Sarah Sturm showed her speed and stamina once again on the world stage.
The Durango-based rider finished third at the 360-kilometer The Traka gravel race in Girona, Spain, on May 2 after over 13 hours in the saddle in a fierce battle for the win.
Karolin Migon won the race in 13 hours and 39 minutes. Axelle Dubau-Prévôt finished second in 13:39:33 and Sturm was in third in 13:39:35.
The course began in Girona and riders climbed 10-15 kilometers north. The riders kept going north and hit another series of climbs from about 140-180 kilometers in before heading south down the coast. It was pretty flat from about 190 kilometers to 280 kilometers before a big climb around 280 kilometers in. The finishing stretch included multiple punchy climbs and a downhill finish.
For almost the entire race, the top three were together until Migon pulled away in the last 10 kilometers for the win.
“When I first crossed the line, I was really, really quite disappointed and pretty emotional about it,” Sturm said. “I felt I was probably the strongest rider in the bunch. The other girls, now that we've finished, have sort of said that. I was strong in the ways that the final part of the course didn't reward. I was definitely the strongest climber, and not the strongest tactically. It sort of became some road race tactics, which were super fun and it made me rethink some of my own tactics going into Unbound. But to be that close after 360k, even second place would have been disappointing.”
Another reason the result for Sturm was tough is the nature of gravel racing. Unlike other sports, there isn’t another Traka the next week for riders to bounce back in. Riders have to do a lot of traveling to get to and from the Traka. There are so many variables like health, avoiding flats and travel that could go wrong next year, which makes it tough to come so close with an event that happens once a year.
Despite this, after a couple of days, Sturm felt good about her performance at The Traka. At 35 years old, she’s proud to still be fighting at the front of the world’s top gravel races with the best in the world. Sturm said she has learned so much from her experiences at The Traka; she’s improved a ton and feels stronger than ever.
One of the reasons Sturm feels so strong is because of her new coach, Dennis van Winden, who’s no stranger to Durango mountain bikers and gravel racers. He coaches Payson McElveen, Savilia Blunk and Cole Paton.
Sturm said van Winden has helped with her tactical knowledge with his road racing background. He and Sturm have focused on her quality of training, not the quantity. Sturm knows some people write off riders when they hit a certain age, but she’s only getting stronger.
The Traka has also evolved a lot since Sturm’s first time in 2023. She said the first two years felt like a time trial because she wouldn’t see another female the entire day.
This year, the women had their own start, like at Unbound Gravel in Kansas. The Traka is called the Unbound of Europe by some. Sturm said it’s because of The Traka’s length, the multiple distances offered and the industry support.
A big change for Sturm this year is that she isn’t competing in the Life Time Grand Prix off-road cycling series. Sturm has been one of the more recognizable faces on the Life Time Grand Prix the last few years. She did not race in the opening round of the Life Time Grand Prix, the Sea Otter Classic, in California in April.
Sturm was in Japan during Sea Otter but said she woke up at 4 a.m. to watch all her friends compete at Sea Otter.
“Life Time is an awesome series and it provides a lot of really great opportunities for people, especially newer riders wanting to break into the scene,” Sturm said. “It's great, I just needed a little break, some room to choose my own calendar and have less pressure to do the same races. If I sign up for Life Time, I want to win and to do that, you pretty much have to focus on the series.”
Sturm will return to the Life Time Grand Prix scene and will compete in Unbound Gravel on May 31. She also plans on competing in the Oregon Trail gravel race and Leadville Trail 100 MTB. Sturm was looking forward to the UCI Gravel World Championships in Nice, France, but with the change in venue to Limburg, Netherlands, she’s not sure if she’ll compete there.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
