Former mountain bike cross-country world champion Kate Courtney and former road pros Lawrence ten Dam and Peter Stetina will headline this weekend's opening round of the Grasshopper Adventure Series.

The opening event, known as Low Gap, will take place on January 25, and in addition to Courtney, last year's winner Katie Hall, Amity Rockwell, and Allison Tetrick will be part of a strong women's field.

On the men's side, Jeff Kabush, Peter Stetina, Lawrence Ten Dam, and Jonathan Baker make up an equally impressive group.

The 68-km (43-mile) event features more than 5,500 feet of climbing, with athletes tackling a mix of gravel and road.

Ahead of the first race of the series, Cycling News spoke with race organizer Miguel Crawford.

"The uniqueness of Hoppers comes from many things. The uniqueness of Hoppers comes from many things. Namely, our group of riders get together many times throughout the year. It truly feels like a "family."

"Second, the riders who compete embody the best elements of the competition. They are seasoned riders and self-sufficient. They seek adventures that challenge their bodies, their minds, and their machines. They look out for each other and have great sportsmanship on and off the bike."

According to Crawford, one of the biggest challenges riders face at this event is race equipment.

"The course is the same as in the past, but the route always makes choosing the right equipment difficult. Even though most of us have gravel bikes, choosing the right tires, wheels, and gear is very difficult. Some rides are on remote paved roads on the north coast, while others have epic dirt descents, gravel, singletrack, and creek crossing sections"

Gravel racing has grown significantly over the past few years. Ten Dam, who retired from professional cycling late last year, cites the Grasshopper Series as one of the five races that changed his life. He now runs his own gravel race.

"It's the most beautiful place in the world to ride a bike, but right from the start people were sprinting," Ten Dam said of the Grasshopper Series.

"You're thinking, 'Damn, I gotta sprint too,' and then all of a sudden it's uphill and you have to carry your bike on your shoulders through the farm gate. Then we had to cross the river, and eventually there were 15 riders left, and then five.

Stetina followed a similar path to Tendam, retiring from road racing at the end of 2019, choosing instead to compete in a number of major gravel races in North America.

The Grasshopper Series has seven races, with the final race taking place in June.