12 Takeaways from Unbound Gravel
Lots of mud caused one hell of a day out in Kansas.
1. We got MudBound.
It always rains in Kansas; it’s just whether it’ll impact the race. This year, it very much impacted the race. It was a dirty, muddy, rainy day. Lots will be written about the mud, and before all that discourse plays out, I do want to say that the risk of conditions like this is what makes the event epic. Rain makes mud, and this is the Midwest.
To have an epic event, it needs a special something. Mud to Unbound is what cobbles are to Roubaix. Nothing could have been done to avoid mud today, and yes, it’s a little silly, but so is bike racing.
2. Specialized has gravel’s best team.
Launch a new bike, win the sport’s biggest race. A sports marketing dream. Specialized once again proved that they’re the best team in world gravel racing. Going one-two in both the men’s and women’s races is the stuff of dreams.
Seeing Keegan give Mads a wheel answered so many questions about whether that team can work together at the crux moment. The fact that he still finished 5th is wild. And, for all those doubting that team tactics will play a role in gravel racing, we now have our answer.
He’s not on Specialized, but shout out to Cobe Freeburn. It looks like he blew up in the end, but that was one hell of a ride.
3. The live coverage was great
Mid-race split-screens, equal coverage of the men’s and women’s race, and good commentary, too. The social clipping online was great and went viral fast. Life Time seriously stepped up their game this year, and it worked well.
This is the first gravel livestream I’ve watched which felt like a true professional production.
4. We all love to hate Unbound
There’s a very long list of reasons to dislike Unbound: mud, rain, distance, duration, punctures, and cost, to name but a few. Yet, all of that is what makes Unbound special too. There’s something special about this bike race in Emporia, Kansas.
It’s Never Never Land, you spend multiple days chatting rubbish with mates you only met that week. It’s going to the Shake Out rides, stressing about tyres, questioning life decisions. A weird Emporia sized bubble.
5. Great safety protocols.
I crashed hard, and was driven to the hospital to get my knee stitched up. With that, I got to see first hand the logistics behind the race. It’s impressive, very impressive. My injury was pretty minor in the grand scheme of things, but I was still seen by a First Aider on course within twenty or so minutes.
Add in that major road crossings were marshalled and there were protocols in place for when it went wrong. Safety was very much thought about today, and I thank everyone for that.
6. 2026 seems to be a bridge year.
No major new names broke through, there were no huge WorldTour names (though crazy ride by Emil Herzog) on the start list, and no major regulation changes. While the mud will take the headlines, and gravel has well and truly professionalised, Unbound was surprisingly mellow.
7. We need better journalism
There are more stories at Unbound than at most World Tour races. We need better journalism, and true storytelling. This should be treated like one of the biggest races in the world, as it’s certainly one of the most popular.
Thousands of words were written about equipment and bikes, but more needs to be written about the event itself. The race, the organisation, the athletes, the community. Good journalism, whether that’s writing, podcast, or video, makes you feel a part of the race, no matter where you are in the world. Trust me, I understand that business is hard for journalism, but let’s not resort to clickbait.
Also, let’s not mix content with media.
8. The XL start is the best part of the week
At 3pm on Friday, a few hundred crazy people line up to race the 350 miles of Unbound XL. It feels like the whole of Emporia comes out to support. It’s prime time, everyone is downtown checking out the expo and comes to cheer them on.
It was an incredible atmosphere. Gravel needs more moments like this. This is what makes bike racing special.
9. Neutral zone circus
There was a little bit of craziness in the elite men’s neutral start, and it felt like we went for a whacky loop around town. The route we took didn’t match the GPX file we were given so it just caused a few “huh” moments. This was mostly fine, as the lead-motos did good work and kept the speed very slow and very safe, but this could still have been avoided.
In future, we need the neutral zone to be included in the GPX, and let’s continue to limit the oncoming cars as much as possible.
Overall, though, it was great to see Life Time take on the feedback from Big Sugar and make steps in the right direction.
10. Pro gravel is no longer an American game.
Cam Jones winning the Grand Prix last year put this point in motion, but only having one American in the men’s Top 10 at Unbound is a distinct shift. Gravel is undoubtedly an American sport, but as it grows in professionalism and opportunity, talent from across the world has been attracted.
11. Bikes cost a lot of money
I don’t know the answer to this, but we need to talk about how conditions can cause thousands of dollars of damage in a few metres. As a pro rider, I’m in the privileged position that I get my equipment covered by ENVE. However, for almost everyone in the race, they paid thousands of dollars for their bikes.
I’ve already said that I think mud is good for this race, however I do think we need to recognise and discuss that excess mud can cause financial problems.
12. Unbound, I’ll probably be back.
I was asked this week how many more Unbounds I’ve got in me. I’ve always said that I want to do five, and that’s me done. What I really meant is that I want to finish five. I was planning on finishing this weekend, so that would’ve meant one more 200-mile, and I’m out.
Well, I guess I’ve got unfinished business. I hate that I love this race deep down because I really hate this race too.
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"Seeing Keegan give Mads a wheel answered so many questions about whether that team can work together at the crux moment" - Nice pun ;)
Agree that the livestream and commentary were excellent. It was great to have on TV throughout the day. I can’t recall her name but I thought the reporter (rider?) interviewing the winners was great, felt like she knew all of them personally. Equally thankful that the riders for the most part were super open and happy to talk after such a grueling event.