Project XO is Seeking Riders for a New Women’s Gravel Collective

July 7, 2025

Applications for the exciting new women’s gravel program are open through August 1

ALL WOMEN • ALL GRIT • ALL IN

July 7, 2025 /SPORTSWIRE  WOMEN/ – As riders begin to look towards 2026 and their race plans, a new women’s gravel collective spearheaded by Inspire Athlete Management is actively seeking riders. Project XO is the next chapter in the off-road story: We’re looking for passionate, bold, and creative women cyclists who are crushing it on gravel. This is your chance to ride under the XO banner — supported, celebrated, and unleashed.

Project XO is a new gravel cycling team created to elevate the visibility of women in off-road racing. It is developing as a halo marketing brand designed to support a collective of women gravel racers by providing some of the benefits of a team environment combined with a customized privateer program.

What sets Project XO apart is that it is 100% women-focused from the start. It’s not a smaller subset of a mixed team. This way, resources are better allocated to support the riders. More and more gravel racers are forced to shift from the team model to a privateer model, and XO Gravel provides a bridge between being part of a team versus entirely self-sustaining. While riders will be able to choose their own calendars, some events will include the full roster—like the training camp in early 2026 in Spain with cycling clothing brand Rule 28 in partnership with Rouleur Travel.

Ruby West, longtime cyclist and current athlete manager at Inspire Athlete Management, joins Project XO as General Manager, bringing more than a decade of racing experience to the role. Ruby is a multi-time Canadian Cyclocross Champion and has represented Canada at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships and Pan-American Championships. She also competed on the track and road before retiring in 2023.

“At this point in my career, I feel so passionate about amplifying women’s cycling to the level of recognition it deserves,” she says. “It is the best time in history to be a woman on a bike and we want to be part of this movement.”

Project XO is backed by Inspire Athlete Management (IAM), a full-service agency specializing in athlete representation, creative services, and brand activations. In addition to representing some of the top professional cyclists, IAM has helped create customized privateer programs as well as being instrumental in creating several teams and collectives including Felt UN1TD, Canyon MTB Racing, and Jukebox Cycling.

“To me, Project XO represents an opportunity to make bike racing what you want it to be,” West adds. “It will be a collective of riders sharing support, uplifting one another, with space for individual goals, personalities and opportunities. Essentially, it’s exactly what I wish I had while I was still racing.”

“I’m excited about the riders we’ll see applying,” West adds. “I’m not just looking for riders who’ve competed at the front of the pack. We want competitive riders, of course, but we also want riders who can tell great stories about racing and what makes gravel great. I want riders who are committed to showing up to every race that they go to 100 percent, and who are passionate and motivated by racing. We know that a program like this can help riders actually be able to get the results they’re capable of, if they have the right support. We know what a difference that can make.”

Applications for racers on XO Gravel are open until August 1, and brands interested in getting involved with the team can also get in touch via the website at XOgravel.com.

Who can apply: Applications are open to women 18+ who are currently racing in the elite gravel category. Applicants can live anywhere in the world.

Deadline: August 1, 2025, 11:59pm EDT

More information and application: https://xogravel.com/

Contact: Ruby West – ruby@inspireathlete.com