Colin Strickland has made a name for himself by producing big rides in off-the-beaten path races. After winning four consecutive Red Hook Crit titles, Strickland turned his attention to the burgeoning American gravel scene.

In 2018, Strickland formed Meteor X Giordana, a team modeled on his unconventional approach to professional cycling. The team has a roster of only three riders and focuses heavily on gravel races and criteriums.

In 2019, Meteor X Giordana tested its mettle against WorldTour professionals for the first time at Dirty Kanza, a 200 mile gravel race across the Flint Hills of Kansas. Strickland made a daring 100 mile solo escape to hold off Trek-Segafredo's Peter Stetina and Alex Howes of EF Education First.

In the weeks leading up to his victory at Dirty Kanza, Strickland partnered with filmmaker Carlo Quichoto to tell the story of Meteor X Giordana at the 2019 Belgian Waffle Ride. 

The resulting film (embedded below) chronicles the path that Strickland and his teammates took to Meteor X Giordana, and their efforts to redefine the model of American professional cycling.

Michael Sheehan is a contributor to FloBikes and a member of the Meteor X Giordana team.