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Gravel<\/a><\/p>\n Inside the mindset of gravel racing\u2019s most dominant woman athlete. <\/p>\n Josh Weinberg, Gruber Images, Velocio, Taylor Chase<\/p>\n Sof\u00eda G\u00f3mez Villafa\u00f1e has had a perfect start to her 2026 season. When we caught up with the most dominant rider in women’s gravel racing, the Specialized Off-Road star had returned home to Tucson, Arizona, after successfully defending her title at The Traka 200 in Girona, Spain. With only a few weeks before one of the biggest targets of the year \u2013 Unbound \u2013 she was settling into her final tune-up before making the journey to Emporia, Kansas.<\/p>\n \u201cAll the endurance and volume was done this winter,\u201d she explained about her preparation for the longest race she will compete in all year. \u201cNow it\u2019s just really sharpening the knife a little bit.\u201d But right now, nobody in gravel appears to be sharper.<\/p>\n Across the opening months of 2026, G\u00f3mez Villafa\u00f1e has been untouchable in off-road racing, continuing the momentum she carried through from last season into another dominant campaign. \u201cIn gravel, I haven\u2019t lost an event this year,\u201d she said, adding the caveat of \u2018in gravel\u2019 after having to settle for second place on the road at Levi\u2019s GranFondo.<\/p>\n But while her dominance on the dirt is easy to quantify, the results alone only tell part of G\u00f3mez Villafa\u00f1e\u2019s story.<\/p>\n To her fans, she is one of the sport\u2019s most complete athletes: technically gifted, tactically aggressive, and deeply analytical about racing. To others, she crosses the line to cold, calculated, and ruthless. G\u00f3mez Villafa\u00f1e is aware of this reputation. She just rejects the premise that competitiveness and likability should somehow be mutually exclusive, particularly for professional sportswomen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n From WorldTour nomad to gravel podiums: The reinvention of Simon Pellaud<\/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 What emerges throughout our conversation is someone far more complex than the caricature often built around her online. She’s confident \u2013 unapologetically so. But also someone thoughtful and active in shaping modern gravel racing as it rapidly evolves from a grassroots scene into a fully professional sport.<\/p>\n The confidence of knowing herself<\/p>\n For G\u00f3mez Villafa\u00f1e, the contrast between how she is perceived and reality often comes down to one thing: how people interpret competitiveness.<\/p>\n She knows how she is viewed by some people, both in and outside of the gravel scene: Aggressive and ruthless when racing. The kind of rider willing to exploit hesitation or any sign of weakness without apology. She explains where she believes this narrative has largely stemmed from: \u201cIt goes back to Call of a Life Time season 1, and being portrayed as this super cutthroat, bitch athlete that thinks she’s the best in the world.\u201d However, this portrayal missed the mark in Gomez Villafa\u00f1e\u2019s opinion: \u201cThat couldn’t be further from the truth.\u201d\u00a0<\/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\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Alex-Hunt-150x150.png\")
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