Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM) has resumed her gravel racing plans following her surprise debut at the Tokyo Olympics in July. The Australian, who initially put her gravel schedule on hold until after the Games, will begin off-road racing on Sunday at the 2021 SBT GRVL.

"I'm relaxed and excited. It's been a long preparation and a lot of logistics due to various travel restrictions. I am grateful to my management team, Canyon-SRAM, and my team partners," Cromwell said before the race in Steamboat, Colorado.

Cromwell initially planned to breathe new life into her decade-long road racing career with a full calendar of gravel races this season.

She told Cyclingnews that she does not consider herself a gravel riding pioneer, but with a 10-event gravel racing calendar that includes Unbound, The Rift, and several events that are part of the Belgian Waffle, the popular off-road discipline He said he aims to bring a competitive edge.

However, a strong Spring Classic campaign with Canyon-SRAM led to a surprise selection to the Australian team for the Tokyo Olympics, and she reorganized her calendar to pick up her gravel racing plans after Tokyo.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Cromwell competed in the women's road race alongside Sarah Gigante, Amanda Spratt, and Grace Brown. She had a strong showing and finished 26th, the highest national finish.

"It would be very easy to take the rest of the season off, but I have a few more goals down the road. Having the opportunity to race gravel after the Olympics is a good way to stay fresh. The atmosphere at Gravel is really relaxed and it's a big community," Cromwell said.

"I definitely want to be competitive, but I can do it in a 'fun' way. Gravel training is also really fun. You can be super adventurous, explore the "road less traveled," and have fun in nature. The races are long and require a lot of pedal effort. I am convinced it will be good training for road racing as well."

Cromwell will be competing in Sunday's main event, the SBT GRVL black course (144 miles, nearly 3,000 meters in elevation), and will be looking for a win.

"The plan is obviously to go for the win, but I know it won't be easy. The women's field this year is really gorgeous, with other roadies, gravel specialists, and possibly MTBers in the mix," Cromwell said. [Since it's a mass start, I expect it to be a "last woman standing" kind of attrition battle. We spent a week in Colorado and acclimated to the altitude. I'm going into the race with the goal of finishing with the best possible result."