Nearly 1,000 riders rolled out of Emporia, Kansas at 6 a.m. on June 5 to tackle the 206-mile Unbound Gravel course. (There were also 25-, 50-, and 100-mile races, plus the invite-only 350-mile XL course.)
By the time the 3 a.m. cutoff rolled around, 600 riders had made it back to Emporia.
Wil Matthews was out on course all day, and he captured a multifaceted look at the most important gravel race in the world. Enjoy his photography below.
Defending champion Colin Strickland took the start on a brand new Allied Echo that he assembled in the days before the race. Further, he constructed his own hydration frame bag the night before the race.
The start line was a who’s who of gravel racing.
Riders with WorldTour pedigree were all at the front for the start, from 20-year-old Quinn Simmons to 40-year-old Laurens ten Dam.
Quinn Simmons raced a not-yet-released Trek Checkpoint.
Robin Carpenter raced his first gravel event ever — and placed sixth. He chatted at the start with the day’s winner, Ian Boswell.
The first technical section came at mile 26 on the rough two-track of Kaw Reserve Road.
Abus Pro Gravel Team members collected themselves before the start. Lindsey Stevenson said this of the race’s early miles: “Pure carnage at the start with riders crashing everywhere and pulling over to fix mechanicals. It was like a battlefield out there.”
Gravel events exist as an intersection of cycling disciplines. Former WorldTour racer and current pro mountain biker Alexey Vermeulen lined up next to current WorldTour roadie Keil Reinjen, and cyclocross racer Curtis White.
Riders climbed more than 11,000 feet over the course of the day, but there was also plenty of flat riding over the long day.
Photo: Craig Huffman/Craig Huffman Photography
Emporia, Kansas welcomes the race with open arms.
Photo: Craig Huffman/Craig Huffman Photography
Former world junior downhill champ Kathy Pruitt finished after a day-long struggle with heat exhaustion. Raceday started warm and there was little respite from the scorching sun.
Unbound Gravel 350 XL riders, shown here on the top of Divide Road, faced a journey that could have them ride through two sunsets.
Defending champion Amity Rockwell finished second to Lauren De Crescenzo.
Emily Newsom’s race was interrupted like so many others’ were by a puncture, but she fought back to third place.
Natalia Franco Villegas finished 13th after an early race crash.
After starting on comparatively wide, smooth graded gravel roads, the heads of state took to the front to hit Kaw Reserve Road at mile 26.
Kaysee Armstrong was a favorite for the day, but a crash injured her knee and forced her to withdraw.
Ian Boswell riding on the forward extension of his Coefficient bars next to Pete Stetina, who had clip-on aero bars.
After roughly 180 miles, Pete Stetina was separated from the lead group of five after a mechanical forced him to dismount. “If they look at each other for a few seconds I’m back in the game,” Stetina said after the race of this moment of solitary isolation.
Robin Carpenter enjoyed his day racing an on unreleased Felt bike. He finished sixth.
Ian Boswell and Laurens ten Dam drive to the finish. Both raced Diverge gravel bikes that Specialized had custom painted to celebrate its 1989 RockCombo bike that was arguably a very early gravel bike with fat tires and drop bars.
Photo: Craig Huffman/Craig Huffman Photography
Boswell edged out ten Dam for the win in Emporia.
Jackie Tenney of Major Taylor Iron Riders comes down the finishing chute.
Tire troubles took Payson McElveen out of contention to race for the win, but he still finished the long race with a smile on his face.
Dehydration in the heat is a very real issue for many riders.
Isabel King at checkpoint one in her first gravel race. King went on to finish eighth.