Schreurs and Kongstad Triumph at CORE4 Gravel Earth Series in Iowa City

Geerike Schreurs of Specialized-Off Road secured a dominant solo victory at the 2026 CORE4 gravel race in Iowa City on Saturday, completing the 120-mile event in 5:49:10, while Tobias Kongstad of PAS Racing sprinted to victory in the men’s race, according to race results and reporting from Cyclingnews. Both riders claimed the top step of the podium after finishing in second place the previous year at the penultimate event of the Gravel Earth Series.

Elite Women’s Race: Schreurs Overcomes Equipment Failure for Solo Win

Schreurs pushed through a broken right shifter to claim her third victory in the Gravel Earth Series, according to Cyclingnews. An early crash on a minimum maintenance B road split the elite women’s peloton within the first 10 miles, allowing Schreurs and Emily Newsom to pull away and build a one-minute gap.

During a challenging water crossing and hiking section, Schreurs broke away from Newsom to ride entirely solo. By the aid station at mile 77, her lead had stretched to 10 minutes. Newsom ultimately finished second, crossing the line 18 minutes and 32 seconds behind the winner, while Crystal Anthony of Flow Formulas, Kenda, and The Black Bibs took third place, another 5 minutes and 51 seconds back, as reported by Cyclingnews.

Elite Men’s Race: Kongstad Edges Out Sprints in Tight Finish

In the men’s competition, Tobias Kongstad clocked a winning time of 5:15:34, edging out Cole Davis of SpeedStudio p/b Basso by just three seconds, according to Cyclingnews. Adam Roberge of Felt UN1TD finished one second further back to take third place.

The men’s race also splintered early after a crash in the opening mile on a minimum maintenance road that created an initial front group of 15 riders. A subsequent hike-a-bike section following a waterfall crossing whittled the lead group down to seven riders after 20 miles. Constant attacks fractured the group further over the remaining distance before five riders contested a sprint finish, with Kongstad rounding the final corner in first position.

Course Dynamics and Series Conclusion

Launched in 2022, the CORE4 event runs through Iowa City and features a varied terrain of champagne gravel, speedy pavement, singletrack, bike paths, rugged B roads, and river and waterfall crossings, according to Cyclingnews.

The Gravel Earth Series concludes in two weeks with a new event titled The River by The Traka, which features a 160km route based in Bouillon, Belgium.