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Gravel<\/a><\/p>\n He arrived in the US with no gravel racing experience, no expectations, no plan, and left as one of the most consistent riders of the season.<\/p>\n Josh Wienberg, Cor Vos, Tudor Pro Cycling<\/p>\n If you follow US gravel racing, you probably noticed Simon Pellaud\u2019s name near the sharp end of the results this year. The Swissman seemed to come out of nowhere, but his second-place overall in the Life Time Grand Prix was more than just a podium. It signaled the next phase for a rider who built his career on the road.<\/p>\n While most European pros migrate between Girona, Nice, and Andorra, Pellaud splits his life between Switzerland and Colombia. And at a time when many riders are treating the off-season as a sacred retreat from racing, this is not how Pellaud is choosing to operate. When I speak to him, he\u2019s sprinting through an airport to catch a flight to East Asia for a few late-season road races. His season is still very much in full swing.<\/p>\n Who is Simon Pellaud? At 33, Pellaud has already spent 12 years as a professional rider, racing for teams like IAM Cycling, Trek-Segafredo, and Tudor Pro Cycling. Now, he occupies a unique position: part road captain, part gravel contender, and part world-roaming nomad. Pellaud has built a career that looks chaotic on paper \u2013 and he\u2019s long since embraced the unconventional.<\/p>\n While Tudor Pro Cycling anchors his gravel season, Li Ning Star, a Chinese ProTeam, is where he calls home on the road. Here he\u2019s found something rare: genuine leadership and clarity. \u201cThere I act more as a road captain,\u201d he explains. \u201cI\u2019m giving 100% commitment to the well-being and performance of the team.\u201d Unlike in Europe, where his role might have been that of a domestique, in China, he calls the shots. He\u2019s making strategic choices and carrying responsibility \u2013 a side of racing he clearly thrives on.<\/p>\n The environment itself is a relief from European racing\u2019s constant noise. \u201cThe team doesn\u2019t have social media,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t need to share anything about that.\u201d It\u2019s a rare opportunity to focus solely on racing. His base in Colombia helps too. \u201cIt\u2019s super nice to be there \u2013 the people, the energy, everything around.\u201d The terrain on his doorstep across the foothills of the Andes is perfect for building the diesel engine for races like Leadville and Unbound.<\/p>\n Whilst his time on the road allows him to give back to the sport and offer his experience to new riders entering the pro ranks, for the 33-year-old, his main performance focus lies off the pavement.<\/p>\n Entering the Life Time Grand Prix<\/p>\n Despite podiuming the overall in his debut year, Pellaud\u2019s entry into the Life Time Grand Prix was anything but strategic. It was, in his own words, a whim. \u201cI just signed up at the last minute one year ago, and I got the ticket,\u201d he says. Only deep into the off-season did he decide that this late entry would become the cornerstone of his 2025 campaign. \u201cIt became my main goal of the season; it worked well.\u201d<\/p>\n This post is for paying subscribers only Already have an account? Sign in<\/a><\/p>\n Did we do a good job with this story?<\/p>\n \n \ud83d\udc4dYep![\"Alex](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1753163589_155_Alex-Hunt-150x150.png\")
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Pellaud joined Tudor at the start of the 2023 season, transferring from Trek-Segafredo <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cor-Vos-Pellaud-IAM.png\")
Simon Pellaud spent the first three seasons as a pro with IAM Cycling, before moving to the Continental outfit Team Illuminate for two seasons. <\/p>\n
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