Lauren De Crescenzo (Cinci Elite) has already won the title at the Gravel World Championships in Nebraska and is now one of five elite women that USA Cycling has added to its national roster, with the UCI Gravel World Championship title She is aiming for the title at the UCI Gravel World Championships.

De Crescenzo joins Cinci teammate Holly Matthews, EF Education-TIBCO-SVB teammates Lauren Stevens and Emily Newsome, and Sarah Sturm (Specialized/Rapha/Wahoo) will join the U.S. team along with Alex Howes (EF Education-Easy Post) leads the men's elite roster, joined by Matt Stevens, Jacob Peterson, and David Van Ausdel. the fifth male is 20-year-old Andy Leidick, who will be joined by two other men, including two women. [These 10 athletes will join 49 other American riders who will compete in the inaugural gravel competition in Veneto, Italy, October 6-7, after qualifying in a UCI-sanctioned gravel event or through the petition process in the amateur age category.

The elite women's, women's age group, and men's 50+ categories will race on Saturday, October 8 on a 140km course that is 69% gravel. The elite men's and under 49 categories will race on the same route on Sunday, but the elite men's race will be 190 km with two additional 25 km final circuits. For the elite men, 73% of the course is on gravel roads.

The U.S. has a strong women's team in the elite category, led by Sturm and De Crescenzo. Sturm is currently in second place overall on the Lifetime Grand Prix Series women's leaderboard. Sturm is currently in second place overall on the Lifetime Grand Prix Series women's leaderboard. Sturm was second overall in the Crusher in the Tushar, had two fourth-place finishes at the Leadville 100 MTB and the Chequamegon MTB Festival, and was fifth in the Unbound Gravel 200.

Holly Matthews of Cinch Cycling supported Lauren De Crescenzo, who won GC at the Tour of the Gila and a silver medal at the US Pro Road Race Championships. She finished second in the Unbound Gravel 200 and took the title in the Gravel Worlds. 2021 winner of The Rift Gravel, Matthews finished 16th in the Unbound 200 and 10th in the SBT GRVL.

EF Education-TIBCO-SVB teammates Emily Newsom and Lauren Stevens also had success in multiple events.

Newsom, who finished 12th in the road race and 6th in the ITT at US Pro, placed 3rd overall at this year's Unbound Gravel 200, 7th at Crusher's Tushar, and 3rd at Gravel Locos in Pueblo, Colorado in early October. He was seventh overall in the Lifetime Series.

Stevens, who had a bronze medal in the road race and a fourth-place finish in the time trial at the US Pro Road Nationals, was one of Team USA's protected riders at the World Championship road race in Wollongong. However, after the long 56-hour journey to Australia, she was not in perfect physical condition and did not finish the race. This season, she suffered crashes, unfortunate mechanical problems (unbound), and contracted COVID, which meant that in addition to her two wins in the Unbound 100, she did not have the opportunity to achieve any results in gravel. After the Road World Championships, he competed in the UCI MTB Marathon World Championships in Denmark, where he finished in the top 30.

The men's elite team is led by 2021 SBT GRVL men's champion Alex Howes. He is competing in the Life Time series and after a 5th place finish at the Chequamegon MTB Festival, he is in 11th place among the men's competitors.

Peterson "legally changed" his national program at the last minute and competed in the Highlands Gravel Classic in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was eighth at Ned Gravel in Colorado.

Matt Stevens specializes in ultra-endurance events and last year finished third in the Unbound Gravel XL (350 miles). This year he placed second in the 300-mile Gravel World event in Nebraska.

38-year-old David Van Ausdel is from Minnesota but has lived in Italy since retiring from the pro road peloton 10 years ago.

"I'm between two worlds at this UCI World Gravel Championships. I'm an American at heart, but everything I've learned about cycling has come from the ultra-traditional Italian cycling landscape. What an excitement to be able to take on the most American discipline of cycling on their (and in a way my) home turf in a world dominated by Europe," Van Ausdel said on Instagram about his first career ride with the US national team.

After winning the Crooked Gravel in Colorado and placing in the top 25 at the SBT GRVL, Riddick qualified for the World Championships in Ranxo, Spain.

The UCI Gravel World Series this year featured 11 races, beginning in the Philippines in April and ending on September 17-18 with races in the Netherlands and Spain.

As part of the UCI's Cycling for All initiative, the top 25% of each category in each UCI Gravel World Series event automatically qualified for the world championship team. National federations had the opportunity to enter more riders, up to 20 in all categories through quota spots.

A total of 44 Americans qualified for the Highland Gravel Classic (USA), Wish One Gravel Race (France), La Monsterato (Italy), and Hofa Gravel (Belgium). In addition, the five additional riders selected by petition include Rachel Lozada (women ages 19-34), Michael Garrison (men ages 19-23), Betsy Welch (women ages 40-44), Chad Underwood (men ages 45-49), and Richard Mull (men ages 70-74) Included.