Clarification: Throughout the article the word "drafting" will be used to refer to the effect of cutting off the wind on a cyclist generated by the cyclist in front.
Emma Porter
This year there has been a lot of debate about some of the rules that some riders didn't like about this weekend's Unbound. One of the main ones is the possibility that the men's race by age group influences the elite women's race, which we will address shortly. However, the situation of drafting It's not the only part of the event that doesn't seem to provide an even playing field.
The support team
According to the support team rules, Unbound states that the “fair play ethic of the event is of utmost importance” to them. However, the role of the support team is far from well defined.
“Each participant, regardless of distance, MUST have at least one person from the support team present at the event to come pick them up in case they need to leave the event.”
“The most important thing for personal support team members to know and understand is that checkpoints are the ONLY places they are allowed to assist a rider.”
That's basically it. The support team can only be on the course if an athlete has decided, or is forced, to abandon their race. After that, it seems pretty open what the support team can do to help within the confines of the checkpoints.
Each athlete will probably have a “team” at each stop. Everyone will want to change their bottles, empty their pockets of nutrition wrappers and stock up for the trip to the next point. Most will want chain lube, and some will want mechanical assistance for their tires or possibly derailleurs.
However, if conditions are like last year, some will also have a "karcher" and go through the checkpoint as if it were a Formula 1 stop. Additionally, there does not appear to be any limits on the number of people who can be in the support team of a single athlete. While that won't change the career for many athletes, when we get to the higher levels of the elite categories, it can make a big difference.
Photography: Snowy Mountain
Suppose five athletes arrive at the first checkpoint together. Two athletes have only one man on the support team and the other three athletes have four or five people on their teams. These three fly into the checkpoint, their teams have what Unbound calls a "spotter", they get off their bikes and within 60 seconds someone has washed the bike, serviced the chain, checked the tire pressure and changed their bikes. bottles and backpacks. The two athletes with only one member in their support team hope to find their team as quickly as possible without a spotter, change their backpacks, rinse off some mud if they are lucky and will be lubricating their chains while the other three are already on their way.
You can argue that coming to Unbound and not being as prepared as some other athletes is your own fault, but let's face it, getting to Kansas isn't cheap, you want to be as prepared as possible, but one person is maybe the most you can afford to have. in your support team.
Formula 1 pit stop style support equipment, for the few who can afford it, doesn't really fit the fair play that Unbound claims is important to them. The support team rules seem to make it easier for the organization not to be responsible for picking up anyone who has to withdraw, which in a muddy year is quite likely to happen.
About him "Drafting»
This year the elite men start at 5:50 in the morning, the elite women at 6:05, and then the general start for the Unbound 200 begins at 6:30.
I'm someone who was previously in favor of a mass start for a gravel race. However, that was when I was primarily competing against the guys I trained with and the real victory was the right to “pimp.” Whether or not I was on the women's podium, it had no impact on any sponsorship deals or team opportunities. But gravel has changed in recent years.
Giving elite women their own outlet recognizes that they should have their own career. Although there was only one male in the age group race faster than Carolin Schiff over the 200 mile distance last year, there were 25 males in the age group who crossed the line before the 10th elite female athlete.
25 men in the same time frame as 10 elite women.
The rules simply state:
"Athletes can assist other athletes with mechanical support, navigation assistance or by any other means."
«Drafting» of another participant in the event is allowed. "Drafting" a non-participating cyclist, or a motor vehicle will result in disqualification."
Winning the Unbound can change a rider's career. It brings great attention, sponsorship and business opportunities. Being in the top 10 also has the ability to greatly change your trajectory, given the large number of athletes in the LifeTime GrandPrix participating in the Unbound.
There are women in the peloton strong enough to stay glued to another rider's wheel, but perhaps not strong enough to break away and stay away without her.* Both 2021 and 2023 saw cases where the female winner crashed. took advantage of the "drafting" of men. Although it is not against the rules, it prevents elite women from having their own race from start to finish, and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of those who could have gone on to complete the podium.
Unbound has gone to the trouble of giving the elite women their own start and increasing the time window between the start of the elite women's race and the age group race, however, the risk of the men's race by age groups can still influence elite women still exists.
The organization itself defines an elite cyclist as "a cyclist who considers himself a professional or elite, and who would like to be rated against other 'professional cyclists', thus eliminating himself from the age group categories." Aside from giving a definition, it seems that Unbound has placed the responsibility of not taking any advantages that may be permitted by the rules solely on the cyclists. It seems that the rider must be removed from the age group category, both on the start list and during the race, and it is not even against the rules.
*There are also many strong men out there, with the common sense not to interfere in the women's race.
Emma Porter is an Irish gavel racer currently racing Reverb. Some of her achievements include podiums in the Traka 360 and the Wish One UCI Gravel Millau, as well as finishing in the top 10 in the inaugural 2023 Gravel Earth Series.