Russell Finsterwald, off-road cyclist

With Pace · Jan 16, 2023 · 1h 8m

Russell Finsterwald holds five national titles in mountain biking but stepped away from the World Cup relatively early in his career to pursue longer distance XC races in the US. When gravel became the dominant force in the off-road scene, he thought about retiring as soon as he finished the remainder of his contract. But in preparation for the Lifetime Grand Prix last year, he created a 350-mile route across southern Arizona that he dubbed the Spirit Tour. The goal was to answer some burning questions about the new discipline, such as, "What are gravel bikes capable of?" "What does it take…