Ribble Outliers
Season start at Gravel Earth
Fantastic results at the Santa Vall stage race in Spain
The gravel racing close season is well and truly over, as Ribble Outliers Sophie Wright and Jenson Young start the year with fantastic results at the Santa Vall stage race in Spain… Welcome to Gravel 2026!
The new season exploded in Girona at the weekend, with 2 days of gravel racing that saw the Ribble Outliers hit the trails and race against the best riders in the game. Such was the magnitude of the start list, it was billed in the cycling press as the unofficial Gravel World Championships.. 25 teams and a huge gang of privateers made it a weekend to remember!
Santa Vall is a traditional season starter for many riders on the gravel scene, and this year the entry list read like a who’s who of the gravel glitterati.. combine the riders with the tough climbs, fast descents, tricky single track and difficult river crossings, and you have a spectacular stage race that was crafted by the Gravel Earth team, and hats off to Gerard and his crew, it was a fantastic race both days despite some challenging weather!
Flying the flag for the UK, the Ribble Outliers did us proud.. on a chilly morning Sophie Wright picked up where she left off last year with a 3rd place finish on stage 1 and a brilliant 2nd place on stage 2 to clinch overall 2nd on GC. With a fine display of gutsy riding, only the best rider in the world, Sofia Gomez Villafañe, winner of Traka and Unbound in 2025, could hold off Sophie’s challenge.
While the season looks set to be exciting for Sophie, Jenson Young was starting 2026 in fine form too. He finished 14th on GC, and was in the sprint to the line in the leading group on stage 2. Against such top opposition, in a fast and furious skirmish over the toughest terrain, Jenson like Sophie looks set for greatness in 2026.
Meanwhile, the other highlight of the weekend, quietly going about her Ribble Outliers debut, Abi Smith who was returning from an injury, rode to a brilliant 16th on stage 1 and was unfortunate to sustain a knee strain that prevented her from completing both days. It was a really promising start off just 3 weeks training, and a real shame Abi couldn’t stamp her authority on stage 2. She enjoyed her achievement though, her placing confirmed she’ll be up front with the leaders this year.
Riding well for his top 23 GC finish, Ben Thomas had a great weekend riding in the leading group both days with Jenson, as did Josie Millard, our other new recruit. With bundles of energy and a huge smile, Josie finished 22nd overall in the GC.. another great start for a new Ribble Outlier!
Metheven Bond and Harry Tanfield rode solid first races to begin their season, though Santa Vall is not a test best suited to either. They both completed the challenge well, Metheven happy to have overcome the previous week’s illness, and Harry despite a heavy crash in front of the finish line that meant a trip to hospital and some stitches in a painful face wound.
We're pleased to report this morning Harry rode with the rest of the squad on the post race recovery ride around town, and will start his season proper in Belgium at Tournhout in March.
Stay tuned because the next race is just around the corner. On Saturday the Ribble Outliers will compete again at the Castellôn Gravel race. Sophie, Jenson, Ben and Metheven are this weekend’s Outliers who will go into battle on more Spanish trails, this time close to Valencia on the coast.
Vamos!!
Ribble Outliers - Season start at Gravel Earth - Santa Vall in Girona
Sophie rode smart. 3rd on stage one after bridging hard in the final 20km to take a place on the podium. 2nd on stage two to seal silver overall. Jenson Young put in a solid ride too, finishing 14th overall in the men's race. This is an incredible way to start the season.
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