Preview: who will win Unbound Gravel 2026, the biggest gravel race in the world?

Saturday, May 30, 2026, all eyes in the gravel scene worldwide will be on Kansas, United States. In the vast no-man’s-land around Emporia, Unbound Gravel 200 will take place, formerly known as Dirty Kanza. Although the UCI has organized a Gravel World Championship since 2022, this American race is considered the unofficial world championship and the most renowned gravel race in the world. Wielerflits looks ahead!

The star of Unbound Gravel is still rising. The iconic gravel race was first organized in 2006 under the name Dirty Kanza in the American Flint Hills of Kansas. The event started small, with just 34 participants, and saw Dan Hughes cross the finish line as the winner after nearly thirteen hours. The concept caught on in the years that followed. The race rapidly grew in popularity and was soon regarded as the world’s most important gravel race due to its challenging course.

In 2020, Dirty Kanza was renamed Unbound Gravel. The name ‘Dirty Kanza’ had caused controversy because it reportedly had negative associations with the native Kaw Nation, and a petition led to the name change. The new name Unbound refers to the feeling of freedom experienced during gravel races.

In recent years, Unbound Gravel has attracted more than five thousand participants across distances XL (560 km), 200 (325 km), 100 (160 km), 50 (80 km), 25 (40 km), and a junior race, from over forty different countries. The flagship race, Unbound Gravel 200, has been won once by a Dutch rider: Ivar Slik wrote his name into the history books with a heroic victory in 2022. Laurens ten Dam came close several times as well, finishing second in 2021 and fourth in 2022 and 2023. Last year, Cameron Jones and Karolina Migon were the best in this race.

Previous edition

Both the men’s and women’s races showed an atypical race pattern last year. In both events, the eventual winners chose an early attack that initially seemed doomed to fail. However, for the men, Cameron Jones and Simon Pellaud held their ground. The latter, however, did not receive carbohydrates in the final feed zone, which cost him in the final phase. Jones soloed to victory, and the Swiss rider managed to hold the chasers off for second place. The strongest riders in the race—the rest of the top-10—ultimately fell short to catch the duo. Norwegian Torbjørn Andre Røed finished third.

A similar scenario unfolded in the women’s race. After over 230 kilometers, a leading group of three women was formed: the experienced Lauren Stephens and Cecily Decker from the United States and Polish gravel specialist Karolina Migoń. The latter launched a seemingly hopeless solo at eighty kilometers out, but it proved otherwise. Migoń maintained her lead and distanced her nearest pursuer—Decker—by over eight minutes. Stephens dropped back significantly. Geerieke Schreurs—runner-up in Unbound the year prior—was the first Dutch rider, finishing seventh, one place behind the first Dutch male finisher Ramon Sinkeldam, who was sixth.

Course

Normally, the Unbound Gravel route heads south one year and north the next. For this anniversary edition, the organizers have chosen a loop course (clockwise) covering both the north and south sides of Emporia. A characteristic decisive section of the route is usually Little Egypt, featuring a few steep climbs over rough terrain.

That section is not included this edition. The course totals over 2500 meters of elevation gain spread across 333 kilometers. The steepest point (8.4%) comes already after 110 kilometers. The decision is likely to come after 275 kilometers. Both men and women ride the same distance. New this year are three feeding zones instead of the usual two.

Men’s favorites

One of the most successful male gravel riders in the last two seasons is Mads Würtz Schmidt. The 32-year-old Dane switched to the gravel scene after retiring from Israel-Premier Tech in 2024, a decision that has proven to be spot-on. Last year, he won four races in the UCI World Gravel Series and became European champion. This year, he has had particular success in Spain. The highlight was his victory at The Traka 360, Europe’s biggest gravel race and, in terms of distance (325 kilometers), the only race worldwide that comes close to Unbound Gravel.

Würtz Schmidt is considered by many as the top favorite. His biggest competitor is also a former road pro, but with a much longer and more distinguished career: Romain Bardet. The 35-year-old Frenchman won two UCI World Gravel Series races immediately after his transition, where the ex-Picnic PostNL leader found his groove. This year, he has already won two Gravel Series races (in Monaco and Castellon—the latter ahead of Würtz Schmidt) and an individual gravel race in New Zealand. He was fifth in The Traka 360 but won the Rule of Three in America two weeks ago.

Once predicted to have a bright future in mountain biking and on the road, Keegan Swenson never fully realized that potential. However, last year the 32-year-old American became world champion in mountain bike marathon and has won the Leadville 100 MTB for five consecutive years. Swenson is also known for his successes in gravel. He has won the Belgian Waffle Ride four times, the Sea Otter Classic twice (finishing second there as recently as April this year), and Unbound Gravel (2023). He also won the lucrative Life Time Grand Prix three times.

France may dream of a second candidate on top of Bardet who could be the first Frenchman on the honor roll. We’re talking about national champion Hugo Drechou. The 35-year-old Frenchman has no professional sports background but has become a well-known name in the gravel circuit since his 2024 debut. He is a regular competitor in the UCI World Gravel Series and finished third at the European Championships in Italy last year. This year, he won the stage race Sahara Gravel in Morocco and finished second in both Gravel Desert and The Traka 360 in Spain, both times behind Würtz Schmidt.

The name Matthew Beers might ring a bell, even without alcoholic refreshments. The now 32-year-old South African has made a name for himself most notably in the mountain bike marathon discipline (he has won Cape Epic four times), but he was also a stagiaire at UAE Emirates in 2019. That stint was not a success. However, he has made a successful entry into gravel. In 2024 and 2025, he won the Belgian Waffle Ride and was the best last year in Big Sugar Gravel, Lauf Gravel Worlds, and the tough stage race Nedbank Gravel Burn. Beers finished third in The Traka 360 in May.

On Saturday, ten Dutch men will start in Emporia, including some ex-pros. But the biggest contender is a rider often overlooked by professional teams: Rick Ottema. The 33-year-old from Groningen has been one of the best Continental riders in the Netherlands for years. He discovered gravel in 2024 and immediately finished fourteenth at the World Championships in Belgium, won by Mathieu van der Poel. He has already finished in the top ten several times in UCI World Gravel Series events. In May, Ottema was third in Marly Grav (World Gravel Series), behind Wout van Aert and Niels Vandeputte, beating world champion Florian Vermeersch.

Last year, Cameron Jones surprisingly took the victory at Unbound Gravel. Later, he showed in several races that it was no fluke. However, so far in 2026 he has not yet impressed. He finished only twentieth at the Sea Otter Classic and 21st at The Traka 360. Still, you can never count out former winners at Unbound, especially since Jones and his partner Scott have developed a special prototype bike—one that will never be released commercially—specifically for the American gravel race. The 32-inch wheels are particularly eye-catching.

Of course, the honor roll is dominated by Americans, but in recent years, foreigners have increasingly stolen the show. Swenson was the last American winner in 2023 and is now also among the favorites, alongside national gravel champion Bradyn Lange. The 26-year-old American rides for Canyon x DT Swiss All-Terrain Racing and has impressed this year. He won The Hills in Italy in March and was best in the Sea Otter Classic a month later, beating Swenson in a two-up sprint. He also finished second in The Traka 200, the shorter distance.

Another former road pro at the start is Petr Vakoč. The 33-year-old Czech entered the gravel world in 2023 and has since become a prominent name. That season, he immediately finished second in Unbound Gravel and won his first UCI World Gravel Series races. In the following years, he continued to deliver strong results in UCI races, including several wins. However, the truly big victory still eludes him. In recent years, he always encountered obstacles at Unbound, but perhaps this year will be different. He finished eighth in The Traka 360.

Finally, another ex-pro we know from road cycling is Lukas Pöstlberger. Like many before him, he has also made a name in the gravel scene. Not to the same extent as Bardet, Vakoč, or Würtz Schmidt, but this year he has already won twice. The 34-year-old Austrian (longtime WorldTour pro at BORA-hansgrohe) won The Traka 200—the shorter variant—and the well-known Scottish gravel race The Gralloch (World Gravel Series). Last year, he raced his only event over 300 kilometers: Posti finished nineteenth in Unbound.

Men’s outsiders

Because mechanical issues—or luck, depending on how you look at it—play a big role in Unbound Gravel (you have to fix your own problems; there are no neutral support zones), surprises are always on the horizon. It is not a question of if you get a flat, but when and how quickly you can resolve it.

As outsiders, we randomly name Magnus Bak Klaris and Tobias Kongstad (Denmark), Benjamin Perry and Andrew L’Espernce (Canada), Torbjørn Andre Røed and Anton Stensby (Norway), Paul Voß and WorldTour pro Emil Herzog (Germany), Felix Stehli, Nils Brun, and last year’s runner-up Simon Pellaud (Switzerland), American with Dutch roots Alexey Vermeulen (ex-LottoNL-Jumbo), and Freddy Ovett (New Zealand), Mathieu van der Poel’s regular training partner.

From a Dutch perspective, Jordan Habets, Adne Koster, and especially Ramon Sinkeldam (sixth last year) are considered main outsiders. Among the Belgians, Thomas De Gendt participates, who seems made for gravel but has yet to emerge in two years. Lawrence Naesen and Jordy Bouts can also build on their strong performances in Unbound Gravel 2025. But their biggest contender and a dark horse for this year’s edition is Daan Soete. The training partner of Wout van Aert has impressed over the last four seasons. Will Saturday be his day?

Women’s favorites

The story of Rosa Klöser is the reverse of many other big names in the gravel scene. The 29-year-old German established herself as a top rider in this discipline in 2023. After winning Unbound Gravel for women in 2024 and finishing fifth at the European Championships in Italy, she earned a pro contract with the strong German road team Canyon//SRAM (WorldTour). Although Klöser finished only fourth at Unbound last year, she then won eight of her next ten gravel races. She was runner-up only at the European Championships (third place) and Gravel One Fifty (second) in the Netherlands. In early May, the German was also the best in The Traka 360, where she was in a class of her own.

In that race, Geerieke Schreurs took third place. The 37-year-old gravel specialist from Zwolle, riding for Specialized Off-Road, is Klöser’s biggest challenger. Her story is remarkable. Between 2011—when she made her road pro debut with Dolmans—and 2013, she was a professional on the road before becoming a soigneuse for teams including Trek-Segafredo. In 2024, she decided to focus on gravel. With success. She won The Traka 360 and The Gralloch, then finished second in Unbound Gravel. This earned her a pro contract with SD Worx-ProTime, fourteen years after her debut. She has mainly concentrated on gravel since. Schreurs won The Gralloch again this year and also Desert Gravel in Spain.

Also not to be underestimated is Axelle Dubau-Prévot, half-sister of reigning Tour de France Femmes champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. The 29-year-old Axelle is multi-disciplinary like her half-sister but had not stood out until two years ago when she embraced gravel. She is the current French champion in this discipline. Last year, she won two French UCI World Gravel Series races and took four stages and the overall victory in the tough Nedbank Gravel Burn. This earned her a WorldTour contract with EF-Oatly, where she impressed at Liège-Bastogne-Liège (tenth) and in all four of her gravel races this year. She never finished outside the top 7 and was second in Desert Gravel and The Traka 360.

An even better track record belongs to a teammate of Schreurs at Specialized. We’re talking about Argentine phenomenon Sofía Gómez. Since early 2024, the 32-year-old gravel specialist has won fifteen of the nineteen gravel races she entered, including the Belgian Waffle Ride (2024, 2025), Big Sugar Gravel (2024, 2025), The Traka 200 (2025, 2026), and the Sea Otter Classic (2026). This season, Gómez—life partner of Keegan Swenson—remains undefeated. She also won the Life Time Grand Prix the last three seasons. Besides gravel, she has won the Cape Epic twice on the mountain bike and the Leadville 100 MTB. And let’s not forget that Gómez was also the best at Unbound Gravel in 2022.

Among the men, many ex-road pros race, whereas for the women, this is less common. Still, one must not forget Lauren Stephens. For years, she was one of the best stage racers in the women’s peloton with 22 pro wins to her name. She was also an early adopter of gravel, being one of the few Americans to start at the first Gravel World Championships in Italy in 2022. She also won Unbound Gravel 100, the shorter distance, three times. Last year, she debuted in the flagship class and finished eleventh. Stephens is the reigning American gravel champion and has been in good form recently: she was second in the Sea Otter Classic and won the prestigious stage races Tour of the Gila and Redlands Bicycle Classic on the road.

Polish gravel specialist Karolina Migoń has been a familiar face and a well-known name in the gravel scene for years. Her palmarès include The Traka 360 (2024 and 2025) and Gravel Locos (2025), but above all, she is this year’s defending champion at Unbound Gravel. This season, the 29-year-old PAS Racing rider is showing high-level performances again but is still missing that one headline-grabbing win. Last year, Migoń—who has no background as a road pro—proved that Unbound can be unpredictable. This year, she finished fourth in the UCI World Gravel Series races in Castellón, the Sea Otter Classic, and The Traka 200. Recently, she was second behind Schreurs in The Gralloch.

Besides Schreurs, two other Dutch women are competing at Unbound Gravel 2026: Marjet Groen and Larissa Hartog. The latter is another candidate for victory. The 24-year-old Canyon x DT Swiss All-Terrain Racing rider is primarily known as a cyclocross racer but has also earned her stripes in gravel since last year. She has stood on the podium in all three of her World Gravel Series races, winning one in Denmark. She was also ninth at the 2025 World Championships in South Limburg. This season, she won The Hills in Italy and was second in The Traka 200 and Marly Grav (just behind Lorena Wiebes).

Women’s outsiders

The women’s field is much smaller than the men’s. Logically, the chance that an outsider wins is lower. Still, we want to highlight a few names. The most well-known is road pro Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio. The 40-year-old South African finished fourth in the Brabantse Pijl and eleventh in the Amstel Gold Race this spring. After a pleasant debut at the Nedbank Gravel Burn (fifth), she will now try her luck at Unbound Gravel.

Other outsiders include Frenchwoman Cécile Lejeune, Americans Cecily Decker (second last year, but yet to convince this season), Melisa Rollins and Paige Onweller, South African Hailey Preen, and her Canadian namesake Hailey Smith. There is also the experienced German Carolin Schiff (40), a big name in the gravel scene. She is a teammate of Hartog and won Unbound Gravel in 2023 but faced health issues last year.

The biggest dark horses for the victory in Emporia are American women Morgan Aguirre and Lauren De Crescenzo, along with Nathalie Eklund from Sweden. Aguirre (30) has earned her stripes in recent years and was recently fourth in The Traka 360. The 34-year-old Swedish champion Eklund was sixth there and was also second in Sahara Gravel in February. De Crescenzo (35) follows a similar path to Schreurs. After a few years away from sport, she won Unbound Gravel in 2021 and started a second life as a top athlete.

Weather and TV

Unbound Gravel 2026 promises to be a tough edition. In the days leading up to the race, rain falls in and around Emporia, creating a lot of mud. The region is known for very difficult riding conditions in the rain. On race day itself, Weeronline predicts rain accompanied by thunderstorms. The wind is not a major factor as it blows at a modest force three from the southeast, giving most of the race a tailwind. Temperatures will rise to 26 degrees Celsius.

Anyone wanting to follow the race won’t miss a thing. A livestream is scheduled on the Lifetime Grand Prix account at 12:35 pm Belgian and Dutch time, showing alternating coverage of the women’s and men’s races. The finish is expected after 9:00 pm local time.