Formula One’s Valtteri Bottas among those embracing fast-growing sport of gravel riding
- Thirty-four cyclists competed in the first edition of Dirty Kanza in 2006 – this year 5,000 riders started the race, with many more left out
Long before the term “gravel riding” was coined, and before dedicated gravel bikes even existed, riding the gravel roads of the Midwest United States on road and mountain bikes was commonplace.
However, in the summer of 2006, some 34 pioneering cyclists lined up in Emporia, Kansas for the very first edition of Dirty Kanza, one of the first-ever gravel races, and the region has since been considered the birthplace of gravel riding.
Dirty Kanza, now rebranded as Unbound Gravel, is the biggest gravel race of all, and this year, 5,000 riders were on the start lines in late May, while thousands more failed to make the limited slots.
Winning the main, star-studded men’s Elite 200 event was US-based Australian Lachlan Morton, who completed the 327 kilometres (203 miles) in nine hours, 11 minutes and 47 seconds.
Stars in other sports are taking gravel racing seriously too.
Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas, who drives with China’s Zhou Guanyu at Sauber, is one in recent years, finishing second at Unbound in the 30-39 age group – 33rd overall – in the 174km (108-mile) Unbound 100 event, finishing in 5:26:15.
