rower from The Netherlands who notably finished 7th at Unbound in 2021 as part of the all-female team Velocio Exploro.
Henning Bommel, a German veteran bike racer with a palmares on the WorldTour level as well on the track.
Sally McHugh, an Irish rookie bike racer who burst onto the scene with a second place finish at the Traka and a first female finish (5th overall) at the 700km ultra road race, Madrid-Barcelona, in 2021.
Daniel Rytz, a cycling fanatic and podcaster from Sweden. Rytz competed in XC marathons and road racing before ultimately finding his way to gravel racing.
Mayalen Noriega, a former swimmer for the Mexican national team turned triathlete and paralympic medalist.
The team will be riding the BMC URS 01, which is a popular gravel bike here at Cycling Weekly. The URS One Apex even earned the top spot in our quest to find the best gravel bike at £3000.
The No Border Gravel Team will line up as a collective at the Traka Gravel Race in Spain and the Nordic Gravel Series in Sweden with many more races being tackled by riders individually throughout the season.
