Brennan Wins King Ridge Hopper

Congratulations to national gravel champion Brennan Wertz for winning the legendary King Ridge Hopper in Sonoma County last Saturday. Here is Brennan’s story:

“The King Ridge Hopper has a unique format that included time segments, but also a bit of a group tactics as we started the segments together in small groups. I was with a group of favorites, and we raced each other hard all day.”

“The three segments all featured incredibly steep climbs, twisty descents, and much of the sinuous, rough tarmac that Sonoma County is famous for. The third and final segment started with a gradual gravel climb, followed by a very steep and technical descent into an even steeper final climb.”

“To finish the day, we got to ride the iconic King Ridge Road back to the start, which is the highlight of any ride.”

“For my setup I chose Rene Herse 700C x 31 mm Orondo Grade Extralight tires at around 50 psi on my Scott Addict RC. I love this bike with these tires, making for a svelte climbing bike that is not only extraordinarily light, but also carves the rough descents with precision.”

“The Grasshopper Adventure Series events are always a great blend of adventure, community, and fast racing, and the King Ridge Hopper more than delivered on all three. It was a great way to cap off ‘Hopper Season.‘ Unbound is the next big target on the horizon, and this weekend was a nice confidence booster. It’s encouraging to see that all the hard training and preparation seems to be working.”