Trek Driftless took both U.S. national titles in La Crescent. Here's how Cobe and Paige rocked the field.
Cobe Freeburn and Paige Onweller won U.S. gravel national championships last weekend with big attacks on a fast, rolling course in La Crescent, Minn. In the process, they secured defining wins in their careers, and positioned themselves as two of the strongest riders in this late stretch of the 2026 gravel season.
The punchy, 107-mile course suited both of them. Onweller animated the women’s race by going solo off the front at Mile 38, attacking on a long plateau with stiff crosswinds. She was alone until Sarah Lange joined her around Mile 55, and the two worked together to keep the rest of the field at bay, ensuring that they’d contest the win between themselves. The finish came down to a sprint. Onweller flashed her unrivaled power to win by two seconds.
“At Mile 99, we just started attacking each other. She put in such hard efforts and was so strong, she really gave a good battle and we just kept on attacking to the line,” Onweller said. “I got her at the end, but she really pushed me today and it was a really fun day with her.”
Paige celebrating a long overdue victory.
Freeburn won a chaotic, dynamic men’s race with a solo attack inside the final 10 miles. A short, relatively innocuous kicker within a forested section sparked the winning move. Launching from a group of seven riders, Freeburn quickly built a 20-second gap and held it to the line.
Teammate Daxton Mock finished 11th in the men’s race, and was instrumental to Freeburn’s victory effort. The two positioned themselves at the front of the race as much as they could to control attacks off the front.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without [Dax],” Freeburn said. “The climbs were really nice because they were nice and hard, and then up and over all the bluffs was nice rolling, so it was easy to make people hurt. And then that finish was really cool.”
Cobe embracing Driftless mechanic Patrick Sterr after the race.
For Onweller, the win felt long overdue. She is seemingly always near the front of every race she enters, battling for the win, but her last major victory came in 2022 when she took Big Sugar. Now she’ll race in the Stars & Stripes the rest of the season.
“I didn’t really care as much about the result, I just wanted to dig deep and be fully present and just enjoy it,” Onweller said. “I love the process of working hard and pushing myself. That is why I race bikes and why I keep showing up. I started racing bikes when I was older and a lot of people think I can’t win a bike race. I hadn’t won a big bike race since I won Big Sugar in 2022. But I’m always fighting for it. The win doesn’t always happen, but today it did and that feels really nice.”
Freeburn had been targeting a national championship all year after placing fifth in 2025. The result cements what has already been a breakout season for the 24-year-old, who won The Mid South gravel race in March.
Your new U.S. gravel champions.
“I’ve never even been on the national podium before, so really special to win,” Freeburn said. “I’ve been thinking about this since last year, and I really wanted it. So I’m really proud.”
Onweller, Freeburn, and Mock won’t have much time to rest. They’ll join Driftless teammates Torbjørn “Toby” Andre Røed and Cécile Lejeune at the Chequamegon 40 this Saturday, making the third-to-last stop on the Life Time Grand Prix. Then their focus will turn to Little Sugar and Big Sugar on back-to-back weekends, Oct. 11 and Oct. 17, respectively.
Onweller and Freeburn will be two of the most anticipated riders to watch, especially in their new kits. The attention is well-deserved, and if Nationals were any indication, they’re ready to give us a show.
