From Age Group To Elite In Gravel Racing - Contributed by Team Parcours Member Lisa Schrader

Lisa Schader first joined the Parcours Ambassador team in 2024 and whilst we brought in a new cohort in 2025, we love keeping our 2024 team involved. As a small brand, community is key and we all have that shared love of cycling. Once you become a Parcours Ambassador, you can stay with us and your cohort and the new cohorts each year, and really be part of the family.

Lisa has had an incredible story. From her first gravel race in 2023, to now racing as an Elite in 2025! Learn how a challenge turned into passion and community and new bigger goals. We are excited to see what the rest of the year and into 2026 has instore for Lisa.
 

It all started with one goal: qualifying for the Gravel World Championships 2025 in Belgium.
A clear objective that kept me going through countless cold and rainy winter rides in Germany.

What began as a personal challenge quickly turned into a real passion. Gravel racing was new, exciting, and completely different from what I knew from long-distance triathlon and Ironman events. Before I knew it, I was signing up for races across Europe, learning the ropes—and loving every minute of it.

Looking back, 2023 was the year the gravel boom truly hit Europe. New races popped up everywhere. I jumped straight in with my first-ever UCI gravel race, at the Gravel Challenge Blåvandshuk in Denmark—without the slightest clue about tactics, positioning, or even drafting. The weather was brutal: rain, wind, and conditions only Vikings would love. The course? A 160 km of road loop, including stretches along the North Sea beach. I had no idea what I was doing—but I loved every second.

I was far off from qualifying, but I was hooked. Gravel had me.

A few months later, I was on the start line at Gravel, Grit and Grind in Sweden—this time side by side with none other than Marianne Vos, a legend of women’s cycling. Just being there gave me a huge boost. Back then, qualifiers didn’t separate elite and age group categories, and I missed the spot by a few minutes. But I raced smarter, stronger. Coming from triathlon, where the pace is steady and the rhythm predictable, gravel racing felt punchy, dynamic—and way more fun.

That’s when the bigger goal formed: Worlds 2024 in Belgium, the heartland of cycling culture.

By 2024, the scene had evolved. The UCI introduced separate categories for elite and age group riders, giving me a more realistic shot. I also joined Team Parcours—getting deeper into bike, setups, wheel and tire choice, and race strategy. The team spirit, the community, and the shared knowledge made a difference.

Before the first qualifier at Wörthersee, I was nervous. But the race went great—one of the first events with a women-only start, without big interference from the men’s field. I couldn’t believe it: I finished 6th in my age group. Qualified!

Set Up with Parcours Alta Wheel Set and Schwalbe G-One RS tires, 40mm

That qualification became the motivator for the rest of my season. In Blåvand 2024, I placed 4th—just 30 seconds off the podium. In Sweden, where I’d missed the spot the year before, I finally stood on the age group podium. I felt ready for Worlds.

In October, it was finally time: the Gravel World Championships in Belgium. Riders from all over the globe came together. The only disappointment? Age group women had to start with men over 50, unlike the elite women who had their very own race. I had really hoped for a clean, women-only field—a good competition without interference.

Still, the race went well. And pinning a number on my national jersey felt truly special.

Set Up with Parcours Alta Wheel Set and Schwalbe G-One RS tires 40mm.

A strong end to the season—and the beginning of a new idea: What if I aimed higher? What if I tried racing elite?

I had learned so much in two years. I wanted to grow, and push myself further. The path wouldn’t be easy—but the goal was clear.

Fast forward to 2025: back at Wörthersee. New course, separate women’s start, 30 minutes ahead of the men. And there I was, standing on the start line with big names: Unbound winners and former Olympic track champion. This was certainly giving me goosebumps.

In the end I didn’t qualify. But I wasn’t too disappointed. I looked back and saw how far I’d come. From being clueless in Denmark to toeing the line with world-class athletes. What a journey.

Set Up with Parcours FKT wheelset and Schwalbe G-On RS tires in 45mm.

And gravel isn’t just about racing. It’s still about community. You keep meeting the same wonderful people in the most remote and beautiful corners of the world—to ride bikes and chase dreams.

The sport is growing rapidly. Events are getting bigger, more professional. More and more races—like Traka, Unbound, and UCI qualifiers—are introducing separate women’s starts. And I’m incredibly grateful to be part of it, to watch this evolution and I’m more motivated than ever to keep going.

Next weekend? Back to Blåvand. Round three. Let’s go!