Greg Van Avermaet received the lottery to earn his debut spot on the beginning line on the upcoming Unbound Gravel, which will probably be held on June 1 in Emporia, Kansas. The former Olympic gold medallist, Tour de France stage winner, and Paris-Roubaix champion admitted that he does not know what to anticipate and that he’s somewhat ‘scared’ however hopes to channel his wealth of expertise in cobbled one-day racing into the tough and rugged 200-mile occasion.
“I’ve skilled as a lot as doable to make sure I’ll be prepared for Unbound, and I’m wanting ahead to competing at this degree of racing. The occasion has been in my head to strive for just a few years now, and having retired from the highway final yr, it is good to have the ability to do extra journey stuff like this and take a look at one thing totally different,” Van Avermaet stated.
“I’m somewhat frightened of the gap, and it will undoubtedly take me out of my consolation zone, however as a highway rider, I used to be all the time robust within the longer, one-day races, and I’ll do my greatest and attempt to take pleasure in it as a lot as I can.
“I nonetheless must correctly have a look at the route, however I feel some of the essential elements in having success in one of these race is to attempt to restrict the quantity of mechanicals you’ve gotten and to not panic if and while you do have them. We’ll see how issues go, however I’m actually wanting ahead to it.”
Van Avermaet spoke with the press on Wednesday, simply over per week forward of Unbound, and has had an opportunity to preview a few of the sections of the race, checked out photographs of the gravel roads and is learning the route to achieve as a lot data as doable.
He received Paris-Roubaix in 2017, and whereas he has by no means raced Unbound, likened the challenges of gravel racing to that of competing on the Hell of the North, significantly relating to luck.
“I feel the course, once I noticed from the images, it actually appears to be like tough, and it scares me somewhat bit. You should watch out along with your bike. On the highway bike. I might deal with my bike fairly nicely on the cobblestones,” Van Avermaet stated.
“I used to be actually cautious to not have flats, like in races, like Roubaix. I did it, I feel, 12 or 15 occasions, I do not know, however just one time I had a flat tire on all these races. Gravel racing is extra with luck, additionally. So you need to be fortunate. “
Van Avermaet stated the tools, assist and mechanical data are additionally essential features that may assist in a protracted race like Unbound.
“If you may preserve your materials in prime form, I feel you will get far. I needed to learn the way I can plug tires, in fact, however yeah [also knowing] how massive is the outlet and what is the tire appear to be?” Van Avermaet stated.
“I feel a great preparation and a great recon might assist loads in making good choices. And, yeah, then simply being cautious about what you are going to do. And then, in the long run, additionally nonetheless have legs.”
Van Avermaet retired from skilled highway racing in 2023 however stated he all the time wished to compete in gravel occasions, which he couldn’t do whereas highway racing. He has since completed fourth on the UCI Gravel World Championships after which received SGRAIL100, a gravel triathlon in Spain.
Van Avermaet competed within the Traka 200 in Girona, Spain, in May. He completed seventh, 1:35 behind winner retired professional highway racer Petr Vakoc (Canyon Integray). He stated that he hopes to be within the entrance group with Vakoc at Unbound.
“He received Traka, and he has been in every single place on the rostrum the time he was racing. And he is additionally nonetheless motivated. When I talked to him, he had actually good preparation, and he seemed ahead to the Unbound journey. And, in fact, I feel it is extra like a relationship the place we can assist one another,” Van Avermaet stated.
“I’ve expertise, in fact, from highway biking, however he has much more expertise on the gravel, so I feel it is a good mixture. I used to be a bit unhappy that I did not make it to the primary group in Traka, however I hope to be there with an extended distance and a special course, to be there with him within the group in entrance and see the way it goes.”
