At this year’s Unbound Gravel, our team showed up ready, despite brutal weather that turned the already demanding Kansas roads into an even tougher test of grit. Through the peanut butter mud, wind, and thunderstorms, one standout performance rose above it all, with Robin Gemperle taking the win at the unforgiving Unbound XL.
Photo: Ri Ganey
Robin Gemperle Conquers Unbound XL
The Unbound XL reaches over 350 miles (roughly 560km), started on Friday 29th of May, 3pm local time and took the race into the night. The Unbound XL is fully unsupported, meaning the riders need to take responsibility for their own refueling and mechanical issues — there’s no feed zones or outside help allowed. This year turned out to be another muddy one, with proper rain, thunderstorms, and wind, which created heavy mud sections and forced Robin to hike-a-bike stretches totaling up to a half-marathon of walking.
Besides the muddy conditions and long sections of hike-a-bike, Robin also suffered from stomach issues he feared would force him to abandon the race. He pushed through, motivated by his bike and the preparation that got him to this point, and made his way back to Emporia in a time of 21 hours and 20 minutes — close to an hour faster than the second finisher.
Photo: Ri Ganey
“This time I’m only here for the Unbound, and I kind of felt if there’s no second chance, I need to make it count. And to do good. I did it for myself.”— Robin Gemperle
The Unbound 200
Photo: Kyle Thornhill
For the Unbound 200, the rest of the SCOTT team delivered a full day of grit, resilience, and intense racing in tough course conditions. Cameron Jones battled at the front for most of the race, trying to link the chasing group to the leaders. The conditions eventually forced him to ease off, but he finished strong in 10th place. Matthew Willson stayed sharp to protect his Wildcard and earned a spot in the LTGP. Brennan Wertz had to DNF due to stomach issues that kept him from taking on the fuel needed to hold a high level over 200 miles.
Photos: Kyle Thornhill
Alexis Skarda and Hannah Otto fought through a long day on the bike with thick mud, high water levels, and train crossings. Alexis finished the day with a strong 16th place as well as Hannah faught hard for 28th place. Iz King made her return to professional gravel racing after becoming a mother — and she couldn’t have picked a rougher race for her comeback. Iz finished 38th in the elite category, an incredible achievement after a year away from racing.
