Samara Sheppard went back and forth against Flavia Oliveira Parks in the women's overall at Stetina's Paydirt on Saturday in Nevada, with the New Zealander pulling out the elite victory on the fourth and final timed section.
Meanwhile, defending champion Justin Peck edged Kyle Ward and Lachlan Morton for the overall men's win at Paydirt. The trio were separated by just 35 seconds, the difference also made on Clear Creek, a 9.5-mile climb with 1,455 feet of elevation gain.
Event co-founder Peter Stetina worked to keep the Carson City, Nevada event a celebration for riders of all abilities, with some "high desert chaos to keep things interesting" for the elite field. There is a mass start for all riders, with four timed segments on the Long Course, 71.18 miles, winners determined by cumulative times across the segments.
"The old way of all-out racing is not the way at Stetina's Carson City Paydirt," the Paydirt website promised.
The timing started at mile 3.5, with a moderate grade for 8.5miles. The second segment was the longest at 18.4 miles, Pine Nuts, but only half of this is a climb, averaging 3%. The segment is known for a rough, sandy track and the back half descends on a rougher path into Brunswick Canyon. New singletrack awaits on the 7.1-mile third timed section at Lower Jack's Valley that ends with some pavement.
The final timed segment was all climbing, and it made the difference.
"What we’re doing here in Northern Nevada is unique and special," Stetina confirmed on social media. "Ask any attendee and it’s very different but it just works. This is my love letter back to the sport that’s given me everything."
Many of the elite riders stop in Nevada before the sojourn to the Flint Hills of Kansas for Unbound Gravel in two weeks. On the line at Paydirt are bragging rights, but also one-ounce silver ingots with a custom hand-cast design, paying homage to the Silver State. The rewards at Paydirt are related to prize purses but also to having a community and a place to ride.
Sheppard is one of the invitation-only riders in the Life Time Grand Prix and sits in seventh place on the series leaderboard going to Unbound 200.
"The spirit of gravel is still alive and well with Stetina's Paydirt. Loved racing the timed sectors, then enjoying the gravel roads and singletrack between sections with other riders and stopping in the feed zones to refuel. Proper cowboy country out there," Sheppard said.
"And a pretty cool chunky silver medallion from the Silver State to take home too."
Also significant for the event is a field of 60 or so junior riders, who all race for free. This shows Stetina that "the future of this sport is in good hands."
The 38-year-old is closing out a 20-year career of racing road and gravel this season. With a limited gravel calendar for Canyon as a privateer, Stetina is also a coach for the brand's riders. He is a former winner of The Traka 360 and has finished multiple times in the top 10 at Unbound 200. He finished sixth at The Mid South this season and in the top 30 at another Traka 360, but will be in his coaching role for Unbound.
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