Peter Stetina, pro road cyclist turned gravel racer

Pete Stetina raced in the WorldTour for ten years before transitioning to gravel racing in 2019. During that time, he raced in the Tour De France, the Giro D’Italia, and the Vuelta Espana. Since moving to gravel, he has featured on the podium at many races, including winning the Belgian Waffle Ride during his first year on the gravel scene. More recently, he won the inaugural Leadboat, a two day challenge that combines the Leadville 100 and Steamboat Gravel. 

In this conversation, he and Payson talk about how he fits into the gravel scene, the work that goes on off the bike now that he's a privateer, and why he’s happier now than he was in the WorldTour. They also address the current controversy in gravel racing surrounding the use of male domestiques by some of the top female riders, and how he's hoping to level the playing field at his own race, Stetina's Paydirt next month. He also talks about the crash he suffered in 2015 at the Tour of the Basque Country, which threw his future into doubt and nearly led to a leg amputation. He tells about the four day ordeal of returning to the US after leaving the Spanish hospital, the grueling rehab process, and his triumphant return to the WorldTour that same year. 

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YouTube: Payson McElveen

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