Flavia Oliveira (Excel Sports) rolled across the finish line of the Belgian Waffle Ride California, exhausted but smiling as she crossed the finish line.Since 2007, the Brazilian climber has been on a roll, with multiple world championship appearances, national road titles, and a 2016 Olympic road race, and a top 10 finish in the Olympic road race, he has amassed a mountain of accomplishments. But after 15 years of international racing, Oliveira was looking for something new and found it in the emerging American gravel scene.

Pandemic turned Oliveira to gravel in 2020. The domestic road racing scene was in dire straits, and like others who had to figure out their next move, Oliveira had two options.

"When I made the decision, I had never tried anything else [other than road]," he said. 'After the pandemic, the road scene seemed to have gone downhill a bit. It was a choice between doing criteriums or trying gravel, and I prefer gravel. Gravel is a new challenge."

Oliveira, who has had little experience in off-road racing since making the transition, has shown quick progress. However, the 40-year-old says she is still learning the nuances of gravel. She is constantly absorbing new things, such as bike choice, tire pressure, and perfecting her technical skills.

Oliveira's learning curve is steep, but the former roadie has been able to go toe-to-toe with the best and finished second at BWR California on April 30, behind the in-form Moriah Wilson (Specialized). The two Bay Area friends and close rivals rode together until midway through the 212km race, when Wilson pulled away from Oliveira on a long, technical downhill. Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM Racing), who can handle both gravel and road, finished third. [Gravel is a compromise. Gravel is a compromise. I don't know what the right setup is," Oliveira said. I don't know what the right setup is," Oliveira said, "because you can roll faster on pavement. That's where it hurts, especially when the wind picks up. I chose the Specialized Crux, but I suffered more on the road. I'm not much of a mountain biker, so I figured I'd be more forgiving in the gravel sectors. But this is all something I like to do. I really enjoy learning new things. I regret not trying gravel sooner."

The allure of gravel is not just the lure of a fresh challenge. Oliveira fell in love with it as soon as he completed his first race two years ago.

"I think it's the only discipline in cycling that gives everything to women equally. Same course, same distance, same prize money. Same course, same distance, same prize money. It's something you don't see in a lot of other cycling events, and that appeals to me. I liked the men's group start better. More fun for us women. I think gravel is an attractive place, especially for women."

But like Oliveira, however, gravel events are evolving. As the race grows, more talent and potential sponsors are drawn to the scene. Fully supported gravel teams are also being formed. Traveling with a support crew is a relatively new concept and one that Oliveira has to consider when choosing his race calendar.

"It's getting so much bigger now, more and more professional," said Oliveira, who ran self-supported at BWR California. 'In a race like UNBOUND, you can't do that.' She said. But logistically speaking, it's almost impossible to finish that race alone. It's tough. When I started this, gravel was much more personal. You go against the terrain and you know what's going on. It's not like a road where you can raise your hand and ask for a Coke."

But it's part of the learning curve, and Oliveira embraces it. With more races than ever before, she likes her options for 2022.

"This discipline is tough. 'BWR was a ruthless, long day; BWR was a ruthless, long day. I couldn't do it every weekend, and I wish I could, but it would be exhausting." But I love it. The atmosphere is so cool and the course is always challenging. It's totally different from the road."