My Road to (UCI) Gravel Worlds
A documentary project following a full-time scientist trying to play out an unrealized fantasy of competing in the UCI Gravel worlds representing his home country of the USA.
1.0 HYPOTHESIS: Why race a bike?
The Why:
I took one season off racing recently and reflected on what racing actually does for me—and what it takes from me. What I realized in that time was that it gave back a tremendous amount that I couldn't replace with other hobbies in my life. It's a weird form of mental medicine that I personally benefit from immensely. Maybe that's something more people would benefit from too, and I want to try and share that. Maybe everyone should race bikes a little.
The Subject (Me):
I'm something of a forever cyclist, in that I know cycling better than I know walking. I started racing BMX at age 3, progressing through freestyle and fixed gear riding in my 20s until injuries forced me to reevaluate bikes in my life and how to keep it sustainable. I rediscovered a love for cycling while living abroad in Germany with my fixed gear, realizing just how far and fast I can travel by bike. Long distance rides turned into self-imposed endurance training just to get somewhere and back before the canteen at University closed. This lead me eventually to pick up racing again, but this time with road bikes in collegiate cycling during my PhD where I raced alongside the Jamison Cannondale (now Jamison Racing) team. These were some of the best days and best humans of my life. I can't thank them enough for the time spent struggling and fighting together. This eventually spiraled into the cyclist I am today.
That led to a stint riding professionally as a gravel privateer for Cinelli, where I collected wins at major events like the Long Voyage Gravel Worlds and the Barry Roubaix 100.
Current Status: I am now a Post Doctoral Researcher at the Medical University of Innsbruck (MUI). I am unsponsored, a bit broke (relatively speaking), and busier than ever, but I am finding myself unable to not compete again. So let's tell that story.
Previous Findings (Selected Palmarès)
- Winner, Long Voyage Gravel Worlds (USA)
- Winner, Barry Roubaix 100
- Champion, Brandenburg Regional Gravel (DE)
- 1st, Green Mountain Stage Race (GC)
- 1st, CRCA Bear Mountain Spring Classic
- 1st, Ken Harrod Memorial Road Race
2.0 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Method: The "Innsbruck Block" (Train Accessible)
Worthersee Gravel
Velden, Austria • April 12, 2026
The "Home" Game. A fast 3-hour train ride from Innsbruck. The season opener to test if winter training actually happened.
Est. Cost: Low
Est. Cost: Medium/High
Giro Sardegna Gravel
Orosei, Italy • May 1, 2026
The Island Raid. Technical coastal sections and fast inland tracks. A beautiful early season test in the Mediterranean.
Gravel Adventure
Jakuszyce, Poland • June 6, 2026
The Mountain Adventure. Deep in the Izerskie Mountains. A long haul on the train via Prague to race on some of the most scenic gravel in Eastern Europe.
Est. Cost: Medium
Est. Cost: High
Gravel Weekend
Tukums, Latvia • August 8, 2026
The Eastern Unknown. Latvia's premier gravel event. A journey to the Baltics for a fast and flowy course through the historic Kurland region.
3.0 DELIVERABLES (The Output)
The value of this partnership is content and logo placement via narrative integration. The content I produce is consistent, and daily, so frequently used products will recieve a lot of airtime. I also organically intengrate breakdowns of my training routines, supplements, and nutrition into my videos.
The "Episodes"
Full-length documentary episodes released on YouTube throughout the season.
- Ep 1: The Decision & The Winter Grind
- Ep 2: Worthersee (The Opener)
- Ep 3: Sardegna (The Island Raid)
- Ep 4: Poland (The Mountain Adventure)
- Ep 5: Latvia (The Eastern Unknown)
- Ep 6: Did we make it? (Season Finale)
The "Feed"
Consistent short-form vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) to maintain engagement between episodes.
- Weekly training updates
- Gear breakdowns & bike checks
- Race day "live" stories
- Travel logistics (Train life content)
3.1 VISUAL REFERENCE (Pilot Data)
The target aesthetic is Raw & Authentic. This is not a polished, over-produced commercial. It is a "vlog" style documentary capturing the real-time highs and lows of the privateer experience.
Example: "I won my first bikepacking race!" - Demonstrating the self-filmed, narrative-driven style proposed for this project.
4.0 GRANT PROPOSAL (Budget)
I put together a reasonable budget for four target events for the year centered out of Innsbruck. I would mostly travel by train/economical flights and as frugally as possible. However IF I qualify, the big additional expense would be getting to Australia...so we will have to wait and see how that goes.
Key Cost Assumptions
- Event Entry: €150 avg
- Hotel (per night): €130 avg
- Food (per day): €50 avg
- UCI/License (Annual): €200
Typical "Non-Train" Event Cost
| Event Target | Logistics Notes | Est. Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wörthersee Gravel (AUT) | Base Cost (€550) + Train (~€50) | €600 |
| 2. Giro Sardegna (ITA) | Base Cost (€550) + Ferry/Flight (~€250) | €800 |
| 3. Gravel Adventure (POL) | Base Cost (€550) + Train (~€150) | €700 |
| 4. Gravel Weekend (LAT) | Base Cost (€550) + Flight/Train (~€300) | €850 |
| Operational Overhead | Annual License (€200) + Media Assets (€350) + Spares (€500) | €1,050 |
| TOTAL SEASON ASK (Buffered) | €4,000 | |
Partner with my journey
Help me show that you don't need a pro contract to chase a World Championship, and that the act of chasing it is 90% of the reward. The budget covers the reality of racing: getting there, sleeping there, and documenting along the way.