Inside the Toughest Gravel Race in the World: UNBOUND XL – 350 miles of mud, sweat, and tears!

This year’s Unbound Gravel XL presented by @LifeTimeEvents was an epically challenging race! For all 154 rides that left Emporia on Friday, June 3rd for a notoriously hard 350-mile unsupported and unmarked adventure it meant a roller-coaster of emotions. We had a lot of everything: mud and humidity, miles of hiking and thunderstorm, steep climbs, and hot weather. It was an epic battle of strength, skill, and determination. But it’s not called the premium gravel race for no reason! And highest drop-off rate of 65% among the participants tells a lot about it (only 54 finished)!
2023 was a year when all those meticulous preparation of the gear definitely paid off: my @specializedbicycles Diverge STR, that guys from the Chicago Specialized Hub helped to prepare for the race, was going no matter what. So I have no excuses for not keeping moving those wheels. The course is not marked and 98% of it is on gravel and dirt roads. Some of these roads receive little to no maintenance throughout the year and were quite primitive in nature. It was brutal at times: we’ve experienced some of the worst conditions this race has seen in years. I suffered as never before, but one of the most challenging parts of the race was the mental aspect. There were times when I wanted to give up, but I kept pushing through, I closed my brain and gave everything I had to get to the bottom of it. I think that’s what ultimately made the difference. This video is my attempt to recap a 35-hour adventure with Zero sleep and No support crew, so you can get a sense of the uniqueness and insanity of the Unbound XL event.

Follow more on Social:
STRAVA: https://www.strava.com/athletes/56862549
IG: https://www.instagram.com/web3athlete/
Specialized Chicago: https://linktr.ee/specializedchicago

Bike specifications:
@specializedbicycles Diverge STR 2023
Frameset: Diverge FACT 11r carbon, front&rear Future Shock Suspension
Saddle: Body Geometry Power Expert
Tape: @Supacaz Super Sticky Kush⠀
Wheels&Tires: @rovalcomponents7651 Terra C
Tubes – Presta valve, 48mm
Tires – Tracer Pro 2BR, 700×42
Rear Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle AXS
Chain: SRAM GX Eagle, 12-speed
Cassette: SRAM NX Eagle PG-1230, 12-speed, 11-50t
Brakes: SRAM Rival eTAP AXS, hydraulic disc

Race Gear:
🕶️ @TifosiOptics Sledge Lite Fototec (Photochromic)
🧦 @xoskin9291 5.0 Graduated Compression Sock + Arm Sleeves
🧳 @OfficialUSWE MOTO HYDRO 12L hydration pack
📲 @GarminInt Edge 530
👖 @craftapparel ADV 2023 UNBOUND SS JERSEY & BIB SHORTS

Equipment used to shoot this video:
@insta360 X3 + @NeewerOfficial Extension Arm
@Google Pixel 6a
@AnkerOfficial PoweCore III Sense 20K Portable Charger

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