‘RePete’: Belgian Waffle Ride Champ Defends Gravel Title

Gravel champ Pete Stetina returned to the Belgian Waffle Ride San Diego to defend his 2019 title — and did just that.

Pete Stetina, a California cyclist and gravel rider, took home gold at the Belgian Waffle Ride in San Diego on Sunday. The Belgian Waffle Ride is a 200km+ gravel ride that takes course over several mountain passes, off-road sectors, and water crossings — with over 3,000 m of elevation gain. His final finish time? Six hours 10 minutes and 20 seconds — a personal best for this ride.

The Belgian Waffle Ride (BWR) is a “217km race over dirt, gravel, single-track, steep bergs, long climbs, creek crossings, and unrelenting head-winds,” race organizers describe. It’s also known as the “hell of the west coast.”

Stetina took gold at the 2019 Belgian Waffle Ride (with a time of 6 hours 20 minutes 37 seconds), which was canceled in 2020. This means that his 2021 wins make him a two-time consecutive champ at this race.

Stetina also took gold in Utah’s Crusher in the Tushar two weeks ago, and won bronze at the Unbound Gravel 200 race. Wherever he’s racing next, fellow gravel riders had better watch out.

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