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.
Josh Wienberg, Cor Vos, Tudor Pro Cycling
If you follow US gravel racing, you probably noticed Simon Pellaud’s 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.
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’s 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.
Who is Simon Pellaud?
Pellaud joined Tudor at the start of the 2023 season, transferring from Trek-Segafredo
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 – and he’s long since embraced the unconventional.
While Tudor Pro Cycling anchors his gravel season, Li Ning Star, a Chinese ProTeam, is where he calls home on the road. Here he’s found something rare: genuine leadership and clarity. “There I act more as a road captain,” he explains. “I’m giving 100% commitment to the well-being and performance of the team.” Unlike in Europe, where his role might have been that of a domestique, in China, he calls the shots. He’s making strategic choices and carrying responsibility – a side of racing he clearly thrives on.
Simon Pellaud spent the first three seasons as a pro with IAM Cycling, before moving to the Continental outfit Team Illuminate for two seasons.
The environment itself is a relief from European racing’s constant noise. “The team doesn’t have social media,” he says. “I don’t need to share anything about that.” It’s a rare opportunity to focus solely on racing. His base in Colombia helps too. “It’s super nice to be there – the people, the energy, everything around.” The terrain on his doorstep across the foothills of the Andes is perfect for building the diesel engine for races like Leadville and Unbound.
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.
Entering the Life Time Grand Prix
Despite podiuming the overall in his debut year, Pellaud’s entry into the Life Time Grand Prix was anything but strategic. It was, in his own words, a whim. “I just signed up at the last minute one year ago, and I got the ticket,” he says. Only deep into the off-season did he decide that this late entry would become the cornerstone of his 2025 campaign. “It became my main goal of the season; it worked well.”
This post is for paying subscribers only
Subscribe now
Already have an account? Sign in
Did we do a good job with this story?
👍Yep
👎Nope