Mads Würtz Schmidt (Specialized Off-Road) survived rain, lightning, mud, and a flat tire to win Unbound Gravel in a definitive performance from gravel’s first super team.
Würtz Schmidt made the first key split after a mud section before going off the front with teammate and previous Unbound Winner Keegan Swenson and Trek Driftless rider Cobe Freeburn. The two dropped Freeburn but then the European Gravel Champion suffered a rear puncture.
Swenson gave Würtz Schmidt his rear wheel in a moment that confirmed team tactics have officially landed in gravel. Beers was not eager to chase his teammate up the road, but he ended up being the strongest man standing to take second place.
How The Race Unfolded
After a brief neutrol roll out of town, John Borstelmann (Ventum Racing) and Connor Sens (Via Racing) established an early two-man breakaway. The first miles of gravel were bone dry, but then an early minimum maintenance road caused muddy chaos.
The mud stalled Sens as well as dozens of other racers who either jumped off of their bikes to run through the peanut butter mud or stopped to clear the mud from their bikes. Swenson was among the racers who were stalled out, perhaps from poor positioning in the group.
Borstelmann successfully navigated the mud section and the following split of the peloton and was joined in the lead group by Würtz Schmidt, Freeburn, Torbjørn Andre Røed (Trek Driftless), Romain Bardet (Rapha), Nils Brun (3T Bikes), Beers, Daxton Mock (Trek Driftless), Daan Seote (Ridley Racing Team), and Frederick Raßmann (Rose Racing Circle).
Previous Unbound winner Lachlan Morton (EF Pro Cycling) led the chase group and brought the likes of Brendan Johnston (Giant Bicycles), Cameron Jones (Scott Sports), and Simon Pellaud (Cervelo) back to the front group of leaders. Morton later pulled out of the race.
Shortly after the groups rejoined, another break tried to form that included last year’s second-place finisher Pellaud. However, Beers reeled them in quickly. Pellaud, who has been suffering from knee pain this season, then fell off the back of the leaders before the first feed zone around mile 40.
Despite being out of position after the mud section, Swenson rejoined the group before the first feed. All three Specialized riders (Swenson, Beers, and Würtz Schmidt) stopped in the feed zone to get their bikes power washed by their support crew, a smart move to keep their bikes running smoothly.
Mock went on a solo attack before the next technical section, gaining upwards of 40 seconds on the group before he got reabsorbed. The next attack to fly was a winning combination of Swenson, Würtz Schmidt, and Freeburn who gained a quick 30 seconds going on 1 minute.
All three leaders stopped at the second feedzone for bike washes and resupplies. At 113 miles to go, the trio had extended their lead to 3 minutes while working well together.
The group doubled their lead to about 6 minutes, but Freeburn didn’t have the legs and got dropped off the back of the Specialized duo, leaving teammates Swenson and Würtz Schmidt to ride the next 100 miles off the front together.
At one point, Würtz Schmidt took off his shoe to clear out debris. With a clear shoe, he easily rode back to his teammate. Freeburn rode solo in third for a while before getting absorbed by the chasers.
The racers faced constantly changing conditions, but rain, mud, and grey skies were the common theme. Active rain is a benefit, because it doesn’t allow the mud to dry and turn into the sticky, peanut butter consistency.
As Swenson and Würtz Schmidt pressed on with a 9 minute lead, the second group on the road contained Freeburn, Jones, Johnston, and Tobias Kongstad. Beers and Emil Herzog (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) were in the group too but were not motivated to chase their specialized teammates.
Würtz Schmidt then suffered his rear puncture. Swenson stopped to help him, but several tire plugs did not hold air. Swenson then gave his rear wheel to Würtz Schmidt, confirmation that the European Gravel Champion was the stronger rider in the break. It was also confirmation that team tactics have officially arrived in North American gravel racing.
Swenson continued to have problems with Schmidt’s old wheel and got passed by the chasers. Schmidt forged ahead with a gap of about 7 minutes over Beers, Kongstad, and Jones.
Inside 50 miles to go, Jones appeared to completely crack and fell off the pace of Beers and Kongstad. The South African then dropped Kongstad near Lake Kahola, just over 20 miles out from the finish.
The eventual winner began to slow and look behind him in the final miles.
Unbound Gravel Men’s Top 10
- Mads Würtz Schmidt – 9:14:51
- Matt Beers – 9:19:54
- Tobias Kongstad – 9:24:43
- Brendan Johnston – 9:36:46
- Keegan Swenson – 9:39:19
- Daan Soete – 9:39:42
- Adne Koster – 9:39:42
- Emil Herzog – 9:39:43
- Piotr Havik – 9:39:43
- Cam Jones – 9:39:45
