Unbound, again.
It's back to the States we go.
I’m back on a plane towards the US of A. We’re running late, it seems this is going to be my first bad travel day of the year. Our flight was stuck on the ground in Barcelona for some three hours. My connection will be missed, and I’ll be touching down in Kansas around 7 pm tonight, rather than the planned 4 pm. Shit happens.
It’s been a month back home, it feels both so long and so short. My life often feels like a blur. I live between different worlds: gravel, road, Girona, Andorra, USA. What feels like a huge nightmare in my life is merely a thought to my housemates who race in the big leagues - what feels like hell to them is quizzical to me.
I’ve enjoyed being home. However much I love the adventure of being on the road, it’s very nice to be in a routine. I’ve spent most of my time at home up in Andorra, at Maggie’s new apartment. We’ll be spending an awful lot more time up there.
Unbound
You never feel prepared for Unbound.
I mean, it’s a 330km race, so it’s always going to be overwhelming, but there are so many logistics too. When I touch down in Kansas I still need to source: dynaplugs, musettes, bottles and get some tyres set-up tubeless. The bike riding is the easy part.
I’ve never had a clean Unbound. My first year was marked by the dreaded mud, and my second year, I had more punctures than I care to remember. I never really go into Unbound with a goal of anything other than just race. The longer you’re in the race, the higher your chances become. It’s a race of skill, fitness, and a healthy dose of luck. If you have a clean day, you’ll have a good day.
It’s also the one race a year where no matter what happens, I always want to finish. There are few races these days that I feel happy just to have reached the line - when you race pro you become so attached to the result that you don’t really care about finishing. Unbound is different.
When I first did this race two years ago, it felt like an alien. This year, it feels as if the world and its dog are going to Unbound. I’m arriving in Emporia the earliest I ever will have done - on Monday night - but given how early everyone has got there, I’m wondering if there’s something I don’t know!
My Unbound predictions:
My Call: Matt Beers
Dark Horse: Cam Jones
Honourable Mentions: Alexey Vermeulen, Some PAS dude
The Block
From Unbound, it’s to Boulder for a mid-season break. The Unbound block took a lot out of me, and while I feel fresh, I’m going to need a few days off. It’ll probably be four or five days of no bike at all, and then a few easy days pedalling.
Like the rest of the year, this block is characterised by fewer races, but more big targets. The ENVE Grodeo is more sportive than a race, simply with the goal of having fun, then it’s Oregon Trail (gravel summer camp), Crusher in the Tusher and a trip to Vancouver at the end.
There’s a big part of me that’s sad I’m not doing the same GasTown GP trip in Vancouver with my closest friends. It’s the only crit on the calendar that I love. The crowds are great, and I’ll have serious FOMO. It’s the same with Collingwood in Ontario, Canada. There’s no Blue Mountains Gravel UCI this year, so no trip to Collingwood. I’m disappointed. That place has become the staple of my summer, and I’ll miss Jody, Laura, Mike and the crew.
With a calendar so busy and diverse year to year, I always feel like I have a little bit of FOMO everywhere I go. There’s always another race, another scene, another storyline unfolding somewhere I’m not. It’s the weird paradox of doing a lot: you’re constantly aware of everything you’re not doing.
There’s no road racing this trip to the States. I’m happy that there’s no need to travel with two bikes, I’m sad that I’m not dipping back into the scene I love.
The US…
When I first set flight for the US on this exact trip two years ago I was a ball of nerves. I’d only ever seen Northern America in the movies and everything felt novel. By now, most of those novelties have worn off. I mean, it still amazes me how big the cars are, how expensive the grocery stores are and how vast the country is, but it’s not a culture shock like it once was.
It very much feels like business as usual. I know all of the towns, races, and houses that I’m going to. I know all of the people that I’m staying with. There’s a degree of familiarity about it all.
I never want to talk politics on this Substack, but it kinda feels like a time that I need to say something.
From the outside, it feels like the U.S. is on the verge of collapse. Headlines are with political chaos, cultural division, and economic armageddom. But, when you’re on the ground, it’s strangely normal. People are still queueing for overpriced coffee, going to Trader Joe’s, mowing their lawns. It’s like two parallel Americas exist: the one on fire on the news, and the one where life ticks on quietly. In a way, it’s like the whole country has a Mum and Dad who are fighting but the rest of the family is trying to live normally.
I’ve probably got to note here that all opinions are my own and don’t reflect my sponsors :)
That’s about it for now. I’ve got to say sorry for the lack of content recently. I have a whole backlog of interviews that I have to write up and publish, and I’ve also started four of five different pieces that are in the editing phase.
I planned to write a lot in the last couple of weeks of training, but I was so tired that I’d find myself logging on and just staring at a blank screen. No thoughts would come to mind.
While you’re here…
I’ve added a paid subscription and a ‘Buy Me A Coffee’ link to this post. As the year progresses, I’m planning on building this blog and putting out articles which I’ve always wanted to write but, for whatever reason, haven’t wanted to pitch. Your contributions allow me to do that.
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/joelaverick
The following brands are racing partners of mine which allow me to do cool stuff.
Good luck and enjoy, if you can enjoy such an event ! 😀