Gravel Grinder News: Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Announced

Gravel Grinder News: Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Announced – by Guitar Ted

Today it has been announced that a “Hall of Fame” organization for gravel cycling, and in the future, a physical home for the hall, will operate out of Emporia, Kansas, home of the Unbound Gravel event. The organization names the founding members and advisory board as being made up of “long time gravel enthusiasts, race promoters, and racers“. They are former race promoters LeLan Dains and Toby DePauw, and gravel enthusiasts/racers Kristen Legan, Steve Driscoll, and Neil Shirley.

The GCHoF plans on inaugurating its first inductees prior to the Unbound Gravel event this coming June. The hall exists, according to the press release, to “…preserve its ( gravel cycling’s) history…”, and was, “Established to recognize and celebrate those who explore, endure, overcome, and inspire us all in the sport of gravel cycling...”.

Submissions for the GCHoF will be made for the following categories: Promoters, Athletes, Innovators, Volunteers, Routeurs, and Storytellers. Anyone can nominate a person, with that person’s permission, and those submissions for the GCHoF will be accepted now through March 1st, 2022.

“It is the community of riders that make gravel cycling so special, so we’re excited to present an opportunity for that community to lift up and celebrate the people who have led the way,” said Hall of Fame advisory board member LeLan Dains.

After all the submissions have been received, an election committee made up from “cycling industry and media representatives, event organizers, and gravel enthusiasts“, a group of over 30 people, will render the final verdicts on who will be inducted in the inaugural class for the hall. The announcement for who will be in that illustrious group will be made on April 4th, 2022. The inaugural class will be then inducted at a special banquet which will be held in Emporia, Kansas just before the Unbound Gravel event this year.

For more information on the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame, see their website here: www.gravelcyclinghof.com or contact the hall’s advisory board member LeLan Dains here: lelan@visitemporia.com

Note: Information and images used in this post were provided by the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame.