Age: 30
Country: Canada

Jersey Story: The jersey is designed based off my all time favourite album currents by Tame Impala, it uses concepts of shredding the vortex and fluid dynamics.

Why gravel? It’s so much fun and I had a tough year with health where a 3rd at the Traka opened my eyes to a world of fun that I was enticed to dive into head first.

Age:41
Country: United States

Jersey Story: This jersey is a tribute to my one-eyed cats Odin and Sinister. Especially Odin (the white cat) who passed away a few years ago. He was an incredible individual.
Jonah Birns designed this jersey in collaboration with my daughter Myla. As the creative director of the Red Hook Criterium, Jonah designed countless Castelli jerseys over the years. This is the first one to feature cats.
The color scheme was inspired by the faded old municipal vehicles in Girona.
The rear pocket features original artwork by Myla and the logo of Trimble Chang, an events agency my wife Cherefawn and I recently launched together.

Why gravel? Of all the cycling disciplines gravel has the widest appeal. It’s seriously fun for top athletes and remains seriously fun if you are completely unfit.
The bikes look cool and are comfortable to ride. You don’t really need top equipment but if you are a tech nerd there’s plenty of gear to maximize performance and aesthetics.
At the professional level the sport is exciting to follow. There are incredible athletes putting out insane performances in these races. At the same time there’s a huge participation base that competes mostly in exchange for the community and a beautifully designed race course.
And gravel gets you off the road and away from traffic!

Age:
Country: Netherlands

Jersey Story: I got into cycling thanks to my uncle who had a bike shop specialized in race and MTB; Van Der Velden Wielersport.
Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago, but always have been an big inspiration for me with his passion for cycling and travel.
On of my friends Iris Slappendel who worked in the shop as well, was wearing one of his old jerseys from the 90s this winter what got me thinking.
We gave it a modern twist but still with the retro style ! ;)

Why gravel? Most of my life I have been doing road racing but when I moved to Girona I got into gravel.
Thanks to one of TCS’s customers & guide Peter Gaskill, who lent me out his gravel bike.
There was this local gravel race called The Traka that was organizing his first ever event.
I was working at The Service course that partnered up with the Traka.
I washed most of the participants bikes because it was pouring raining.
I thought next year I will take the day off and do the race my self 😅 and so the year after I started the Traka 200 punctured out for second place but it began to roll from there.

Age:33
Country: United States

Jersey Story: The inspiration behind the jersey design was embodying earth feels, tones and colors. Last year we focused on dirt and gravel. This year, we wanted to keep the underlying pattern the same but play around with a new color way. We landed on blue, maybe somehow this signifies water.

Why gravel? We at OpiCure Foundation chose gravel for many reasons. But the primary reason was for the gravel community. Individuals who struggle with addiction often struggle with feeling isolated. Naturally, we felt that the strength of the gravel community would help break that tendency towards feeling isolated and instead feel welcomed and part of a larger community.

Age:24
Country: Great Britain

Jersey Story: ⁠I’ve been a football fan since I could walk, and it was a no brainer to have the black-and-white stripes of the famous Grimsby Town FC. They’re my home club, and taking them around the world with me is a little nod to where i was born.

Why gravel? Let’s be honest, I fell into gravel after I left the road. I’ve always said that I’m not a gravel racer but a privateer who does a little bit of everything. I’ve gone from a sceptic to a convert. I still love riding and racing road, but gravel was the discipline that reminded me why.

Age:29
Country: Denmark

Jersey Story: There are two stories behind my jersey.
My first ever jersey was not a cycling jersey but a ballet tricot when I was just six years old. The colour of the tricot was baby pink, just like my castelli racing jersey. I wanted to connect with that feeling I had with ballet at that time - like I just couldn’t not dance. Cause that’s how I feel about cycling now, and that’s why I race my bike.
Secondly, I worked on farms around Europe for a few years, where I fell deeper in love with nature and got a better understanding of why trees are so fundamental for our very existence! Especially for creating the perfect microbiology in the soil for crops and plants to grow, for soil to hold onto water (like a bath sponge), releasing it when needed so soils don’t erode! But also “just” doing so much photosynthesis that we can breathe! I think that’s so cool, and so I wanted a tree on my jersey too.

Why gravel? I did my first ever gravel race in the off season of 2022 on a leased bike, that I had just tested once before the race. It was the most beautiful race I had ever done through danish forests and a spark was lit. A few months later I did the Traka 100 and finished P5. I think gravel combines the brutality of cycling with nature in a way that’s hard to put into words really. I guess it’s where I feel most, free, wild and unstoppable. It’s every wo(man) against each other, cause if you have a problem during the race, YOU have to fix it yourself if you don’t want it ruin your race. It’s pure power against pure power and that’s an equality that I like!

Age:31
Country: Great Britain

Jersey Story: A collaboration between my sponsors, I love the style, modern, free, unchained. Every day we should always start with one good thing.

Why gravel? I’m the strongest I’ve ever been and still love racing. Gravel gives me the freedom to compete on my own terms while keeping it fun and doing what I love.

Age:35
Country: Australia

Jersey Story: I’m getting old. It’s an homage to all things retro, like myself.

Why gravel? Why not? I mean, what’s stopping us? Nothing. That’s the entire point.

Age:
Country: Spain

Jersey Story: my jersey is inspired in Fointaines DC, a pop-rock-alt music group that matches Ben’s design so the musical motive is key to understand our team dynamics and I personally love the fact that musical and visual impacts are greatly combined in our jerseys.

Why gravel? I decided to do gravel because I’ve always wanted to be a road pro so when I got the chance to try this just felt addicted to the off road feeling, I think combining two disciplines will help me be the best cyclist I can be 👐🏻

Age:
Country: Germany

Jersey Story: To me, being part of the cabal and living the spirit of gravel - all of it lowkey feels like a fever dream. A year ago, I never imagined to be here now, to ride with these sick people, to be part of the Castelli gang. Hence, with my jersey, I really wanted to pay tribute to this and show how proud and honored I am. And ofc I had to add some frisky Y2K symbols to make it all the more fun and colorful!

Why gravel? The very first bike I ever rode was a MTB and only after moving to Berlin roughly 10 years ago did I switch to a road bike. While it was fun in the beginning, it never gave me the same feeling I had compared to riding offroad. It was actually my dad (who also taught me how to ride) that mentioned „gravel biking“ at a time when it was still considered a niche, not even a trend yet. I gave it a shot and tl;dr here we are. Gravel to feels like an open playground - it‘s what you make it for yourself, it‘s not bound to any rules or ideas others may have.

Age:40
Country: Canada

Jersey Story: The jersey is a combination of Factor racing and my roots with Easton overland. The small wolf on the right sleeve has a personal meaning to me.

Why gravel? It’s the best.
Really - I love it. It gave me what road couldn’t anymore. I tapped that out- this, The freedom, the adventure, the competition at times, the unknown at other times. Just the best.

Age:
Country: Germany

Jersey Story: I want my jersey to represent power—willpower and physical strength—because both are essential to being a high-level gravel racer. I want to stand out in the peloton because I belong in the gravel world. No matter the results, every ride is part of my journey, and I want to share my story.
My motto is: never give up, keep on going. Your body is capable of more than you sometimes think—it’s the mental strength that makes the difference. But above all, success comes from the fun and passion you carry in your heart.
On top of that, I want my jersey to combine my two worlds: I am a gravel rider, but I am also on my way to becoming a sports and biology teacher. Balancing both isn’t easy, but this jersey is a symbol of strength—it will make it work.

Why gravel? For me, gravel means adventure and freedom while being in nature. It’s about exploring the world with my own power, getting lost in the flow, and experiencing total physical exhaustion—or simply enjoying an easy ride. It is incredibly diverse.
Switching from road to gravel gave me more freedom, a deeper connection to nature, and even more fun and enjoyment. With gravel, my passion for cycling grew even stronger and more intense. And the best part? You can go on bikepacking trips and share unforgettable experiences with friends. 😍