Late Season Check-in with Andrew Vontz

Thomas is joined by Andrew Vontz from Choose the Hard Way and
Beyond the Peloton. The two share their observations from the
2025 gravel season and tell us what excites them for the
remainder of the season.
Topics in this Episode:


The Rise of "Grass Racing": Is "grass" is
becoming the next defining surface in gravel. Will we have
surface specialists like in Tennis, even?


Is Mud a Problem? The role of mud pits and
Minimum Maintenance Roads (MMRs) in races like Unbound and
Gravel Worlds can be outsized. Should organizers reroute to
prevent mechanicals and damage to expensive equipment?


Safety and Logistics: Do shared feed zones for
pros and amateurs need to be separated?


Self-Supported vs. Pro Support: A discussion
on the ethos of "self-supported" racing and how it clashes with
the professionalization of the sport, and whether a diversity
of race styles is beneficial for gravel.


Breaks Win Races: An observation on the trend
of early breaks winning many of the season's marquee races and
the lack of a "domestique" culture in gravel racing.

Featured in this Episode:


Andrew Vontz: Andrew is the author and host of
the Choose the Hard Way Podcast and Substack. He’s also co-host
of Beyond the Peloton.


Thomas Euler: Your host and author of The
Gravel Stack, Connect with Thomas on Instagram and Bluesky.



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