Mazda Lauf Factory Racing

Success at Open Range Gravel Race today! Jonathan Cavner takes the 🥇in the men’s with Nick Gould taking 🥉. And, Jess Cygan takes the 🥇 for the ladies.

Rodeo Adventure Labs

Up next! Grant Koontz

Texas Native, Grant got his start racing the infamous road scene of Texas bicycle racing. After finding success on the bike through collegiate racing at Texas A&M, he decided to go all in on bicycle racing following graduation. That has been the story of the past 5 years of racing which has taken him all over the world to race and adventure on two wheels. He always dreamed of racing the historic Spring Classics of France and Belgium, though he never found a gateway, or counterpart, in the domestic scene... until Gravel racing blossomed. He is now honing in on two relatively new race crafts: in the velodrome and in the gravel scene. He plans on pursuing both wholeheartedly while chasing the olympic dream on the track bike and using gravel racing as a fun and competitive outlet to keep things light.

Grant’s favorite thing about Gravel: “It is an intensely competitive race scene that simulates the longer and flatter “epics” of European spring classics, all while having a community focus and home base in the often-forgotten lands of Middle America.”

Notable results:
2nd, Stage 2, Joe Martin Stage Race, 2019
1st, National Championship, Track Team Pursuit, 2019
2nd, Stage 4 Vuelta a Guatemala, 2019
4th, Stage 1 Vuelta a Costa Rica, 2019

Meet Jon Harp

Harp is currently the Director Sportiff and continues to train and race with the team. They call him Johnny Gravel.

Harp started going fast on two wheels in the cycling rich community of Chicago at the age of 13. Racing the clock to the zoo was quickly replaced by summers at the OTC. New teams. Bigger challenges. At 18 signed with Raleigh where most of his teammates were Euro pros. "At the age of 20 I thought I had the dream opportunity. A pro contract to race in Europe for $13,500/yr. My dreams came crashing to a halt when I realized that I would be expected to start a full fledged doping program." On a flight back from a race Harp decided that he would never unpack his bike. And he didn't. College. An entrepreneurial mind. Harp sunk his energy into other passions. Marriage. Kids. Fly fishing. Golf. Business. "Cycling was always part of my DNA. After 27 years off the bike at the age of 48 I bought a bike. For pure mental and physical release from a tough season in life. Mashing the pedals day after day brought such joy. I soon realized my speed was coming back. I decided to see if I could hang. Did a gravel race in TX. Ended up winning. That buzz I get from a start line can't be replicated." Harp kept winning criteriums and gravel races.

2 years ago Harp had a vision begin to form. Gravel cycling was exploding. "I wanted to put together something special. The best riders. A totally different culture. Totally inclusive. The best equipment. The most visually stunning. I wrestled with the silliness of this at a time I had just survived a tough divorce. Two kids. A life to recreate. A chance night watching the movie Field of Dreams and it was settled. I will build it. Everything else will come ! " After a meeting with Stephen Fitzgerald of Rodeo and others Rodeo Labs Pro Gravel was born.

"My favorite thing about gravel? It is our version of the big long nasty classics. Gravel can break you down. In every way. I love that. It also happened to fit my skill set better. Wind and chunk gravel turned out to be right up my alley. Plugging in my old roadie brain to save every watt and get to use my cycling IQ again. The ultimate.”

Rodeo Adventure Labs

First race of the season done and dusted! Here is the race report for Old Man Winter Rally.

Rodeo Labs Pro Gravel: Old Man Winter Race Report We sit down with Jess, Nick and Cav to discuss Old Man Winter 2021!