The trail to Kansas for Unbound Gravel goes by means of Texas. That is the “costume rehearsal” at the least for most of the elite riders, particularly Laurens ten Dam. The general winner of the inaugural operating of Gravel Locos in 2021, the Dutchman will hit the repeat button for a fifth journey to Hico, Texas on Saturday.
As soon as he will get to Emporia subsequent week, nonetheless, his roadmap appears quite a bit totally different. Ten Dam will compete within the Unbound XL occasion, 350 miles, for the primary time, lining up with Unbound 200 rival Lachlan Morton.
“I’ve raced Unbound 200 4 instances, I’ve raced the Tour de France, I race 200k races quite a bit. However now I race the longer races to expertise my limits,” Ten Dam informed Cyclingnews on his drive from the Dallas airport to Hico earlier this week.
“To be sincere, I am 44, get to 45 this yr. I might simply love to do adventurous issues. So it isn’t a alternative when it comes to efficiency, as a result of efficiency for Unbound XL would have been higher to do the Traka shorter model as a result of I used to be drained for one week after that [Traka 560]. I’ve performed the Traka at 200 [kilometres] a couple of instances already. However I made a decision I wished to simply see the Pyrenees by night time. In order that was fairly cool.”
Ten Dam did end the 560-kilometre Traka Journey on the finish of April, participated in Race Round Rwanda however has reeled again his time on the entrance of the peloton in one-day off-road races.
“I am additionally the coach of the girls’s Dutch nationwide workforce. I’ve a bit of bit extra deal with the corporate, Reside Sluggish Experience Quick which is rising, and the youngsters, they’re getting older they usually have extra stuff to do, so there’s much less time to coach. So for me it is about shifting to journey. You recognize, I did Tour Divide final yr, I did Race Round Rwanda this yr, additionally Traka 560. So within the time I’ve, I attempt to do adventurous rides now.”
Ten dam has a second place and a pair of fourth place finishes at Unbound Gravel 200. Final yr he and fellow Dutchman Thomas Dekker made an unplanned journey to a Marietta, Kansas jail the night time earlier than the race begin, which depleted their power for the 200-mile experience. Each have been arrested for ‘inappropriate behaviour in public areas’ after they stripped themselves of soiled clothes subsequent to their motorcar to clean off and be presentable at an area restaurant.
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Hours later after processing within the jail, the 2 paid bail fees and have been launched. With out the total dinner and relaxation they’d deliberate, Dekker completed forty second and Ten Dam fiftieth at Unbound 200.
So for the change to the long-distance XL this yr, Ten Dam has not spent lots of time researching the course, admitting “the factor with the 350, I do not know if it is simply one other 150 miles extra of Flint Hills, or if I simply go additional. Really I’ve no clue.”
Whereas Morton edged Ten Dam for a podium spot on the 2023 200-miler, the Dutchman didn’t count on a bunch dash for the longer distance. “I wish to comply with him, particularly when it is 350. We’ll see what occurs.”
Texas Hill Nation
Gravel Locos has turn out to be the go-to heat up for Unbound for a lot of Europeans, as they’ve an opportunity to regulate to the central time zone, the chunky rocks, intense elevation modifications in addition to sizzling and humid climate. Whereas Unbound is just not anticipated to be scorching sizzling, Texas is, with temperatures reaching 35°C (95° Fahrenheit).
Among the many ‘Dutch Mafia’ riders becoming a member of Ten Dam within the US for the Texas-Kansas doubleheader embrace 2023 Unbound Gravel 200 winner Ivar Slik, Jasper Ockeloen, Niki Terpstra and Ramon Sinkeldam. The Texas race, GL for brief, generally is a good excuse for relaxed time with different cyclists, and race founder Fabian Serralta.
“It is good for the European guys. It is just one week earlier than [Unbound], and the race is a bit of shorter this yr, which suggests there’s time to get better. It is a costume rehearsal right here. It is a check for the physique, the thoughts, the fabric,” Ten Dam mentioned.
“I at all times be sure my journeys are good, after which you probably have a flat tyre and one thing unhealthy occurs, the yr after you continue to need to return since you went to a Rangers [baseball] recreation, for instance. There is a dinner for the Dutch Mafia with him [Thursday], additionally a dinner with all of the racers coming, a Friday morning experience with everybody on a delicate tempo. We now have enjoyable Saturday night time with burgers with the individuals who arrive a couple of hours later [after pros finish]. What Fabian [Serralta] created is nice.
Saturday’s Texas Hill nation 118-mile race, diminished from 157 miles final yr, can even be a cease for Ted King, Emily Newsom, Brennan Wertz, Adam Roberge, Mattia de Marchi and a gaggle of PAS Racing riders together with Morgan Aguirre, Karolina Migoń, Mads Würtz Schmidt and Tobias Kongstad final yr’s third-placed Unbound 200.
“The route this yr is shorter as a result of we’re just one week away from Unbound. Though the GL110 is shorter, the elevation achieve is similar to that of the GL150. All the massive climbs are nonetheless a part of it, the entire water crossings are included, 5 assist stations, SAG assist and on route bike mechanics,” race founder Serralta informed Cyclingnews.
“This yr I gave free registration to girls within the month of February. We gave out roughly 150 free registration to girls. I additionally gave roughly 50 free registrations to individuals experiencing financial hardships and stored their names non-public. We additionally gave out 20-25 free registrations to juniors this yr.
“There is no such thing as a prize purse. The professionals have been very supportive of my determination to as an alternative give these funds to Hico. My purpose from day one nonetheless stays.”
Serralta mentioned his largest reward for beginning the race 5 years in the past has been the cash raised, roughly $300,000 to this point, for the Hico Volunteer Fireplace Division and for the Metropolis of Hico. He does many of the work himself with the assistance of two mates, Robert Parker and Eric Mulcahy, to save cash on workers. They make the trophies, deal with social media, cook dinner the meals, his favorite being the recent canine and serving Cuban espresso at relaxation cease quantity 5.
Ten Dam was wanting ahead to relaxed time, and a bit of racing, in Texas.
“So it is lengthy days within the saddle we encounter right here. So for us it is like we now have to clean up the reminiscence of the Flint Hills, or the stones in Texas, for an extended, lengthy day. And a few new opponents in fact. Not lots of US guys go to Europe to coach or to race, proper?
“I believe they go [to Gravel Locos] to get pleasure from these items. After which from Monday, the main target will likely be on Unbound.”
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