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Alex Wild Wins Season Opener at California Grasshopper Series

Alex Wild edged a dramatic sprint finish to take the men’s title at the opening race of the 2026 USA Gravel season, closing 59 miles of mucky gravel, dirt and an ice bridge in 3:13:47 at the first of five California Grasshopper Series events in Ukiah. The weekend’s racing delivered close finishes, strong junior and masters showings, and a clear statement that the 2026 gravel season is underway.

Alex Wild Wins Season Opener at California Grasshopper Series

Wild, 34, powered home by a tire’s width to secure the victory as a tightly packed chase group crossed the line. Young U23 talent marked themselves on the leaderboard: Marcus Shelton, Caden Kroettinger, Dan English and Yoann Perrodin finished in that order, all credited with the same finishing time as Wild.

Former WorldTour pro Ted King, 43, placed 10th, while last year’s series champion Peter Stetina rolled in 28th overall.

In the women’s race, 36-year-old Jen Tave won decisively in 3:36:42, followed by Larissa Connors (3:40:23) and Laurel Quinones (3:41:57).

One of the weekend’s standout performances came from 16-year-old Shane Curtis. Curtis finished 13th overall in 3:18:30 and claimed the Junior category with authority, underscoring the depth of emerging talent in American gravel racing. Organizers noted challenging but well-managed course conditions that tested riders’ handling, endurance and tactics across mixed surfaces, contributing to close group finishes and decisive sprints.

“The course really separated the riders today — it rewarded bike handling and patience as much as power,” said Series Race Director Miguel Crawford, “Seeing veterans, rising U23s and a 16-year-old junior all competing at the front highlights how strong and diverse the field is this year. We’re excited for the rest of the series and for fans who came out to cheer on an incredible day of racing.”

The California Grasshopper Series continues with Huffmaster on February 28, King Ridge on March 28, Jackson Forest on April 25, and the Ukiah Mendo Epic on May 24. Each race will build on the competitive storyline from Ukiah and offer riders more chances to score points, showcase young talent and challenge veterans across Northern California’s varied gravel terrain.

The California Grasshopper Series is a five-race gravel series that brings together professional, amateur, and junior riders across Northern California. The series emphasizes challenging mixed-surface courses, community engagement, and development pathways for rising talent in American gravel racing. Events draw regional and national fields and serve as key early-season contests on the USA Gravel calendar.

Link to 2026 Low Gap Grasshopper Results: https://my.raceresult.com/378862/results#0_EDB9C5

 
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