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For the first time, Team Bahrain Victorious colours will light up the world’s premier gravel race, Life Time Unbound Gravel 200, in Kansas, US.
Since the event’s inception in 2006, Emporia, Kansas has become known as ‘Gravel City’. Previously, Kansas had been known mainly as the setting for the much-loved movie, The Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy follows the yellow brick road to meet the Wizard.
Bahrain’s wizard of gravel is UCI world champion Matej Mohoric, and while the yellow bricks will be replaced by loose stones and dust on June 1, like Dorothy he will have companions on the 327km route. Not a scarecrow, a lion and a tin man, but the heart, brains and courage of Lukasz Wisniowski and Matevz Govekar.
Mohoric is fired up by the prospect of appearing in such a prestigious, if gruelling, event:
“I’m excited to take part in the ‘Unbound Gravel 200’ for the first time. It will be only the second gravel race of my life (the first being his World Championships victory last October), so there are still a lot of unknowns.”
The race starts from downtown Emporia at 5.50am on June 1, and as well as the length of the course, the 1,308 riders (137 in the Men’s Elite category) will also have to tackle 3,611 vertical metres over 10 hours or so in the saddle.
“I don’t know what to expect to be honest!” admitted the 29-year old. “It’s quite a bit longer than last years gravel world championship (169km). It’s double the distance, double the time, and double the elevation gain, so it suits riders with more endurance and stamina. I’m not sure how I will go against the others, but I will definitely do my best, and enjoy my day out in the rainbow jersey as the current world champion. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime, unique experience, and I will make the most of it.”
The parcours runs over ascents and descents on tyre-shredding, sun-baked gravel, in a region called the ‘Flint Hills’. One of the toughest sections comes after just 72km, on Divide Road. It’s a relentless stretch of rough terrain leading that includes the Prairie View Road climb.
Just over halfway through is ‘Little Egypt’, where the rocks are bigger, and where previous editions have seen very significant attacks. When the tank is almost empty, and with just 45km to go, the longest climb of the day is exposed and windy to Lake Kahola, before the run in to the finish back on Commercial Street in Emporia.
Surface
With Mohoric in Veneto eight months ago was fellow Slovenian Govekar, who finished 15th, while Wisniowski has never competed on this surface. Like Mohoric, the Pole has no idea what the day has in store:
“I have never competed on gravel, and I know very little about the race itself, but I know that my role will be to protect our leader Matej, support him, and help him on the course however I can. I’m really happy because it’s my first big gravel race so even though I am not so young, I must learn all the time, and I will do my best on the day!”
The differences between road and gravel racing are not only what’s under the wheels, but also there are no team cars, and helpers can only give food and drinks etc at two points – kms 112 & 238. In addition, riders can give each other mechanical assistance, are allowed to stop at shops along the way, and may even receive support from members of the public! Lastly, they must all carry a mobile phone, and pass timing checkpoints within a certain time behind the race leader.
Govekar is the youngest of the party crossing the Atlantic, and is in agreement with his teammates:
“I am really excited to try my hand at ‘the gravel race of all gravel races’, but at the same time I am frightened because of how long it is. I am pretty young but I already know this is a really big challenge physically and mentally. I’ll try my absolute best in the race of course, and you never know what might happen!”
Being held in the very centre of the United States, Team Victorious trailblazing trio are unlikely to encounter the wicked witches of either East or West, but this is a daunting, dirty, head-to-head contest in the mud and heat, where mechanicals are inevitable.
Nonetheless, Bahrain’s entrants are ready for the adventure of their lives.
The winning time last year was 10 hours, 6 minutes and 2 seconds.
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