Schreurs and Kongstad Claim Victory at CORE4 Gravel Earth Series
Geerike Schreurs (Specialized-Off road) and Tobias Kongstad (PAS Racing) won the CORE4 gravel race in Iowa City. Schreurs secured a solo victory in the women’s elite field, while Kongstad won a five-rider sprint in the men’s elite race. Both athletes climbed the top step after finishing second at the event last year.
The CORE4 event serves as the penultimate stop of the Gravel Earth Series (GES), a circuit that gravelearthseries.com describes as a “gravel revolution” designed to elevate the sport through a scoring structure and new age categories. The Iowa City course is a technical hybrid, incorporating “champagne gravel,” singletrack, bike paths, and river crossings.
Schreurs Overcomes Mechanical Failure for Solo Win
Geerike Schreurs finished the women’s elite race with a time of 5:49:10, marking her third victory in the GES. According to race data, Schreurs achieved this result despite racing with a broken right shifter.
The race dynamics shifted early when a crash on a B road split the elite women’s peloton. Schreurs and Emily Newsom established a one-minute lead after the first 10 miles. A chase group consisting of Crystal Anthony, Flavia Oliveira Parks, Peta Mullens, and Gabrielle Trexler formed behind them, but the gap widened at the water crossing and hiking section. Per race reports, Schreurs established a three-minute lead by mile 30, which expanded to 10 minutes by the mile 77 aid station.
Emily Newsom took second place, finishing 18:32 behind Schreurs. Crystal Anthony, representing Flow Formulas, Kenda, and The Black Bibs, claimed third place, finishing 5:51 after Newsom.
Kongstad Wins Tactical Sprint in Men’s Elite Field
Tobias Kongstad won the men’s elite race with a time of 5:15:34, narrowly defeating Cole Davis (SpeedStudio p/b Basso) by three seconds. Adam Roberge (Felt UN1TD) finished third, just one second behind Davis. The result was decided by a tactical sprint from a lead group of five riders.
The men’s race experienced an early fracture when a crash on a minimum maintenance road (MMR) in the first mile allowed a group of 15 to break away. Michael Garrison attempted a solo attack but was forced to retire due to a broken wheel. The lead group further dwindled after the waterfall crossing’s hike-a-bike section, leaving seven riders at the front after 20 miles: Kongstad, Davis, Roberge, Daxton Mock, Chase Wark, Benjamin Perry, and last year’s winner Julien Gagné.
The final phase of the race was characterized by internal attacks. Hayden Christian and Chase Wark dropped out of the lead group in the final 10 miles. Kongstad entered the final corner first and maintained that position to secure the victory.
GES Season Finale and Standings Outlook
The Gravel Earth Series concludes in two weeks with “The River by The Traka” in Bouillon, Belgium. That event will feature a 160km route. The points accumulated at CORE4 will be critical for the final series standings, as riders vie for overall ranking in a system gravelearthseries.com describes as “clear, honest, alive.”
Disclaimer: The insights provided in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or sports betting recommendations.