After 170.5 kilometres (106 miles) of red dust kicked up by the Oklahoma winds and an unrelenting pace of a strong elite men's field, the final 250 metres confirmed Colorado youngster Cobe Freeburn (Trek Driftless) was ready for prime time.
The 24-year-old from Durango won Mid South Gravel when he hit the afterburners on the pavement in Stillwater and ignited a final surge to hold off Unbound Gravel 200 champion Cameron Jones (Scott-RCC) at the line.
It wasn't just your typical crazy-fast sprint to decide an off-road endurance race, it was a forecast for the new guard of gravel. The two are just separated in age by one year, with Jones a familiar name with two strong seasons of gravel, and a Life Time Grand Prix title, on his resume. Freeburn comes from mountain biking and lines up for the first time in the Grand Prix this season, the opening round April 16 at Sea Otter Classic Gravel in California.
"I wanted to be a part of the Life Time Grand Prix because that is where the best competition in off-road cycling is. It is an incredible opportunity to compete against the best in the country and some of the best in the world," Freeburn told Cyclingnews after he was named to the early-season roster of 22 men in the LTGP field.
"The majority of the best cyclists in the gravel/off-road space are in the Grand Prix or at least compete in some of the races. There is also a lot of attention on the series and the athletes competing in it, so it's a nice opportunity to get my name out there more."
Freeburn sells himself a bit short, as his name is already out there. He added his name to the list that has won the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic - Quinn Simmons, Sepp Kuss and Howard Grotts - and won the race twice. 2025 was his breakout year on gravel, winning Bighorn Gravel and finishing third at SBT GRVL, just behind winner Brennan Wertz and runner-up Keegan Swenson. He was fifth at Chequamegon MTB and finished 15th at Leadville Trail 100 MTB.
Peter Stetina called him a "big prospect" last year after SBT GRVL, while Wertz noted that he was more than just a high-altitude "rider to watch," saying "I've seen him perform in all sorts of different courses.
After the Oklahoma matchup, Jones took to social to say Freeburn's form was "spot on" and the new LTGP rider "would be one to watch this year, killer sprint in the end there".
An attritional race that started with 65 riders came down to 20 then seven at the front of the race with 55km (34 miles) to go, and Wertz was the first to drop from the steam engine with a flat tyre. A water crossing with 27km (16 miles) caused another disruption and soon there were just three on the pavement in downtown Stillwater, with Michael Garrison (SpeedStudio p/b Basso), another 24-year-old, just three seconds behind the sprint duo for third.
"That was definitely the best sprint I have ever put together at the end of a race, it was also my best 5, 10, and 12-second power I have ever done. I have typically not done as well in sprints at the end of races but this time was different I guess," Freeburn told Cyclingnews.
"Cam and Michael were probably stronger than me most of the day so I was very surprised that I was able to outsprint them at the end."
The victory for Freeburn was his first riding for Trek Driftless, his teammate Daxton Mock leading the chase group for fourth.
"This year joining Trek Driftless has been nice so far. It really allows me to focus more on the racing and less about the other small things that go on during race weekends. I don't have to worry about going to the store or how I'm going to get to the venue. It just really allows me to put all my energy into performing on race day," he said.
"The next few races on my calendar are Sea Otter, Traka 200, and Unbound. They are all big targets for me so hopefully I can carry some momentum into them."
He and Mock had been in the pipeline for the gravel squad since racing several years together in MTB and some cyclo-cross with the Trek-supported Bear National Team. Mock is among the wild card entries for the Life Time Grand Prix this year.
The third men's rider on Trek Driftless is Torbjørn Røed, who finished third overall at the Grand Prix last year. He often trained with Freeburn last year and will be part of a formidable trio for the six-race Grand Prix.
"I was also very fortunate to have an incredible teammate. Daxton Mock and I worked together seamlessly and we were always in the right place at the right time. I can’t thank everyone enough. Hopefully this is just the beginning," he added in a social post.
Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our gravel cycling coverage in 2026. We'll be on the ground at the biggest races of the season, bringing you breaking news, expert analysis, in-depth features, and much more. Find out more.
