Durango’s Cobe Freeburn had an impressive 2025 as one of the youngest riders on the professional gravel cycling scene, and he’s already stepped up his game in 2026, getting the biggest win of his career so far.
Freeburn, 24, won the Mid South Gravel pro men’s 100-mile race in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Saturday. The Mid South field had many top pros vying for the win, but Freeburn was the one who won the three-man sprint with his debut as part of the Life Time Grand Prix a month away.
“I was always in the right place at the right time,” Freeburn said. “I knew … who to watch, who to follow. I raced smart and well. I had my teammate, Daxton Mock, in the group with me, and we worked really well together … we communicated really well and made sure to not do anything that would get in the way of each other. We’re pretty relaxed, and overall, it went really smoothly.”
Last year, the Mid South was canceled due to fires, so Freeburn couldn’t race it. He pre-rode the course last year, but this year was his first time racing it. He won the race in four hours, 31 minutes and 54 seconds. Behind him was Cameron Jones in second in 4:31:54 and Michael Garrison in third in 4:31:57.
Freeburn and Mock, riding for Trek Driftless, weren’t the only team working together in the field. Freeburn saw a few teams working together early in the race. Once the lead group decreased to seven riders, it was Freeburn and Mock working together and Jones and Brennan Wertz worked together as teammates riding for Scott.
The lead group split even more as the race went on. Freeburn made it into the made it into the final group of three as the race split on a dull hill section with about five miles left. Freeburn was the third wheel as the lead riders went through a chicane and on to the final straight. He initiated the sprint, surprising the other two and holding on for the win.
“I haven't won very many sprints the last few years, so I was very surprised to win that sprint,” Freeburn said. “Cam and Michael Garrison, the guy in third, are bigger than me, and typically, on paper, should beat me in a sprint. But I was able to time it well and save energy at the end.”
Elsewhere in the field, Fort Lewis College graduate Henry Nelson finished 14th in 4:46:29. On the women’s side, former Fort Lewis College cyclist Sofia Gomez Villafane won in 5:18:44. Durango’s Ellen Campbell finished 16th in 5:45:57.
There were some scary moments in the women’s race when Gomez Villafane and Paige Onweller nearly collided with a careless media vehicle. Luckily on the men’s side, Freeburn didn’t have any of those close calls.
Freeburn enjoyed the Mid South course. It was pretty flat and rocky, but there were rolling hills that kept the difficulty up. The pace at the front was also faster than Freeburn expected, which made the race more difficult. Freeburn went with some narrower tires that were faster for the sprint finish.
After spending the winter in Tucson, Arizona, Freeburn is back in Durango as the opening round of the Life Time Grand Prix, the Sea Otter Classic, will take place on April 16. Freeburn also spent last winter in Tucson, but he said he’s done more volume this winter as he prepares to be one of the youngest riders in the Life Time Grand Prix field.
“The top 10 is the overarching goal because that’s where the money is,” Freeburn said about the Life Time Grand Prix. “I’m not trying to put too much specific pressure on it; we’ll see how it all plays out.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
