![]() ![]() For the next couple of hours, the leaders rotated steadily, only losing two riders due to mechanicals or fatigue. Peak 5-min Normalized Power: 394w (5.7w/kg)Īt this point in the race, the lead group finally settled down, seemingly content with its own composition. Peak 5-min Power of the race: 364w (5.3w/kg) Ian Boswell’s power data from Unbound Gravel km118-160. At more than five hours into the race – but not even to the halfway point – Boswell did his peak five-minute power of the race, holding a normalized power of nearly 400w (5.8w/kg) for five minutes. On Little Egypt Road, the front group split down to seven, including Boswell, Ted King, Peter Stetina, Laurens ten Dam, and defending Unbound Gravel champion Colin Strickland. That’s a huge effort for anyone, and this one came with over eight hours to go.įrom kilometers 118 to 160, the race headed into more steep climbs, and even more crosswinds. In his peak 1-minute-effort of the entire race, Boswell attacked a 13 percent grade at 515w (7.5w/kg) for a full minute. On some of the steepest climbs of the race, he hit over 600w while barely maintain 15kph, and then went blasting down the other side at 50+kph. Heading north on Divide Road, Boswell set his peak 10min power of the race, as well as his peak 1-min power within the same effort. Peak 10-min Power of the race: 334w (4.8w/kg) Peak 1-min Power of the race: 515w (7.5w/kg) Ian Boswell’s power data from Unbound Gravel km66-97. It wasn’t until kilometer 66 that the pace really heats up, and when it does, it happened quickly. This was probably in large part due to the fact that there was little wind at 6:30 in the morning, and even so, it would have been at the riders’ backs. The first hour of the race was the easiest of the entire day for Boswell (see below for Boswell’s hour-by-hour power splits), with an average under 200w. Just three minutes into what will be a 10+ hour day, Boswell was already making a big effort at over 400w to hit the gravel in good position. With hundreds of riders on the start line, there was a huge fight for the lead heading into the first gravel sector. Positioning is crucial in gravel racing, especially a race as big as Unbound Gravel. The weather forecast predicted 20-30mph winds and 32-37☌ (90-100☏) temperatures for the majority of the day – I’m not sure there was a single rider who was happy about that. ![]() At 6:00 am local time, the Unbound Gravel 200 field rolled out for 206 miles of pain. It all started innocently enough in downtown Emporia. This is what it took for Boswell to win the Unbound Gravel 200. And in 2021, Ian Boswell and Lauren De Crescenzo earned their titles. After my first hour-long ride on this mixture of dirt and shattered stones that you call ‘gravel’, I think my hands hurt more than my legs.Ĭompleting the Unbound Gravel 200 is an achievement of its own, but to win it is to become the unofficial King or Queen of Gravel. This is not the kind of gravel that you enjoy. And the Flint Hills gravel of southern Kansas is no joke either – I’ve ridden it myself. Few cyclists have ever ridden 200 miles on the road, let alone raced it on gravel. Of course, there’s the physical difficulty too. If you break your bike or run out of food, you’re on your own. ![]() There are aid stations, but those only come every 50 or so miles. There are no support vehicles, no lap counters, and no cheering fans apart from the occasionally confused farmer. It’s almost a different sport – gravel racing versus road racing – in that it is so, so lonely. Gravel racing has exploded in popularity in recent years, and only in the last few has the clientele reached the World Tour. In the wee hours of the morning in a little town called Emporia, Kansas, hundreds of cyclists from around the world roll up to the start line of Unbound Gravel, the biggest gravel race in the world. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! ![]()
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