Let’s take a look at the Life Time Unbound 2024 rankingone of the most famous and important gravel races on the world calendar, which took place this weekend in Emporia (Kansas, United States).
The Unbound includes many events of different mileages, but the main challenge is the one on 203 miles (327 km), for both men and women. However, the program also includes the 350 mile Unbound XL, and then the 100, 50 and 25 mile routes.
Record speed
During 2024, almost all the speed records of the most important road races, such as Flanders, Roubaix and Giro d’Italia, have been broken.
Even the Unbound has not escaped this trend and, thanks to the weather and optimal surface, men and women they recorded the best times ever.
Lachlan Morton (EF Education-EasyPost) won the men’s race in 9 hours 11 minutes and 47 seconds, an incredible average of over 35 km/h.
Rosa Klöser instead won the women’s race in 10 hours 26 minutes and 2 seconds, average of 31.3 km/h.
Let’s remember that the altitude difference on the 200 mile route is 3,612 meters. Not prohibitive, but not a little either.
Unbound Gravel Ranking 2024 men
The men’s race was won by the Australian professional Lachlan Morton, now increasingly dedicated to gravel, who after a long two-man breakaway beat the American Chad Haga, also an old acquaintance of professional road cycling, in a sprint. The Danish Tobias Kongstad came third, having been on the run since the initial stages of the race.
Let’s see how some former pros and well-known names in cycling behaved, both on road and gravel.
Mattia De Marchi it was the first of the Italians, with a prestigious 5th place less than 4′ from the winner. He was second to the finish line Daniel Osswho after finishing with the Pro’ has dedicated himself to gravel this year with the support of Sportful and Specialized.
The gravel world champion withdraws Matej Mohoric (photo below)who broke a rim and suffered several punctures.
He came in seventh place Greg Van Avermaet, while defending winner Keegan Swenson placed 14th. Peter Stetina, also a former Pro’ from 2010 to 2019, finished 16th.
Below is the placing of other more or less famous former professionals: Thomas Dekker (42nd), Laurens Ten Dam (50th), Niki Terpstra (51st), Ian Boswell (57th), Nathan Haas (81st).
HERE you can find the complete ranking of the men’s 200 miles.
Unbound Gravel Ranking 2024 women
The victory of the women’s Unbound Gravel 200 went to German Rosa Kloser, which led a group of nine athletes to sprint.
Rosa Klöser prevailed despite a complicated day, with a fall, a flat tire and a wheel change that risked putting her out of the race. She alone recovered 2′ on the leading group, then beating the Dutch Geerike Schreurs of Team SD-Worx and the American Paige Onweller (Trek-Driftless) in the sprint.
HERE is the complete women’s ranking.
To learn more about Unbound Gravel: unboundgravel.com
