Alexey Vermuelen's Unbound Race Recap

My first attempt at Unbound was in 2021. It was my first big gravel event, and I look back fondly on the younger version of myself who fully believed in what I was trying to create. I was working with ENVE, with Kenda, with Sweet Protection, with Shimano; companies that are still with me today and it was also one of the first times that Avery and I were trying to create content. UNBOUND was BIG and I had scrounged together enough money for him to come along as well and just wanted to create cool things together. I remember leaving exhausted and cracked; the race had taken so much out of me, I had flatted 7 times and when I finished, I wasn’t sure I would ever race in Emporia again - then they launched the LTGP and I was back the next year. 

This year, after some changes to the LTGP schedule, Sea Otter changed from a MTB race to a gravel race as Little Sugar MTB was added at the end of the year. This meant that possibly the most stressful race of the year was also now a  new course that had never been raced! Similar to the MTB, the new lap was 29 miles with about 3500 ft of climbing with lots of slippery roads and corners. The climb up Lookout still being the primary feature out on course. We had 3 laps, so 88 miles and 10,000 ft of climbing.

Coming into Emporia this year I was so excited for the race. Since I started training in December, I had seen Unbound as an important piece to the LTGP puzzle. I felt prepared, I felt confident, and more importantly, I had the confidence of a great beginning of the season. Another crack at the North course that almost broke me, what could be better? I am a sucker for redemption. 

This year I went all in, we had 2 bikes, 6 sets of wheels, created content that talked about my goals pre-race and we had 8 people dedicated to helping me… and at the end when all the dust settled, I finished 24th. It’s hard for me to not chuckle when I write that out of pure awkwardness. It won’t affect my season negatively. I am good at mental resets, but I would be lying if I said I would get over the disappointment of that result in a timely manner. I think that is honestly what it takes to be a good athlete, you have to care, personally, deep inside, it has to hurt when something you put so much time and effort into doesn’t go well – but at the same time be able to put it into perspective and be able to smile and get back to work. 

The morning started at 2:45am, one of the toughest wake ups all year. I piled rice, peanut butter, honey and bananas onto a flimsy plate and got back into bed. It was early enough that even Willie wasn’t begging. I stared at the course on my computer as I started eating. Looking and expecting to find something on the computer screen that I hadn’t seen while pre riding. Before I knew it we were in the car headed towards downtown. 

The energy was intense at the start of Unbound, as the gun went off riders were immediately fighting for position while multiple pace cars got swallowed up by the group before we hit the dirt. My goal for the first 50 miles was to be present and unseen, not the easiest task at Unbound. Pretty quickly a large group got away with some strong riders, but I felt like watching the race play out was the best choice. We slowly clawed the group back as we rode through some of the sketchier roads on course around mile 40 before reconnecting with the front group around mile 50. Once we regrouped though, we realized that 3 riders had already snuck off the front. Our regrouping had taken the wind out of the group's sails while Cam Jones, Simon Pellaud and Lespy had slipped off the front. Before I knew it, 5 more guys had gone, and we were quickly watching the race slip away from us before we even hit the first feed zone. 

As we entered the first feed at mile 70, all went smoothly as we rode through the town of Alma. From there the group hesitated in a moment that we needed to push on. It is always tough in these moments because doing it alone doesn’t do any good, but it is hard to sit still when you see the race flying away. Before I knew it we were over the halfway mark and headed into Little Egypt. A well-known climb and featured section of the North Course, our 50-60 rider group quickly dwindled to 20-25. 

Negative racing quickly began as we battled headwinds and cross winds on the way home. I tried to stay attentive and at the front and was lucky enough to do so when Pas Normal and another European team went to the front and blew our group apart in a cross-wind sector. It was somewhere in here where I started to feel like my legs weren’t up to the suffering required on the day.

About 45 miles later right before the second feed zone at mile 148, I lost contact with a small group that would end up racing for 4th. I rode solo into the feed zone and refilled before setting off and being caught by a flying Matt Beers and others. The day became a mental battle as that group splintered, and I rode solo again the rest of the way home. It was a day where I struggled to go to the dark place needed to race at the front of a race like Unbound. I felt stuck in the middle of the road, unable to suffer. I crossed the line feeling numb – I had no words for Avery, kind of in awe of what just happened. I had the clean day at Unbound I had been hoping for, the bike was flawless, I executed the race well and my nutrition was on point, but something was missing. Alas there are rarely answers to a day like that. I took a moment to recollect myself before refocusing on the world around me. 

This puts me in a tough place in the LTGP standings, but with a long summer break coming up, I now know exactly what is needed in Leadville.