The status of an Unbound Gravel 200 win is drawing an ever-growing subject to the beginning line in Emporia, Kansas, with an inflow of riders from world wide and ranging disciplines. What was a US-centric off-road contest is now a evident world highlight for the top of the self-discipline.
The 200-mile (322km) race, which first ran in 2006, topped its first worldwide victors in 2023 with Dutch rider Ivar Slik and Argentina-born Sofía Gómez Villafañe making the leap to the highest step. It has additionally been clear from the power of the worldwide riders coming in early to fantastic tune setups in North America, equivalent to Gravel Locos, Stetina’s Paydirt, BWR Vancouver Island, Iron Horse Bicycle Traditional and different occasions, that the native gamers are going to have a battle on their arms to wrest the winners’ belt buckles and titles of King and Queen of Unbound again onto residence soil.
There’s a lengthy and robust checklist of US gravel ‘ninjas’ who’re anticipated to contend for victories, however there’s additionally an inflow of riders who’ve current success within the new UCI Gravel World Sequence or staked their declare in one of many rising array of off-road races in Europe, Australia or South Africa. A couple of WorldTour roadies, women and men, have additionally been drawn to Kansas to attempt their hand at a race which has performed such a vital early position within the improvement of the game.
Narrowing down the contenders isn’t a straightforward activity, however with 205 miles of robust terrain to check the bounds of even the hardiest of souls and hardest tools, the room for one thing to go fallacious and rapidly take a rider out of competition is huge. The race is unpredictable, however we have picked 10 of the favourites from throughout the boys’s and ladies’s elite subject within the Unbound Gravel 200, plus a few different notables riders to look at.
5 Males’s Unbound 200 favourites
Ivar Slik
- Unbound report – 2022 winner, 14th in 2021
- Disciplines – Gravel specialist with highway, seashore racing background
When Ivar Slik received final 12 months, he was removed from an unknown, however the one time highway skilled who had switched focus to gravel in 2022 additionally wasn’t high of the checklist when the Unbound favourites have been mentioned. The Wilier Manufacturing unit Racing rider had come 14th in his 2021 debut, which stoked his curiosity in gravel, however victory at The Traka 200 on the run in of 2022 signalled his potential for extra.
This 12 months, after having turned his consideration from seashore racing and again to gravel in April he has but to seize a gravel win, however the outcomes have been constructing with a fifth at The Traka 200 and third at Gravel Locos. The distinction this 12 months, nevertheless, is that’s that there could be little doubt it’s a race he is aware of precisely the best way to win. Nonetheless, he now has an enormous goal on his again, significantly with moist circumstances a risk once more this 12 months.
Keegan Swenson
- Unbound report – Second in 2022
- Disciplines – Mountain bike, gravel
The 2022 version of Unbound got here all the way down to a remaining dash, with the mud-covered Slik getting the most effective of Keegan Swenson and Ian Boswell whereas Laurens ten Dam dangled off the again. The skilled mountain biker with Santa Cruz who stated after final 12 months’s runner up slot that “I believed I had the legs for the dash. However I made some tactical errors and sort of blew it.” Meaning 2023 could possibly be the possibility for redemption.
After that runner up spot Swenson went on to win Crusher within the Tushar, Leadville 100 and the general Life Time Grand Prix, with Unbound the second of seven occasions within the sequence this 12 months. The 29-year-old from Utah has began on an excellent footing once more this 12 months, taking the win within the first spherical of the sequence on the Sea Otter Traditional Fuego XL MTB. He’s additionally taken to the highest step on the 50-mile Whiskey Off-Highway and the 123-mile Belgian Waffle Experience Arizona. Now, that high step in Emporia is looking.
Russell Finsterwald
- Unbound report – Seventh in 2022
- Disciplines – mountain bike, gravel
Russell Finsterwald is a self-described “mountain biker with a gravel drawback”. Given he got here seventh final 12 months at Unbound, even after an extended chase again from a flat at 50 miles in, and final month received on the Belgian Waffle Experience California it might be his rivals which have an issue within the Flint Hills.
The Specialised Off-Highway group racer from Colorado was third general within the Life Time Grand Prix sequence final 12 months and closed the gravel season with a win at Massive Sugar Gravel. It additionally seems like Finsterwald is setting the scene for an additional excessive putting on the Life Time Grand Prix leaderboard in 2023, coming second to pal and a while coaching companion, Keegan Swenson, within the opening spherical at Sea Otter Traditional within the Fuego XL.
Mattia De Marchi
- Unbound report – thirteenth in 2022
- Disciplines – Gravel, lengthy distance, former highway professional
Mattia De Marchi is one rider the place there needs to be no doubts about his capability to go the space, with Unbound only a quick jaunt in comparison with a few of his bike-packing forays. Velocity too will not be at query for the Italian rider, who has a confirmed capability to maintain pushing the tempo when the hours on the bike start to build up having thrice received the 360km-long (224 mile) The Traka. This 12 months he despatched a warning shot to his Unbound rivals by delivering an all-time report as he completed the Girona race in lower than 13 hours.
The Sufficient Biking Collective rider has ridden Unbound earlier than, coming thirteenth in 2022 and in his phrases “It was a fucking battle. Quick, muddy, exhausting, technical. This Unbound was an expertise that as at all times taught me one thing.” In 2023 we’ll see simply what he realized.
After Unbound, De Marchi goes critically lengthy vary once more, taking over the Tour Divide on June 10, a bikepacking race over the two,745 miles (4,418km) on the Nice Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff to New Mexico.
Adam Roberge
- Unbound report – tenth in 2022
- Self-discipline – Gravel, highway
Adam Roberge simply made it into the highest 10 final 12 months, even after double-flatting out of the lead group and having to go on the chase alone to attempt to make the 5 minutes misplaced. This 12 months, if luck runs his method, the Canadian rider, who got here second at his nation’s Gravel Nationwide Championships in April, is exhibiting indicators of constructing kind simply as Unbound is approaching.
The Jukebox Biking rider received Gravel Locos, the race the place he started his US gravel journey in 2021, earlier this month with a solo cost from the entrance bunch. Roberge rapidly stepped as much as the rostrum when he started racing gravel two years in the past, successful Massive Sugar Gravel in his debut 12 months and in 2022 successful Gravel Worlds in Nebraska.
Additionally within the combine
There are a variety of notable riders that we could not fairly match within the 5, however may nonetheless nicely make a mark. Ian Boswell cannot be counted out along with his report. The US rider received in 2021 and got here to the road positioned to contest the dash in 2022 however ended up third.
Dutch rider Laurens ten Dam was second to Boswell in 2021 and got here in fourth final 12 months. Fifth final 12 months, USA’s Alexey Vermeulen at all times must be thought-about to have an excellent shot. Paul Voss is clearly heading into the race in good kind with the German rider this season having come second at Gravel Locos, received the 3RIDES Gravel World Sequence spherical and brought out The Traka 200.
With much less unhealthy luck this 12 months, after crashing out in 2022, Lachlan Morton may be a contender as may Nathan Haas and Australia’s nationwide gravel champion Brendan Johnston who is without doubt one of the main gamers in a gaggle from the nation which are making their debut on the race. Retired Belgian highway skilled Jan Bakelants can be taking a shot at Unbound in addition to present WorldTour rider Larry Warbasse of AG2R-Citroën.
A giant “perhaps” surrounds seeing Payson McElveen on the beginning line Saturday, as he suffered a concussion and different accidents at Gravel Locos two weeks in the past. However he’s not a scratch from the beginning but. The Mid South winner says he is feeling 50/50.
5 Girls’s Unbound 200 favourites
Sofia Gomez Villafañe
- Unbound report – 2022 winner
- Disciplines – mountain bike, cyclocross, gravel
This rookie rocketed throughout the Flint Hills final 12 months to earn the victory and Queen of Unbound title. Sofia Gomez Villafañe embarked into gravel racing simply two years in the past, successful in her first outing at Crusher within the Tushar. She had no intentions of ever beginning Unbound Gravel, as she was targeted competing on the Tokyo Olympic Video games for Argentina in cross-country mountain biking. That achieved, she then turned her consideration final 12 months to the Life Time Grand Prix, and Unbound Gravel 200 reared its face as one of many six occasions.
To date this 12 months Villafañe has received Belgian Waffle Experience Scottsdale, Fuego MTB XL at Sea Otter Traditional and Whiskey 50, which is simply 47 miles in size however packs in additional than 6,500 toes of climbing throughout single-track, double observe and gravel in Arizona’s excessive desert. That climbing prowess will show to be a bonus at Unbound.
“Every of these races are so distinctive and require a special race successful effort. I must say I’m probably the most pleased with my Whiskey 50 race as not solely did I lastly beat my demons there, however received a glimpse into the climbing legs I’ve been engaged on this winter,” Villafañe instructed Cyclingnews.
Haley Smith
- Unbound report – sixth in 2022
- Disciplines – mountain bike, gravel
Haley Smith completed sixth for elite girls eventually 12 months’s Unbound Gravel, her first outing throughout the Flint Hills. Later that summer season she went on to win at Crusher within the Tushar and had podiums in her mountain bike specialty at Leadville 100 MTB and Chequamegon that boosted her to the inaugural girls’s champion of the Life Time Grand Prix.
Unbound was solely the fourth gravel race of her profession and Smith referred to her debut as “a hilariously bold first try at gravel racing”. Now that she has greater than doubled her expertise with gravel grinding, Smith might be a critical drive in Emporia this 12 months. She is available in with a GC victory on the four-day Ekopak Belgian Mountainbike Problem, an endurance take a look at with flat bars. On the drop bars, she took the victory final weekend at BWR Canada, dominating the race with a 19-minute margin over her closest rival.
Sarah Sturm
- Unbound report – seventh in 2022
- Disciplines – mountain bike, gravel
Sarah Sturm has adopted an identical path as Haley Smith, transitioning from a deal with mountain bike races to gravel along with her invitation to the Life Time Grand Prix. Final 12 months she completed third general within the six-race off-road sequence. At Unbound Gravel 200 she completed seven seconds behind Smith in seventh, and he or she was ninth at Massive Sugar Gravel.
This 12 months she appears ready to enhance at Unbound, or “funbound” as she refers to it on the optimistic aspect, with a brand new setup from Specialised. Sturm travelled to Girona in April to tackle the 360km The Traka, coming away with second place, 45 seconds separating her from compatriot and winner Amity Rockwell. The final prep race for the 33-year-old US rider was Stetina’s Paydirt, the place she had the most effective time for elite girls, however in the end took second place when Heather Jackson nailed a post-race sport of ‘tyre toss’ and earned bonus seconds to spice up her to first place general. There might be no video games on the gnarly gravel this weekend, so search for Sturm to storm throughout the 205 miles.
Lauren De Crescenzo
- Unbound report – second in 2022, winner in 2021
- Disciplines – highway, gravel
Lauren De Crescenzo (Cinch) used to race on the US highway scene earlier than a horrific crash in 2016 left her studying the best way to stroll and discuss once more. She soared to gravel fame by successful Unbound Gravel 200 in 2021, and hasn’t stopped stacking up the off-road victories since. Final 12 months she crossed the end in Emporia for second place, trailing 9 minutes behind winner Sofia Gomez Villafañe within the moist and muddy circumstances. She’s on observe this 12 months to earn her method again to the highest spot, having gone back-to-back as The Mid South champion within the spring.
Amity Rockwell
- Unbound report – second in 2021, winner in 2019
- Disciplines – gravel, highway, journey
Amity Rockwell is without doubt one of the early adaptors to the gravel scene and received Unbound Gravel 200 in 2019. The 2021 runner-up, Rockwell did not race in Emporia final 12 months, after have just a few exhausting crashes at BWR and one other in coaching after racing Fuego MTB 80K in April. She rebooted within the fall and received the primary BCBR Gravel Explorer, a five-day gravel stage race.
Rockwell is as soon as once more carrying spectacular kind into Unbound this season, delivering a surprising record-breaking efficiency at The Traka 360, ending 45 minutes forward of her nearest rival, Sarah Sturm. Again within the US she was third at The Mid South. Is she prepared for the 200 grind on gravel once more? The quick reply is sure.
Additionally within the combine
The ladies’s subject may be very deep this 12 months, they usually get their very own devoted begin on Industrial Road which has given the elite riders a lift even earlier than the race begins. Search for a extra tightly-packed contingency, with some new names from Europe in a position to make strikes right into a lead group.
Justine Barrow has made her gravel power clear, with the Australian parachuting into the US scene this 12 months, instantly taking fourth at Desert Gravel after which third at Gravel Locos.
One other rider to look at is German Svenja Betz, winner of a number of rounds of the UCI Gravel World Sequence in 2022 and this season she took second at The Traka 200 and third at The Gralloch. Nonetheless, like a lot of those that have made their mark within the shorter races of the UCI Gravel World Sequence, it’s a little bit of an unknown how she is going to carry out over the longer distances. Fellow German rider Carolin Schiff has stepped to the highest of the rostrum within the World Sequence this 12 months and has additionally strengthened her declare with a win at The Traka 200 and at Gravel Locos.
On the US entrance, Heather Jackson is on fireplace this season. She received BWR California and Stetina’s Paydirt, and is seeking to make a mark within the Life Time Grand Prix. One of many youngest within the Unbound elite subject is Anna Yamauchi. She impressed with a second place at BWR Arizona and received in Bakersfield at Rock Cobbler.
