Unbound roundtable: Gravel beef, the women’s race, and contenders

This article originally appeared on Velo News

With all of the hype around this year’s Unbound Gravel, I’m tempted to say, ‘Let’s race already!’ But so much of what the event means is wrapped into the entire weekend, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Unless, we’re doing a roundtable, of course 😉

Here, Troy Templin, Will Tracy, Alvin Holbrook, and I (Betsy Welch) delve into some of the talking points around the 200-mile race, considered to be Unbound’s marquee distance. It’s a race that’s grown from some 30 riders in 2006 to 210 elite riders in 2023 -- and there are over 1,000 more amateurs racing that distance.

With a nickname like the ‘Super Bowl’ of gravel, Unbound has become much more than a feel-good group ride on gravel (although it is still certainly that). There’s drama (or beef) and dollars and a lot to live up to.

We can’t wait.

Read more: Event preview: 2023 Unbound Gravel

What will be this year’s ‘gravel beef’?

Troy Templin (Senior tech editor): As the racing sponsorships continue to grow, I feel like gravel is heading further down the path of more rules, regulations, and separation. For me, I think what has been so unique about gravel events is the opportunity to race with top levels of athletes drives a lot of connections. The accessibility means riders of all levels feel like part of the “race,” even though they are really racing for completely different goals. I understand the safety concerns, but I feel like if more restrictions are applied, it will lead to fewer opportunities for less-known riders to enter the top ranks. For me, that has been the best part of gravel, new names and faces racing at the front and keeping the segment growing and healthy.

So to bring it full circle, brands, more specifically smaller brands, should be the ones with the “gravel beef.” It gives them less opportunity to find new up-and-coming talent to sponsor since gravel is less about the team like traditional road races, and more about the athlete. I’m sure aero bars, team tactics, on-course support, and all the typical topics will still be part of the elite-level complaints, but let us remember the majority of participants have a different experience planned, and they are what is driving the growth of gravel.

Will Tracy (Associate editor): Now that aero bars are banished from the pointy end of the race and battles have been hashed out over aid station etiquette, the next frontier in gravel beef will be about road racing tactics encroaching on the purity of gravel racing. It won't be about team tactics per se -- though I'm by no means ruling out controversy arising there -- but rather about who's not doing their fair share of work in the group.

Betsy Welch (Senior editor): Is it possible there won’t actually be any? A girl can hope. In some ways, I think Unbound precludes some of the beef we’ve seen in the past -- everyone wears hydration packs and has to stop at the same checkpoints -- but 200 miles is plenty of time to drum up some drama. The not pulling through thing (see Alvin’s comment below) could certainly rear its head again, but the court of Internet opinion may have ruled that a tactic is a tactic when trying to win a bike race. Maybe more riders will sit in on Saturday. Speaking of tactics -- we’ve got more teams and micro-teams (and the Dutch mafia!) in gravel than ever before, so teammates working for each other could be the next juicy headline.

Alvin Holbrook (Tech editor): Taking pulls as part of a larger question around the direction of gravel. Gravel Locos is seen by many as a tune-up race for folks looking to do well at Unbound, and there is a little bit of beef around the 2023 edition. Specifically, there’s some Twitter beef about how the GL150 winner (Adam Roberge) allegedly didn’t pull through often enough or didn’t do any work themself to make others’ attacks stick. As a resident ‘baby pull’ expert, the strategy is sound. Maybe it’s not fair or great for decorum, but it is sound.

The bigger consequence here is what I saw growing up riding and racing fixies and track bikes: big fish in small pond racers complaining about the pond expanding and more talented racers coming in and eating their lunch. Gravel racing is going to continue to grow in popularity, which guarantees people complaining about not finishing as well as they thought they might. If the sport is to continue to be inclusive and for everyone, I don’t think it should stop bringing newer, faster faces into the fold.

Will the women’s race stay a true women’s race, or be the usual game of ‘hitch on’?

TT: The simple answer is no. There are riders in the amateur field (from all categories) that are strong enough to close down that gap early on. This plays off of what I mentioned earlier. More rules and separation make it harder to level the playing field for everyone. Jumping on a wheel and using the racers around you is all part of the unique dynamic of gravel, no matter what category you race. It is what differentiates gravel from the rest of the cycling races.

WT: The latter will be inevitable, especially as the race wears on, but the head start affords the women the opportunity to actually race one another instead of the winning tactic being who can make it into the front group of men early and sit in for as long as possible. And even if the top amateur men trailing behind catch up quickly, the top women will at least be together and be able to see any moves being made; it's a much different scene when interspersed with thousands of other riders and you don't necessarily even know where the other top women are amid all that chaos.

This topic brings us to another possible new beef for 2023: Elite women dropped from the front working their way back into contention by riding with the fastest amateur men chasing just behind them. Women riding with men has always been a part of gravel racing, but it might leave a sour taste now with the staggered race start.

BW: I think we’ll see more of a women’s race than ever before, although sure, the amateur men will infiltrate. What I’m most curious about is how and if the women will choose to organize and race together. Whereas so many of the guys are familiar with each other’s styles, strengths, and weaknesses in a pack, the women rarely get the chance to race that way in gravel. When it does happen, riders have told me, it’s something special.

AH: If you find a faster group, why wouldn’t you hitch onto that group? I know I would if I were in the position. Perhaps it isn’t consistent with ‘the holy spirit of gravel,’ whatever that means. I don’t think it will at all make it more or less of a true women’s race.

Will Keegan win?

TT: He is riding at a level that is unbelievable, but a lot can go wrong over 200 miles. Flat tires and other mechanicals are all part of the equation, but even something as simple as ejecting a feed bottle or getting caught up in a crash can derail even the strongest riders.

WT: The safe money is on Keegan. It's the only major event he wasn't able to win in an otherwise spectacular 2022 season, so he's probably had this weekend circled on his calendar since last year. Barring a mechanical or excessive flats, he's my pick.

BW: It’s highly likely, although the best thing about Unbound is that anything is possible. Sure, Keegan has a bone to pick with Ivar, but Finsty has one to pick with Keegan, too.

AH: Keegan! Keegan! Keegan! Mostly I just really like saying his name, honestly. But so does everyone else; Keegan is the racer to beat this year.

Who are your top contenders?

TT: I’m not a gambling person, but I’m rooting for my friend Caroline Wreszin. She has been on fire, and I can’t wait to see what she can do with such a stacked field.

WT: Keegan Swenson
Ivar Slik
Ian Boswell
Matt Beers
Alexey Vermeulen

Sofia Gomez Villafane
Lauren De Crescenzo
Sarah Max
Whitney Allison
Melisa Rollins

BW: Even though I wrote this question, I really don’t like it. Everyone. Is. So. Good. And, with over 200 riders in the elite category, there are more ‘dark horse’ possibilities than ever.

So yes, while Keegan and Ivar and Ian and Finsty and Alexey are without a doubt top five contenders, I can’t wait to see about some of the less-vetted (at Unbound, at least) riders. Howard Grotts is on fire right now. What has Matt Beers been up to since the Cape Epic? Can a 20-year-old like Ian Lopez de San Roman compete with experience like John Borstelmann? Does Mattia de Marchi, who wins ultra-endurance bikepacking stuff, have a chance? There are dozens more scenarios to consider.

The women’s race is equally wide open. Sofia, LDC, Whit Allison, Emily Newsom, and Sarah Max? Obvi. But -- there’s Heather Jackson, too. And Alexis Skarda, Sarah Sturm, Haley Smith, Hannah Otto, and Maude Farrell.

Some of my dark horses include Jenna Rinehart, Melisa Rollins, Leah van der Linden, and my neighbor Caroline Tory.

AH: I’d say he (Keegan Swenson), Ivar Slik, or Adam Roberge are my early picks in the Men’s Elite. I’d also throw in Alexey Vermeulen for good measure considering his history with the race. But there’s a lot that can happen in 200 miles, and everyone is so, so good as Betsy said.

I’ve got Lauren De Crescenzo, Amity Rockwell, or Sofia Gomez Villafane taking the win in the Women’s Elite side.

Is Unbound still the ‘Super Bowl of gravel?’ Why or why not?

TT: Unbound has been changing a lot, and once again, I reference my earlier comments. Too much change can ruin a good thing and its momentum. There are a lot of really good events and races all over, and for now, Unbound still remains the premier gravel event of the year for notoriety. I would argue that there are much better events out there, but if we are just looking at it for the coverage, sponsorship, new product launches, and overall “show” of the whole thing, it takes the cake by a long shot. This year I’m heading to Lost & Found Gravel for a bit of a different scene. It’s a great alternative for those that might not get into Unbound, and it normally has an underbiking in the mountains vibe, which is more of my pace.

WT: Yes, but other events are gaining standing. Unbound is becoming similar to what the Monaco Grand Prix is to Formula 1 in that it's among the oldest events, is the jewel of the season and a career highlight for any rider who wins, but also doesn't necessarily produce the best racing of the year.

BW: Given the hype, absolutely, yes. Unbound is by far the biggest bike race in the U.S. -- when I told my mom this, she was incredulous. But when I asked her to name another bike race -- of any kind -- she couldn’t. In fact, the only other race she knows by name is the Tour de France.

It still blows my mind that a 200-mile race in Kansas is our “Super Bowl,” but the momentum is the thing. Remember the summer of 2020 and the whole name change fiasco? There were plenty of people who thought the name and leadership changes at Unbound were the beginning of the end -- now, it’s as if we’ve called it Unbound all along.

Will the momentum carry, and if it stalls out, what will be the cause? Those are the interesting questions. For now, though, the race remains bucket list for thousands of amateurs and a job requirement for pros.

AH: When I tell people what gravel races I’ve done, they usually follow it up with, “Have you been to Unbound yet?”

For pros, a good performance at Unbound puts your name on the map. For everyone else, Unbound is a point of reference for every other gravel race. Between the race’s notoriety and heritage as one of the longest-running races, it’s hard to point to Unbound as anything less than the Super Bowl of gravel.

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