Unbound Gravel 2023
Latest News from the Race
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New elite rules, fast southern course for packed 2023 Unbound Gravel field – Preview
Cyclocross, mountain bike and Grand Tour riders join gravel elite to fill start lists for weekend in Kansas -
Lachlan Morton: Gravel is changing, that's not a bad thing
Australian targets Unbound as busy gravel season replaces around-the-world record attempt -
Brendan Johnston: A 15 year pro-racing quest with a gravel resolution
Fighting cancer, building a career and family while on long path to full-time racing, Unbound next stop for Life Time GP rider
Date | June 3, 2023 |
Start location | Emporia, Kansas |
Finish location | Emporia, Kansas |
Previous edition | Unbound Gravel 2022 |
The Garmin Unbound Gravel presented by Craft returns the first Saturday in June with five racing distances, including the signature 200-mile event with a mass-start for men and women in downtown Emporia, Kansas. All the routes take in the rugged roads in the Flint Hills of Kansas, defined with sharp rocks and hilly terrain across the Tallgrass Prairie in the middle of the US.
Unbound Gravel 100 is a competitive, shorter-distance option, designed to serve as a “stepping stone” towards the Unbound Gravel 200.
Unique aspects to these races include the remote roads used for routes through vast prairie lands, the checkpoints participants must locate to follow the correct course, and a “do not call us” policy for breakdowns and injuries.
The Unbound Gravel 200 on June 3, is the first of four gravel races in the Life Time Grand Prix and the second stop in the series. The series will be contested by an invitation-only field of 35 women and 35 men for an equally-split prize purse of $250,000, paid to the top 10 riders with the most points accumulated from five of the seven events.
Last year, Sofia Gomez Villafane won the women’s division of Unbound Gravel 200 with a solo effort across the final 80 miles, her overall time 10 hours, 27 minutes, 40 seconds. Lauren De Crescenzo, the 2021 champion, trailed 9 minutes later for second place, and Emily Newsom was third for the second year in a row, another 13 minutes down.
Ivar Slik won the men’s 200-mile race with five riders contesting the sprint in downtown Emporia, Kansas. Silk clocked a time of 9 hours, 22 minutes, 4 seconds to win the 2022 Unbound Gravel 200. In a photo finish for the final two spots on the podium, Keegan Swenson took second with 2021 champion Ian Boswell taking third.
In the Unbound Gravel 100, Marisa Boaz finished 22nd overall and took the women’s title, while Ethan Oveson won the men’s division.
Join Cyclingnews' coverage of the 2023 Unbound Gravel with race reports, results, photo galleries, news and race analysis.
Unbound Gravel route
The route for Unbound Gravel 200 begins and ends on the pavement in downtown Emporia. All Unbound Gravel event distances utilize a single-loop format, with the vast majority of the course on gravel and dirt roads
From the start in front of the historic Granada Theatre, riders will head in a southbound direction, with constant ups and downs that add up to 9,100 feet of elevation gain on the 205.5-mile route. That route has two checkpoints at Eureka (mile 79) and Madison (mile 167), where riders can receive outside support and a pair of neutral ‘water oasis’ stops, Texaco Hill (mile 42) and Hamilton (mile 124).
Unbound Gravel Schedule
Date | Stage | Start time |
---|---|---|
June 3, 2023 | Pro Men Unbound 200, 205.5 miles | 5:50 am CDT |
June 3, 2023 | Pro Women Unbound 200, 205.5 miles | 5:52 am CDT |
June 3, 2023 | Unbound Gravel 100, 103.1 miles | 7:00 am CDT |
Stages
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Unbound Gravel 20233 June 2023 | Emporia, Kansas
- New elite rules, fast southern course for packed 2023 Unbound Gravel field – Preview
- Unbound Gravel past winners 2023
- Unbound Gravel 2023 route
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Life Time Grand Prix #2 - Pro Men Unbound 200 | Emporia - Emporia2023-06-03 200mile
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Life Time Grand Prix #2 - Pro Women Unbound 200 | Emporia - Emporia2023-06-03 200mile
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Unbound 100 | Emporia - Emporia2023-06-03 100mile
Latest Content on the Race
New elite rules, fast southern course for packed 2023 Unbound Gravel field – Preview
By Jackie Tyson, Simone Giuliani published
Preview Cyclocross, mountain bike and Grand Tour riders join gravel elite to fill start lists for weekend in Kansas
Lachlan Morton: Gravel is changing, that's not a bad thing
By Laura Weislo published
Feature Australian targets Unbound as busy gravel season replaces around-the-world record attempt
Brendan Johnston: A 15 year pro-racing quest with a gravel resolution
By Simone Giuliani published
Interview Fighting cancer, building a career and family while on long path to full-time racing, Unbound next stop for Life Time GP rider
Unbound Gravel and the evolution of gravel bikes
By Josh Ross published
Tech How gravel bikes started tame, got wild, then returned to where they started
Sofía Gómez Villafañe heads to Unbound Gravel with shift from MTB to gravel
By Jackie Tyson published
News 'For those who have embraced this new disciple, transition pretty smooth,' says 2022 Unbound Gravel 200 winner
Adam Roberge defends pack tactics as part of 'spirit of gravel' after Gravel Locos
By Jackie Tyson published
News Without freedom to use tactics Canadian says 'we can organize gravel time trials'
Peter Stetina: Paydirt is a passion, it's mayhem, it's like your wedding day
By Jackie Tyson published
News Unbound Gravel gets serious after tyre toss bonus seconds at Stetina's Paydirt decide women's winner
Laurens ten Dam preps for third Unbound 200 at Gravel Locos
By Jackie Tyson published
News 'Unbound is my big goal' says Dutchman about his alternative racing for 2023
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Top News on the Race
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Adam Blazevic: Gravel, going all in and carving out a place in the top-tier
Australian looks to consolidate powerful position in UCI Gravel World Series in second season, starting with Nannup Saturday -
Unbound Gravel 200 bans aerobars and adds start groups for elite racers
Riders will be vetted at start lines to enforce new rules in 2023 -
Aero bars in gravel - 'Gentleman's agreement' is not enough
'No self-policing is going to work, it has to come from someone who has authority' say top women's racers
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Swenson uses second place at Unbound Gravel to prove point for mountain bikers
'I thought I had the legs for the sprint' says men's leader in Life Time Grand Prix -
Wurf: Gravel and WorldTour racing are likely to become incompatible
Ineos Grenadiers racer finished 80th in Unbound Gravel -
11 of the best bikes of Unbound Gravel 2022 - Gallery
From Morton's SuperSix Evo CX to Lambie's Lauf Seigla
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Should aero bars be used in gravel? Unbound racers debate
Boswell, Stetina and Reijnen try to reach a consensus -
'Sunrise Tribute Spin for Mo' day before Unbound Gravel - Gallery
Elite and amateur riders turn out en force for sunrise ride and moment of silence in Emporia for Moriah Wilson -
De Crescenzo: When you sign up for Unbound you're signing up for pain and problems
'I've used difficult experiences in my life to push myself to be better and Unbound is one of those bench-mark experiences' says women's Unbound 200 defending champion
Related Features
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Lachlan Morton: Gravel is changing, that's not a bad thing
Australian targets Unbound as busy gravel season replaces around-the-world record attempt -
Brendan Johnston: A 15 year pro-racing quest with a gravel resolution
Fighting cancer, building a career and family while on long path to full-time racing, Unbound next stop for Life Time GP rider -
Unbound Gravel and the evolution of gravel bikes
How the gravel bikes of Unbound started tame, got wild, then returned to where they started -
Bikes of Unbound - Before and after
The filthiest edition in a long time left us with some bikes caked in Kansas' finest muck -
Why has gravel racing become so popular?
Tiffany Cromwell, Ian Boswell, and Alison Tetrick discuss how gravel delivers freedom, opportunity, and adventure