Justin and I returned for the second year to this event in Carson City, NV that has a somewhat unique format of three timed gravel segments that are added together to determine the overall standings. This makes the rest of ride pretty enjoyable in that you don’t have to suffer and can ride with family/friends and stop at all the aid stations without worrying about losing time!
The first segment starts ten miles into the event and is 17 miles with a big 2,100 foot climb followed by a fast gravel descent with lots of rocks that need to be avoided to keep air in the tires. There is a timing mat at the start of the segment and one strategy that people use is to allow their competitors to cross the mat slightly ahead of them and then try to catch up. That way if a group finishes together the person who crossed the start mat last has the best time. One of Justin’s main rivals in the pro men’s race was former Unbound Gravel winner Lachlan Morten who “missed the start” and began about 30 seconds behind Justin’s group. A lead group of three including Justin and Lachlan came together on the main climb and stayed together until the finish, giving the Lachlan the advantage on this segment.
The second segment was changed for this year to favor gravel bikes since Justin had won on a mountain bike last year. So instead of seven miles of single track like in 2024, there was now five and half miles of pavement with a short single track finish. The pavement with a tailwind and then crosswind kept a front group including me and Justin together until just before the single track when Justin attacked and managed to get a small gap. He continued his efforts on the single track and put about twenty five seconds into his rivals!
The final segment is a fun nine mile single track that is not too technical for gravel bikes and has 1,500 feet of elevation gain. Justin and Lachlan started together and knew it would be a battle for the overall victory. Lachlan kept it smooth and fast on the lower twisty single track and then Justin took the lead and tried his best to put Lachlan under pressure. This was ultimately successful when Lachlan made a small mistake and stepped off his bike as it tumbled off the trail. Justin held on for the victory on the segment and the day! I finished in 3rd for the 50+ men just behind retired pro Levi Leipheimer.
