Monuments of Cycling (MoC), producer of the iconic Belgian Waffle Ride (BWR), is delighted to announce its partnership with Canyon Bicycles as the Official Bike Sponsor of the Tripel Crown of Gravel Series. Canyon will seize the opportunity presented by the three early-season BWR Unroad events to showcase its extensive range of bike models and an exceptional roster of world-class athletes, who will navigate the diverse racing venues of the Tripel Crown. This spring series, designed to offer Road, MTB, Cyclocross, Triathletes, and Gravel racers an equal chance to test their skills, unfolds across three stunning locales in the Southwest United States.
Monuments of Cycling is thrilled to present a fresh perspective on the Tripel Crown of Gravel Series, marking the commencement of the 2024 Belgian Waffle Ride Series in full Spring Classic style, Americana style, with three grand events unfolding within a seven-week span. The Tripel Crown will feature the Second Annual BWR Arizona (March 2), the Fifth Annual BWR Utah (April 6), and culminate with the 13th Annual BWR California (April 28).
Crafted to provide both professional and amateur riders with the opportunity to compete in three distinct environments over a short timeframe, the Tripel Crown strikes a perfect balance between recovery and fitness gains for early-season competition. The series will be contested in a points-based omnium format, including both Waffle and Wafer distances for professionals and age-group riders. Participants vying for Tripel Crown honors, and the prize purse (for pros only) will accumulate points based on their performance across the three races, with the BWR CA carrying extra weighted points to conclude the series at North City in San Marcos, CA, on April 28, 2024. The minimum prize purse for the series is currently set at $30,000.
“We are genuinely excited to extend our longstanding partnership with Canyon to include our reimagined Tripel Crown of Gravel Series,” remarked Michael Marckx, CEO of Monuments of Cycling, and creator of BWR. He added, “Canyon’s new bike lineup and roster of athletes, coupled with their leadership in engineering, design, and quality assurance, have made them the ideal partner to elevate riders and the BWR to new heights. Their athletes will undoubtedly inject color and excitement into the series of Unroad events.”
Blair Clark, President of Canyon U.S., expressed, “The Canyon Belgian Waffle Ride was an ideal event for Canyon to launch our ground-breaking Grail gravel bike last year. In the years to come, we look forward to showcasing how Canyon bikes are perfect for the back roads of San Diego, or whatever twisted courses your heart may take you.”
Canyon, known for catering not only to the world’s best pros but also to a diverse range of riders, offers an extensive selection of models, especially in the gravel category. Models such as the new Grail, Grizl, Endurace, Inflite, Ultimate, and Grail:ON present viable options for one or more of the BWR Tripel Crown events, accommodating every gravelleur’s individual needs, budget, and racing ambitions.
The BWRs, initially conceived as extremely challenging races in the spirit of the great European one-day Spring Classics, have evolved into the most unique cycling events globally, renowned for their dynamic, multi-surface parcourses featuring single track, gravel, sand, rocks, double track, water crossings, cyclocross features, and asphalt. The 2024 Tripel Crown of Gravel is anticipated to host the deepest field of professional riders in the series’ history, along with a diverse group of amateur riders eager to race alongside cycling icons, including Canyon pro riders such as Heather Jackson, Carolin Schiff, Pete Stetina, Tiffany Cromwell, Jasper Ockeloen, Jeremiah Bishop, Andrew Jackson, Griffin and Cullen Easter, and Tyler Pearce, the Vegan Cyclist.
The BWR Unroad Expo during the race weekends promises to be a significant attraction, offering the largest cycling parties of the year at each venue. Festivities kick off on Friday, March 1, at Stagecoach Village in Cave Creek, Arizona, featuring a large brand activation by Canyon and other Tripel Crown partners. The BWR AZ Unroad Expo will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and on Saturday, March 2, from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., for all the BWR festivities until the beers, jeers, and awards are distributed for heroic efforts, age-group podiums, and category victories.
Three different distances are offered in Arizona – The longest is the Waffle (around 110 miles), the Wafer (~73 miles), and the Wanna (~40 miles). Registration for this first stop of the Tripel Crown of Gravel is on the verge of selling out. Interested participants can register for both the BWR AZ and the Tripel Crown of Gravel here or for more information visit BelgianWaffleRide.Bike or Facebook.
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