BOULDER COUNTY, Colorado (April 6, 2024) — The Boulder Roubaix Road Race powered by Wholesome was held on the mixed-surfaced roads of north Boulder County. This event, the original Paris-Roubaix tribute race in the United States, happens every other year and brings in riders from around the country.
This year, the notoriously unpredictable Rocky Mountain weather significantly influenced the race outcome. Shortly after the Men’s Pro and Women’s Pro categories commenced their 11:00 am race, the weather took a dramatic turn. Early-morning winds, initially blowing at 10-20 mph, increased to 25-35 mph with frequent gusts reaching even higher speeds as the day unfolded. High Wind Advisories were promptly issued along the Colorado Front Range. The challenging conditions posed a formidable obstacle for the racers, altering the dynamics of the competition.
After completing their second lap of the originally scheduled five, race officials and organizers made a collective decision to abbreviate the race due to safety concerns arising from strong winds. Consequently, the men’s race distance was reduced from 93 miles to a mere 36 miles. Meanwhile, the women’s race would now cover the same 36 miles as part of the initially planned 56-mile course.
In the shortened Pro Men’s category, Finn Gullickson emerged victorious. As a budding gravel racer participating in his inaugural Boulder Roubaix, he expressed immense satisfaction despite the challenges posed by the hazardous conditions and the race’s curtailed length. According to Gullickson, the key strategy was to take the lead right from the beginning. This approach became evident during the initial lap of the 18-mile course, where three distinct groups formed on the road.
Meanwhile, in the women’s pro race, a crash occurred during the first lap when a rider encountered a loose patch of gravel, causing the women’s field to fragment. Each racer vying for a podium position found herself riding solo. The relentless wind further complicated matters, making it exceedingly difficult to catch up with any rider ahead.
Anna Dorovskikh clinched victory in the shortened Pro Women’s category. Remarkably, only four finishers emerged from the original field of twenty starters. Standing on the podium after battling the fierce winds, Dorovskikh succinctly stated, “I have gravel in my lungs.”
Women Pro 1-2 (36 miles, shortened from 56 miles)
- Anna Dorovskikh 1:56:59
- Kaia Schmid 2:01:22
- Arielle Coy 2:01:22
- Hannah Shell 2:15:02
Men Pro 1-2 (36 miles shortened from 93 miles)
- Finn Gullickson 1:37:02
- Lance Abshire 1:37:02
- Troy Fields 1:37:03
- Thomas Gibbons 1:37:03
- Cole Tamburri 1:37:04
- Tyler Butterfield 1:38:13
- Matthew Doyle 1:38:14
- Joshua Anderson 1:39:09
- Scott Funston 1:39:25
- James Hilyer 1:39:26
