Elite winners for 2026, Sofia Gomez Villafañe and Alexey Vermeulen, with bison skull trophies (Image credit: Simon Krenk)

Sofia Gomez Villafane (Specialized Off-road) captured her third consecutive victory at Valley of Tears on Saturday, while Alexey Vermeulen (ENVE) won from a three-rider sprint among the elite men.

The 93-mile (150km) race went the full distance this year, after winter weather in 2025 sliced the distance in half. The third edition instead brought crosswinds and deep sand pits to disrupt the action.

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Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling.…