Gravel season’s high occasion, the 200-mile Unbound Gravel race, is only a week away and each the competitors and the race course are slated to be harder than ever earlier than
Following the mud-bogged mayhem of the 2023 occasion, this yr’s version guarantees a problem of a distinct variety. The course is headed north, a path it has solely ventured twice earlier than, the place a “relentless onslaught of tough, rocky paths” awaits the riders.
Previously few years, Unbound has seen an growing quantity of non-American riders making the trek to Kansas to see what all the fuss is about, and competitors is fiercer than ever earlier than. In 2022, Dutchman Ivar Slik turned the primary non-American to win Unbound 200 as a part of a Dutch contingent of racers led by Laurens ten Dam. A yr later, Carolin Schiff from Germany turned the primary non-American winner of the ladies’s 200-mile race. Today, the beginning line is crammed with former WorldTour roadies, mountain bike Olympians, former skilled rowers and triathletes, all drawn to the long-distance problem and journey of gravel racing.
“It is the deepest area we have had,” feedback Peter Stetina, who was among the many first to ditch the WorldTour for the burgeoning gravel self-discipline.
Three years into the Life Time Grand Prix, lots of the North American rivals are “recognized portions,” he says. “There are not any surprises there. I believe the massive query is the inflow of European riders.”
New amongst the European contingent at Unbound Gravel is none aside from Olympic champion and Paris-Roubaix winner Greg van Avermaet.
Identical to different hundreds of Unbound hopefuls, the Belgian entered the race lottery and waited for his title to be drawn. Now, simply days away from the massive “journey,” as he calls it, Van Avermaet admits that he is a tad fearful of each the distance and the technical nature of the course.
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“I am nonetheless fearful of the gap,” he says. “And you need to arrange lots of issues, be taught and be prepared for all the things. Additionally material-wise, it is crucial. I underestimated it slightly bit. However I might be prepared and I’ll do my finest and hold an open thoughts.”
Belgian Greg van Avermaet has spent a complete of 11 days within the yellow jersey of the Tour de France
(Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
After 17 seasons on the high, Van Avermaet retired as a legend from the WorldTour peloton on the finish of 2023. By no means removed from the sharp finish of races, Van Avermaet loved a fruitful profession with wins at a few of the greatest Spring Classics, together with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem and, after all, the celebrated Paris-Roubaix in 2017 when he entered the velodrome a part of a bunch of 5 riders and got here out on high.
Additional profession highlights embody Olympic gold on the 2016 Rio Olympics, profitable Tirreno-Adriatico, the GC on the Belgium Tour, and clinching two levels of the Tour de France (the place he additionally racked up a complete of 11 days within the yellow jersey).
Doing ‘journey stuff,’ some triathlons and ‘different issues he could not do’ whereas racing on the WorldTour was on the Belgian’s thoughts for some time, he admits, and he eagerly jumped in earlier than he’d even raced his final street race. He completed fourth total on the first official UCI Gravel World Championships and gained the Spanish gravel triathlon SGRAIL 100.
In the beginning of 2024, he was swept up by Group Final Dance, a professional gravel staff created by attire model Isadore, which additionally contains fellow WorldTour pro–turned-gravel rider Petr Vakoč from the Czech Republic and Douwe Doorduin, a Dutch filmmaker and racer. His calendar contains the Gravel Earth Collection, some UCI gravel races and championships when potential, and, after all, the 200-mile Unbound.
Regardless of his cobblestone pedigree and thirst for journey, life as a gravel racer hasn’t come simple, nevertheless.
“I am having fun with life however it’s fairly laborious,” Van Avermaet says.
The so-called privateer hustle sees riders plan their personal season –race registrations and journey logistics included–, take a look at and put together their personal tools, scout the programs and, after all, practice for the long-distance occasions.
“You must admit, I used to be fairly spoiled driving with an enormous staff,” the 39-year-old acknowledges. “It takes lots of time – nearly 20 hours per week, which is near my skilled biking life. However I’ve lots of issues happening on the facet for the second, so it makes it fairly difficult to be at a very good stage.”
After which there’s the technical side of the terrain to think about as effectively. Gravel racing in America is as a lot a take a look at of health as it’s tools and bike dealing with.
“The course, from what I’ve seen from the photographs, has some actually massive rocks and it scares me slightly bit,” Van Avermaet admits. “You must watch out along with your bike. On the street bike, I might deal with my bike fairly effectively on the cobblestones. I used to be actually cautious to not flat. Roubaix, I did it 12-15 occasions, and I solely have one time a flat tire. However yeah, gravel racing is extra about luck additionally.”
Van Avermaet has been searching for insights and recommendation from those that have achieved it earlier than, and will not be going it alone in Emporia. New teammate Petr Vakoč, recent off his win on the Traka 200, will sort out the Unbound journey alongside the Belgian, although the 2 didn’t devise a staff technique, Van Avermaet says.
Former BMC Racing teammate Stetina actually considers Van Avermaet a risk and can need to keep away from bringing the Belgian with him to the road.
“He is aware of the U. S. fashion and the life-style, so he’ll be completely comfy right here. However I do not understand how a lot apply Greg has – you recognize, plugging his tires and all of the homework earlier than, but when it comes right down to legs, I imply, everybody’s acquired to need to be Greg,” he says.
“I believe it might be extra attention-grabbing to see how the firepower on the entrance adjustments issues. Gravel is nearly a very totally different sport than even in 2021, the final time we went north, in order that’ll be actually attention-grabbing, and I believe it may be a record-breaking yr right here regardless.”
