Blog

First and foremost let us apologize for not keeping you informed via this site for the last few weeks. We've been busy trying to get things in order for this new look, as well as scouting new routes and  trying to make sure that this whole thing can live on and be sustainable.

With that, let's get down to brass tacks. 

Registration is open! We're going to do it the way it's always been done, by postcard, through the end of January. As far as the actual events go, we're offering two lengths again this year with the Almanzo 100 and the Royal 162 set to take place on Saturday, the 18th of May in Spring Valley, Minnesota. Each of these events are completely self-supported. That means that you are on your own...for everything. Also, it's important to mention that we'll be back at the High School again this year. 

Now, for those of you that are looking for a little alone time and a lot more miles, we're happy to announce the birth of Alexander. What is Alexander? This is a 380 mile course that we'll be kicking off on Friday, the 17th of May. That's right, the day before the big show. This new route will challenge even the most hardened riders and should not be undertaken casually. If you're interested, please send us an email and we'll get the conversation started.

So, this is what we're looking for as far as registration goes for the Almanzo and the Royal:

MANDATORY INFO:

• NAME
• AGE (on race day)
• EMAIL ADDRESS
• RACE DECLARATION (100 or 162)

OPTIONAL INFO:

• A PICTURE OF THE BIKE YOU'RE PLANNING TO RIDE (We don't really need to know, we're just curious to see the variety.)

PLEASE SEND THE ABOVE TO:

ALMANZO 
c/o CHRIS SKOGEN
1217 7th AVE NW
ROCHESTER, MN 55901

In other news, we've changed things up a little this year with the way we're hoping to fund this whole thing and ultimately keep it free to enter. In the past we've paid out of pocket for nearly everything up front and then sold T-shirts and quietly accepted donations the day of. This has worked well for us and has allowed us an excellent opportunity to give back to a community weve received so much from. That said, we have also seen incredible growth, both with the sport of gravel racing and with our own events. As this whole thing grows, we've come to terms with the idea that we can no longer continue to fund everything out of the Skogen house...so, with a lot of help from our friends, we went ahead and reached out.

Thankfully, for the future of gravel road racing as we know it, we have been fortunate enough to gain the support of some of the industry's finest. The following is a list of those folks and, if you're so inclined, drop them a note and let them know you appreciate their commitment to keeping gravel free.

• Banjo Brothers
• Calhoun Cycles
• Cars-r-Coffins
• Challenge Tires
• HED Cycling
• O2 Rainwear
• Planet Bike
• Rittler Graphic Design
• RP Active Sports
• Salsa Cycles
• Space 2 Burn
• Twin Six

We think that's it for now. Please check back often though as we're always coming up with new ideas and we're sure we'll have race related updates for you just around the corner.