Sofia Gomez Villafuertes is the most dominant women’s gravel racer in North America. Born in Bolivia and based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, she has turned her home-course advantage at SBT GRVL into a three-time championship and established herself as the standard against which all women’s gravel racing is measured. Here’s the story of how she got to the top of the sport.
From Bolivia to Steamboat Springs
Gomez Villafuertes grew up in Bolivia at altitude — a background that provides natural altitude adaptation and a powerful aerobic engine. She came to cycling relatively late compared to traditional road professionals, which meant she developed her fitness without the rigid structure of a junior development program. This path gave her a different relationship with training and racing: one built around intrinsic motivation and a genuine love of the effort rather than external competitive pressure from an early age.
Her move to Steamboat Springs was both practical and strategic. The altitude (6,700 feet base, with training roads going significantly higher), the proximity to the Routt National Forest roads, and the community of serious cyclists in the area made Steamboat the ideal base for a gravel-focused athlete. She has turned the SBT GRVL home-course advantage into a competitive edge that’s been decisive at the marquee event on the calendar.
The SBT GRVL Dominance
Gomez Villafuertes’s three SBT GRVL titles are the defining achievement of her career. SBT is a climbing-heavy race at altitude — exactly the kind of course that rewards her background. But what separates her from other altitude-adapted climbers is her technical descending ability and her ability to pace 144 miles without flagging. In each of her championship rides, she’s been able to increase effort in the second half of the race when most competitors are managing decline.
The tactical dimension of her racing is worth noting. She doesn’t ride from the front; she races conservatively through the early miles and positions herself well for the key selection climbs. On Buff Pass — the defining climb of the SBT GRVL course — she typically gains time on everyone who isn’t adapted to altitude climbing. By the top, the race is often already decided in her favor.
Training and Lifestyle
Her training model reflects the altitude advantage she’s built her career on. She trains year-round at elevation, rarely descending to lower altitudes except for travel to races. Volume is high — she’s consistently one of the highest-mileage athletes in the gravel field — and her training includes significant mountain bike riding that keeps her technical skills sharp. She works with a coach but maintains an approach that emphasizes feel and experience alongside structure.
Gomez Villafuertes is also active in the Steamboat cycling community as an advocate and ambassador for women’s gravel racing. She’s been vocal about the need for equal prize money and equal field sizes at major events — a conversation that has accelerated significantly in the Life Time Grand Prix context in recent years.
2026 Season Outlook
Entering 2026, Gomez Villafuertes is the defending SBT GRVL champion and a title contender at every Grand Prix event that suits her climbing strengths. Events to watch her at: SBT GRVL (obvious), Rebecca’s Private Idaho (altitude and climbing), Leadville 100 MTB (she’s competed in this format with strong results). She’ll be less likely to dominate at flat, power-oriented events, but the Grand Prix calendar’s bias toward mixed terrain plays to her strengths.
Her profile in the broader cycling world has grown significantly as the Life Time Grand Prix has attracted mainstream sports media coverage. She’s increasingly a face of the sport for audiences who discovered gravel through the Grand Prix’s streaming partnerships rather than through the traditional cycling media. For the full 2026 race calendar including SBT GRVL and all Grand Prix events, see our race calendar.
Follow the 2026 Grand Prix season — all major events on one calendar. → See the Race Calendar
