{"id":701625,"date":"2025-11-17T11:43:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T08:43:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=701625"},"modified":"2025-11-17T11:43:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T08:43:06","slug":"back-stabbing-or-good-business-gravel-earth-and-the-rift-are-going-through-a-messy-breakup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=701625","title":{"rendered":"Back Stabbing or Good Business? Gravel Earth and The Rift Are Going Through a Messy Breakup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Updated November 16, 2025 02:15PM<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Gravel Earth Series announced its 2026 calendar this week, and immediately ruffled feathers.<\/p>\n

The series, which is about to embark on its fourth season, shook up dates, revamped its point table, and, crucially, replaced one of the established marquee events with its own extremely similar event. The changes, especially that swap on the race calendar, have left race organizers and riders puzzled.<\/p>\n

Missing was The Rift, replaced by a race called Cuckoo Gravel, By The Traka. For those uninitiated in international gravel racing, The Rift is a well established event in this relatively young discipline, while Cuckoo Gravel is a first-year event.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the Traka is the crown jewel of the GES, the Rift was second,\u201d Joe Laverick, a gravel racer and columnist on Substack, wrote the day after the announcement. \u201cFirst raced in 2019, the Icelandic event has earned a reputation as one of Europe\u2019s gravel monuments. It has featured in the GES since the beginning and is one of the most anticipated stops on the calendar.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The 2026 Gravel Earth series had a very conspicuous change.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Laverick then elaborated on why the swap seemed dubious from the minute the announcement was made.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAs if losing The Rift wasn\u2019t enough, the creation of Cuckoo Gravel \u2014 a Klassmark event in Iceland \u2014 has left a sour taste in a lot of mouths,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s scheduled just two weeks before The Rift and, from what\u2019s been shared, appears to take place in a similar region and on a similar course. That doesn\u2019t sit right, and for a series built on collaboration, it\u2019s tone-deaf.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no hiding the fact that Cuckoo Gravel steps on The Rift\u2019s toes. With competitors inevitably torn between obligations, Klassmark\u2019s new race will actively hurt the progress that made The Rift a global classic.\u201d<\/p>\n

A mutually beneficial collaboration<\/h2>\n

The Rift Gravel Race is Iceland\u2019s premier gravel event and, along with the Traka, was a part of the first major gravel wave in Europe in 2019. That momentum quickly propelled the 200-kilometer gravel race through the stunning landscape of Iceland into the highest echelon of global gravel races, with the event selling out months in advance as both Americans and Europeans saw the race as an exotic gravel getaway.<\/p>\n

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When Klassmark, the promoters of the Traka, announced their Gravel Earth Series in 2023, there was no surprise that The Rift was part of the series. In fact, it immediately gave the Gravel Earth Series credibility as a series beyond the Spanish-based organizers. What\u2019s more, their mission aligned well with the Traka\u2019s eco-conscious perspective that has been a major point of emphasis for both events since they began in 2019.<\/p>\n

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Riders take on The Rift in Iceland. (Photo: The Rift)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For The Rift, the partnership was beneficial as well, with the Gravel Earth Series\u2019 foothold in the European gravel community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the Gravel Earth Series, we thought it was something we should participate in, both because of the environmental factor, and also, we needed support,\u201d Dana R\u00fan H\u00e1konard\u00f3ttir said. H\u00e1konard\u00f3ttir works for Lauf and is a part of The Rift\u2019s organization. \u201cIt\u2019s an expensive race; it\u2019s expensive to come to Iceland. People have to buy tickets, accommodations, and most people have to rent a car because it\u2019s out of the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe looked at this collaboration as a support system for us, and it definitely brought in registration from Europe to be part of the series.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A rift forms<\/h2>\n

Heading into 2025, The Rift had signed back on for another year of the Gravel Earth Series after two successful years. The idea that the race wouldn\u2019t be back in 2026 seemed far-fetched. In fact, the race doubled down on its commitment to the series by buying the media package that was an additional fee for on-the-ground coverage and a robust social media production.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, that was when things started trending in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThroughout the year, we didn\u2019t feel we were getting what we were paying for,\u201d H\u00e1konard\u00f3ttir said.\u2029\u201dObviously, they were sharing the materials throughout the weekend, but that didn\u2019t help us get registrations beforehand. Being on their map is a great value, but throughout the year, they didn\u2019t share anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

When things moved to the off-season and next year became the topic of discussion, Klassmark wanted to elevate the collaboration even further with their new \u201cBy the Traka\u201d designation. That proved to be a big shift in the future of both organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they introduced \u2018By the Traka,\u2019 they wanted to take over our event, either just let them have it, or we were supposed to pay them to organize it,\u201d H\u00e1konard\u00f3ttir said \u201cWe wanted to keep The Rift independent and just focus on delivering this one-of-a-kind experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Traka and parent company Klassmark are becoming a larger player in gravel, opening more events across Europe. (Photo: Sixt Visuals)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And with that, the collaboration between the Gravel Earth Series and The Rift was over. At first, it seemed amicable, but then, when the news of the Gravel Earth Series\u2019 new Icelandic venture made its way to The Rift organizers, it seemed much more hostile. The new race had the \u201cBy the Traka\u201d designation underwriting it, meaning they had a high level of control over the event, and it would serve as an opportunity to earn extra points.<\/p>\n

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All events listed as \u201cBy the Traka\u201d have more points available to win compared to the Gravel Earth Series events without that designation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seemed to be fine when we were leaving and they were very professional replying to that, but then, like 10 days later, we found out there was a new event coming,\u201d H\u00e1konard\u00f3ttir said.<\/p>\n

\u201cGerard sent one of our colleagues an email, \u2018just to let you know, we\u2019re organizing a new gravel event in Iceland\u2019 with another guy here in Iceland that we\u2019ve known. All of them were at The Rift this summer, and we kind of felt a little bit played by them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a little bit disappointing after being in a collaboration with them for three years to hear they\u2019ve been planning this all along.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The new Icelandic event was in the works for years, says Klassmark<\/h2>\n

All told, the swap of Icelandic races on the Gravel Earth Series is one of several changes to the revamped schedule. In total, the series has fewer races, fewer countries, and more direct Traka influence than ever before.<\/p>\n

All of this comes down to the drive and ambition of Klassmark. Klassmark is a small six-person organization, led most prominently by Gerard Freixes, the CEO and co-founder of the Traka, Klassmark, and the Gravel Earth Series.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAs you\u2019ve noticed, we\u2019re moving toward a more compact series, focusing on events truly aligned with the spirit of gravel and the values we share,\u201d Freixes told Velo<\/i> in a statement when asked about the changes. \u201cIt\u2019s become increasingly difficult for smaller events to meet the membership requirements, so our goal now is to concentrate on fewer but stronger races where the best riders come together, ensuring a fairer and more competitive environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

We reached out to Klassmark for a comment on the calendar changes and the split with The Rift after our interview with the organizers of The Rift. In the statement to Velo<\/i>, Klassmark made it clear that while the Icelandic race was developed before The Rift had left the Gravel Earth Series, it had been planned well in advance of the recent developments.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegarding The Rift, the situation was simple,\u201d he said. \u201cThey chose not to be part of the series next year, just like Gravel Worlds. Meanwhile, we had a local Icelandic organizer who had approached us three years ago with a project for a gravel race there.<\/p>\n

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\u201cBack then, we couldn\u2019t include it because The Rift and Lauf were already involved with the series, and we wanted to keep things legitimate and fair. This year, with The Rift stepping out, it felt like the right moment to give this new event a chance. It\u2019s a small, passionate project, nothing on the scale of The Rift, but it\u2019s being built organically and with the same values we\u2019ve always believed in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe deeply respect The Rift and everything they\u2019ve achieved. For us, this isn\u2019t about competition \u2014 it\u2019s about contributing in our own way to the evolution of gravel. The sport is still small and niche, and rather than fueling unnecessary debates, we believe the focus should be on collaboration and growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Make it make sense\u2019<\/h2>\n

Ultimately, The Rift isn\u2019t alone in leaving the Gravel Earth Series behind. Gravel Worlds, a prominent race in the United States, has left the series. Similarly, the Grasshopper Adventure Series in Northern California pulled one of its events from the series.<\/p>\n

Lost and Found Gravel and the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder are both returning, bringing some American prestige to the series, but losing two of the most established events from the series is significant, nonetheless.<\/p>\n

While it might seem like water under the bridge for Klassmark, the perceived overstepping from the organization has undoubtedly burned some bridges.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s so strange to me because we want to make it very clear that we celebrate all gravel races, and we are definitely not the only gravel race in Iceland,\u201d H\u00e1konard\u00f3ttir said. \u201cThere are plenty of gravel races here in Iceland, and I think it\u2019s great to have more races, but do you have to keep it at the same location as we are? They could have done it on the East Coast or somewhere else, but it\u2019s literally a 20-minute drive from where we start. Also, it could have been some kind of collaboration. It could be back-to-back weekends.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the most important thing for us as event organizers is to think about the people who will actually want to come. I mean, there are many organizations like Life Time and the Gravel Earth Series, but in the beginning, these people started because they wanted to make an event.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s great if people can make their living out of it, but just make it make sense. Don\u2019t just do it for the money.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source URL: https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-earth-series-rift-messy-split\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Updated November 16, 2025 02:15PM The Gravel Earth Series announced its 2026 calendar this week, and immediately ruffled feathers. The series, which is about to embark on its fourth season, shook up dates, revamped its point table, and, crucially, replaced one of the established marquee events with its own extremely similar event. The changes, especially […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":701626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[71],"class_list":["post-701625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-velo-outsideonline-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=701625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701625\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/701626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=701625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=701625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=701625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}