Gravel Worlds Partners with Start-Up GirlsGetGritty Cycling Team
Partnership aims to inspire and increase female participation in gravel road cycling
Lincoln, Neb. (June 24, 2021) — The Pirate Cycling League, host of Gravel Worlds, has partnered with newly formed cycling team GirlsGetGritty. The goal of the partnership is to increase female participation in gravel cycling events.
GirlsGetGritty was formed by Angela Naeth, a multi-time Ironman 70.3 Champion, 6th place finisher of Unbound Gravel 2021, and founder of IRaceLikeAGirl. GirlsGetGritty is an all-female gravel team focused on providing an education for women of all ages and abilities, and to support, encourage and inspire one another in the sport of gravel cycling.
According to Naeth, gravel riding has been a passion for several years, but she saw the need for increased participation by women at the recent Unbound Gravel race in Emporia, KS.
“After racing in Unbound, I saw there was a gap in the number of women riding,” Naeth said. “That realization inspired me to launch GirlsGetGritty, and I’m excited to share my experience and perspective to inspire more women to give gravel cycling a try.”
In many respects, GirlsGetGritty is a gravel cycling-focused version of Naeth’s IRaceLikeAGirl community, which caters to women participating in a range of endurance sports, including triathlon, running, cycling, and swimming.
“My goal with IRaceLikeAGirl is to provide a community for women to share their passion for endurance sports,” she said. “GirlsGetGritty is an all-inclusive team that helps women develop in the sport of gravel cycling. Whether they race or simply enjoy riding dirt roads, the team offers a community with support from sponsors, events and other team members.”
Gravel Worlds Co-Promoter, Jason Strohbehn, said the partnership is built on the shared goals of inspiring women to give gravel cycling a try, and empowering them through a strong community of like-minded women.
“One of our biggest goals is to encourage and inspire more women to join the gravel family,” Strohbehn said. “Angela brings the expertise and passion that will inspire and educate women from all over the world to get excited and interested in gravel biking.”
The Pirate Cycling League is offering free entries into Gravel Worlds 2022 for several GirlsGetGritty team riders, as well as discounted event entries for all GirlsGetGritty members. In 2022, the Pirate Cycling League also plans to create a special GirlsGetGritty cycling kit to help raise awareness of the movement.
“We’re thankful for the partnership with Gravel Worlds and hope this partnership inspires more women to get out and enjoy gravel in Nebraska and around the world,” Naeth said. “We are excited to see even more women getting gritty at Gravel Worlds 2022.”
The GirlsGetGritty team is open for members to join. Learn more at GirlsGetGritty.com/Gravel.
Now in its 12th year, Gravel Worlds is a grassroots style gravel race based in Lincoln, Nebraska. On August 20 and 21, 2021, more than 1,700 riders will attempt the 300-mile, 150-mile, 75-mile, and 50 km Gravel Worlds events. Learn more at Gravel-Worlds.com.