Emily Newsom Wins Homegrown Gravel, De Crescenzo Battles Back From Barbed Wire Incident

Emily Newsom secured her first victory at the Homegrown Gravel Adventure in Franklin, Georgia, finishing the 100-mile race in 5:34:10, 30 seconds ahead of two-time defending champion Lauren De Crescenzo. The race, held on a foggy Saturday morning with 8,500 feet of elevation gain across Georgia and Alabama, was complicated by heavy rain and course diversions due to flooding.

De Crescenzo’s Challenging Race

De Crescenzo, returning as a two-time elite women’s winner, faced adversity early in the race. Approximately 17 miles into the course, while riding at the front of the lead group, she lost control in a muddy section and collided with a barbed wire fence.

“It was a really slippery, muddy section, and I tried to take the high line on the left. Then I slid and got caught up in a barbed wire fence. It happens,” De Crescenzo explained, displaying the scratches on her arm. “I didn’t crash. I just bounded off barbed wire.”

Despite the injury, De Crescenzo remounted and fought her way back to the front, eventually catching Newsom and Sierra Sims.

Newsom’s Strategy and Finish

Newsom, making her first appearance at Homegrown Gravel with her new Ventum-BikeTiresDirect setup, described her race as a strategic battle. She acknowledged De Crescenzo’s strength and anticipated a tough competition throughout the event.

“I really didn’t want to ride 75 miles alone, and I really didn’t think I could keep Lauren away for 75 miles,” Newsom said after the race. “Two girls bridged to me, and we worked really well together. Lauren caught us about mile 50, and we dropped the other [rider]. I could tell she got ripped up by barbed wire, and I could tell she wasn’t feeling great. It was pretty epic.”

A late course deviation, caused by a missed sign leading to a previously flooded river road, added a chaotic element to the finish. Newsom capitalized on the muddy conditions, sprinting up a short hill to secure the win.

“When we got to the river road that they didn’t have us move down on the way out, we were like, what do we do? So we’re like, guess we’re supposed to go that way now. So we took the river road, it was actually quite sloppy and a little bit chaotic because the moto kind of got stuck behind a couple cyclists [from other ride distances]. It ended up being really good for me, because I like muddy chaos. I came out first and sprinted up the hill, and managed to win it. I’m super proud of myself. I think I had more fun than she had, because she was suffering.”

Looking Ahead

De Crescenzo and Newsom are expected to compete again in two weeks at The Mid South in Oklahoma. De Crescenzo has won The Mid South three consecutive times from 2022 to 2024, while Newsom has consistently finished in the top 10. Cyclingnews provides further details on the race and the competitors.