Start List and Streaming for UNBOUND Gravel

You might have known it as the DK in the past, but Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft returns to Emporia this weekend to race over the Flint Hills of Kansas. One of the biggest (if not the biggest) gravel races of the year, the 15th edition of racing starts on Friday and continues through the weekend with a big list of pro riders and gravel nobility.

After a year off due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, racing is back with six distances ranging from 25 to 350 miles and a 35-mile juniors event. The 200-mile race is still the one to watch, but kudos to those riders that even start the 350-mile event.

Winner of the 2019 200-mile event, Colin Strickland (Meteor X Giordana) will be returning to defend his crown. He will face tough competition from 2019 Gravel World champion John Borstelmann, former US marathon mountain bike champion Jeremiah Bishop, and former and current pro road cyclists like Trek-Segafredo’s Kiel Reijnen and Quinn Simmons, former pro US road champion Greg Daniel, Ian Boswell, Thomas Dekker, Yuri Hauswald, Ted King, Travis McCabe, Peter Stetina, Laurens ten Dam, and Curtis White. In the 100, pro cyclocross rider Stephen Hyde and mountain legend Tinker Juarez are two of the top names, along with track star Ashton Lambie and his magnificent mustache.

In the women’s event, Amity Rockwell (Easton Overland Gravel Team) will be back to defend her 200-mile title. 2017 champion, Alison Tetrick (Specialized) will lead the charge to improve upon her second-place finish with Amy Charity, Lauren De Crescenzo, Olivia Dillon, Rebecca Fahringer, Heather Jackson, Jen Luebke, Shayna Powless, and Kae Takeshita all contending for the win. In the XL, Rebecca Rausch and Amanda Naumann will be the riders to watch. Lauren Stephens (TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) is one of the top names in the women’s 100.

While the 200 has the pros, all of the events are open to amateurs that were lucky enough to get a spot through the lottery. For many, it is a bucket list event to check off their gravel ride dreams, but for others, they are going for bragging rights of finishing before nightfall or joining the Breakfast Club by finishing between 12:01 and the 3AM cutoff. 2,626 riders are scheduled to start this weekend, and you can check the start lists here. The Junior and sub-100 hundred mile events all kick off on Friday AM. The Gravel XL riders roll out at 3PM on Friday and are held to the that Sunday 3AM cutoff time, giving them 36 hours to finish 357.2 miles. The Gravel 200 and 100 events start on Saturday. Start times are below.

Unbound Gravel Juniors (35 miles) – Friday, June, 4, 10:00 a.m. CDT start

Unbound Gravel 25 – Friday, June 4, 10:30 a.m. CDT start

Unbound Gravel 50 – Friday, June 4, 10:30 a.m. CDT start

Unbound Gravel XL (357.2 miles) – Friday, June 4, 3:00 p.m. CDT start

Unbound Gravel 200 – Saturday, June 5, 6:00 a.m. CDT start

Unbound Gravel 100 – Saturday, June 5, 7:00 a.m. CDT start

Conditions are predicted to be dry this year, so we shouldn’t see the peanut butter mud of 2015. The Flint Hills are known for having tire-shredding rocks, which have ruined many riders’ days but also work as a proving ground for many manufactures in the gravel segment. It is a true test of equipment and riders though, as the course is not marked and limited-service stops are available, so riders will need to be prepared to handle repairs on the road themselves or be able to call your own support to pull you out of the race in the event of an accident or catastrophic failure. Support crews can provide assistance in the 87 miles between the checkpoints at mile 69 and 156, but Gravel XL riders are not allowed any outside support.

A first for gravel racing, this year’s UNBOUND will be broadcast on FloBikes starting at Noon Central on Saturday. Hosted by former pros Frankie Andreu and Janel Spilker, coverage should start with the finish of the 100. Mid-race coverage of the 200 will stream from various points along the course and the final 25 miles will be shown live. Between the action, viewers will be treated to athlete interviews and highlights from the All Things Gravel Expo. If you are in the Emporia area this weekend, there will be multiple viewing parties at local restaurants, hosted by UNBOUND organizer, Life Time.

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