James Longhurst is professor of History at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, and the author of the book "Bike Battles: A History of Sharing the American Road." He volunteers for Driftless Cycling, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cycling in the Driftless region of eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. As a part of Driftless Cycling, he supported the bid to bring USA Cycling's Gravel Nationals race in La Crescent MN in 2025, and served on local organizing and routes committees for this event, which brought thousands of racers and their supporters to the region. Local organizers and volunteers rallied to host this event for the first time in 2025; the race will be held in La Crescent in 2026 and possibly for years to come.