2023 UNBOUND Gravel

UNBOUND STAFF

Ben Sachs

Kristi Mohn

Michelle Duffy

Treva Worrel

Dan Mott

Benjamin Pickel

Amanda Boyer

Mason Mohn

Ryan Cross

Madison Giger

Izzy Nichols

PUBLISHER

Chris Walker

EDITOR

Ashley Walker

ADVERTISING

Montana Cushing

ART DIRECTOR & DESIGN EDITOR

Margie McHaley

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Ryann Brooks

John Sorce

Joey Panek

Kevin Horner

PHOTOGRAPHY

Tim Mohn

Dan Hughes

ADVERTISING DESIGN

Dan Ferrell

Margie McHaley

Montana Cushing

COVER DESIGN

Life Time

UNBOUND Gravel Magazine is produced by the White Corporation. All content is copyrighted. No part, features, or look and feel of the magazine can be copied or duplicated without prior authorization.

For more information send certified mail to:

UNBOUND Gravel Magazine, 109 W. 6th Ave. Emporia, KS 66801

INSPIRING DREAMS

BY JOEY PANEK

SARASOTA, FLORIDA - Two years ago, Joshua Eckert made headlines as the first athlete with autism to compete in the 50k bike ride at Gravel Worlds. He not only finished the race but also inspired many with his determination and perseverance. In 2022, Eckert took on a new challenge, completing the 75-mile race at Gravel Worlds. And now, in 2023, he is setting his sights even higher, planning to attempt the 100-mile race at UNBOUND’s race event.

The 23-year-old cyclist has trained tirelessly, logging countless hours on his Wahoo KICKR bike at home and going on two practice rides a week with another athlete with autism, Riley Joyce. Eckert has taken on a coaching role with Riley and is committed to helping him achieve his own cycling goals.

"I'm really proud of Josh and the progress he has made,"

says Chase Pettey, founder of Adventure for All, the nonprofit organization that provided Eckert with adventure training. "He has become a mentor and role model for other athletes with exceptionalities, like Riley. Josh's dedication to cycling and helping others shows that there are no limits to what people can achieve."

The 75-mile race was a true

test of Eckert's abilities, but he pushed through the pain and finished the race with a time of 5 hours and 41 minutes. "I was exhausted, but I'm feeling glad I did it," says Eckert. "I want to keep biking and setting goals."

Eckert's sights are now set on five big races in 2023, with the big one being UNBOUND, where he plans to attempt his first 100-mile race. He knows it will be a significant challenge, but he is determined to reach his goal.

Eckert's story is a testament to the power of determination and the importance of breaking down barriers. He has shown that with hard work, dedication, and support, anything is possible.

As Eckert continues to train for his next challenge, he will undoubtedly inspire many more along the way.

Adventure for All, the nonprofit organization that provided Eckert with an opportunity to shine, is dedicated to guiding individuals with exceptionalities through life-changing adventures while creating innovative educational practices that will ignite a shift in societal stigmas. Their motto is "We train based on abilities, not disabilities," and Eckert's success is a testament to the effectiveness of their mission.

Eckert's journey has also demonstrated the power of mentorship and the impact that one person can have on

“I WANT TO KEEP BIKING WITH MY FRIENDS AND RACING TO SHOW THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF YOU WORK HARD AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF”

another's life. Through his coaching of Riley, Eckert has not only helped other athletes with exceptionalities achieve their goals, but he has also found purpose and fulfillment in helping others.

As Eckert prepares for his next challenge, he is an inspiration to us all. His determination,

resilience, and commitment to pushing his own limits serve as a reminder that we are capable of achieving more than we ever thought possible.

"I want to keep biking with my friends and racing to show that anything is possible if you work hard and believe in yourself," says Eckert. "I love Adventure For All, my family, and all my friends who cheer me on. I can't wait to see what’s next." UG

“WE TRAIN BASED ON ABILITIES, NOT DISABILITIES” — ADVENTURE FOR ALL MOTTO

Spiritual Cycle Emporia minister Neil Taylor to take on UNBOUND XL

Emporia’s own Neil Taylor will be taking on that challenge this year. But he is no extraordinary cyclist. Taylor is a minister at the Emporia Church of Christ and got into cycling a year after he came here in 2012. He credited someone from church for getting him into cycling, though he was skeptical at first.

When one thinks about the people who take on UNBOUND XL, most tend to think about professional cyclists who come to Emporia from around the globe.

“A guy at the church that I’m a minister at kept asking me if I wanted to go ride bikes and I kept telling him no,” Taylor said. “Finally, he got me to go on a bike ride and it was the first time I’d been on a bike in 20 years and I got hooked.”

That experience prompted Taylor to train for UNBOUND’s 100K in 2014. He then did three 200Ks from 2016 through 2018 before taking a few years off. But he has done other marathon events since then and has been involved in most years by helping at Gravel City Adventure and different expo booths while also supporting other riders.

Taylor is originally from suburban Chicago and came to Emporia for his job. He was ministering at a church in Ottawa when he applied for and got the position with the Emporia Church of Christ. His wife, Brandi, is from Oklahoma City, so Emporia was a bit of a culture shock for both of them. But they have come to love the town and its people and the cycling scene is a big thing that has kept them here.

“When we first moved here, I honestly wasn’t sure if I would love it or not,” Taylor said. “But we just fell in love with our church community and Emporia in general. When cycling got introduced and I started getting

to know that community, I said to my wife, ‘I don’t know if I ever want to leave this place,’ which was mind-blowing to me because the suburb of Chicago that I grew up in is probably 10 times the size of Emporia. But once cycling got added on top of everything, it was a place that I knew I would want to stay.”

Taylor said the training has really never stopped since he got back on the bike a decade ago. He said he is already over halfway to the number of miles he rode all of last year. The training for the XL started about five months ago and it will continue to ramp up as race day draws closer.

Taylor was able to complete a double-double last year, which was doing two different events a few months apart. He did the Mid-South in May, which is a 50K run on Friday and a 100mile bike ride on Saturday in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The other half was when he did Gravel Worlds in August in Lincoln, Nebraska. That was another 50K run followed by a 150-mile bike ride.

He is in some pretty select company of folks who were able to complete all four events.

“The running kind of made me nervous,” Taylor said. “I had done some running in the past before cycling was introduced to me, but I hadn’t run since

“Whenever I’m on my bike, my correlation with faith is really going out and seeing creation.”

2019 and I was worried about durability. But I got through the training pretty smoothly and was one of only 21 people that completed all four of those events, so that was pretty special to be part of what is a pretty small group of folks that were able to go out there and do that.”

Completing both of those events gave him the confidence that he could take on the XL this year.

Training for the XL specifically has included doing a lot more events than in previous years. Taylor started in early April with the Flint Hills Gravel Ride in Americus, which was about a 130-mile bike ride. His next event was the Open Range in Pratt at the end of April, which is a 200K event. He then took on La Grind right here in Emporia in early May, which is 100 miles and Elrod’s Cirque in mid-May, which is 150 miles down in Winfield.

“I’m basically slamming four events that don’t put out the easiest courses and will challenge us, and that’s a big

part of how I’ve adjusted with training,” Taylor said. “Then as the weather starts to warm up, I will be adding some more overnight riding by myself. Basically, I’ll hop on my bike at 9 or 10 at night and ride until sunrise and that’ll be a new thing for me that I haven’t done a whole lot of.”

Another thing that keeps Taylor motivated through all of this is a fear that he sees in a positive light.

“My kids are a really important part of my life. I always want to make sure I’m involved with them and giving them the time they need and deserve, and each of them was supportive and okay with it.”

“I will sometimes describe myself as someone who doesn’t know any better and just wants to go out there and do something that scares me,” Taylor said. “Riding for 350 miles is on a different level that puts a little bit of fear in me, but it’s a good fear. It’s the kind of fear that motivates me to keep moving forward with this training that’s different from anything I’ve done before.”

Taylor has been married for 16 years and has two kids: a 13-year-old daughter named Abigail and a nine-year-old son named Lane. His primary responsibility is as a husband and a father, and he needed all of their approvals to go forward with this.

“Before I really seriously contemplated this, I asked all three of them if it would be okay because training for this is a little different than anything I’ve trained for before,” Taylor said. “I rode 150 miles a few weeks ago and that was 11 hours of the day that I was away from my family. I asked my wife if she’d be okay with it because it

would mean more responsibilities around the house on her shoulders and she was all right with it. She has always been very supportive of any of the riding events I’ve signed up for in the past.

“My kids are a really important part of my life. I always want to make sure I’m involved with them and giving them the time they need and deserve, and each of them was supportive and okay with it. I made sure to explain to them I wouldn’t be around as much, but I’ve still made sure to make time

for them. The day I did the 150 miles, I came back home and spent a few hours with the kids before they went to bed. That was a priority over my own recovery and taking care of myself.”

Being a minister, faith comes into play with most things in Taylor’s life. But he looks at riding as an opportunity to appreciate what God has put on Earth for people to enjoy which not many get to experience.

“Whenever I’m on my bike, my correlation with faith is really going out and seeing creation,” Taylor said. “Being a minister, I can’t help but see God throughout creation and when I ride my bike way off somewhere, I get to see things that a lot of people haven’t seen and appreciate things that God made for us to enjoy that are just there. Even if it’s a nasty hill that I have to climb that is beating me up and making life miserable, I look at it as that was something that was created and made for us to enjoy.”

The long hours on the bike can also provide an opportunity

to think some work and life-related things through.

“Sometimes, sitting on the bike is the best time for me to figure some things out when it comes to church or life in general,” Taylor said. “It’s a quiet time to just get away and think about the people I need to be praying for or the lessons I’m preparing. That can help a lot more than sitting in the office with emails, phone calls and all the other distractions that sometimes get in the way.”

Taylor will be going up against some of the top cyclists in the world once June rolls around. He knows this. But he’s just grateful for the opportunity to have this experience and soak in all that God has created.

“I might take every last second that is given to us to complete this, I really don’t know,” Taylor said. “I’m just an average, ordinary guy with a wife, kids and a job who tries to squeeze in as much time as I can to ride my bike. But I get to go out there and do something that is pretty special and I can’t wait to be a part of it.” UG

UNBOUND GRAVEL TRAINING CAMP OFFERS

tricks OF THE trade

BY RYANN BROOKS

Each year, thousands of gravel enthusiasts converge on Emporia, Kan., to test their mettle with UNBOUND Gravel. Long established as the world’s premier gravel grinding spectacle, the race brings both professional cyclists and amateurs to the same course in the Flint Hills.

But the experience can be intimidating, even for the more seasoned rider. Enter the UNBOUND Gravel Training Camp — a four-day immersive experience designed to remove that intimidation factor and prepare your mind, body and machine for the rigors of the Flint Hills.

PHOTOS BY TIM MOHN PHOTOGRAPHY

“It was really centered around removing the intimidation factor that a lot of people feel when they’re coming into the gravel scene, both from a surface perspective but also just understanding nutrition and equipment,” said Kristi Mohn, Life Time Off Road team. “It’s about getting a better grasp of what all it takes to come out and ride 200 miles in the Flint Hills.”

The training camps kicked off in 2013 with a goal to help riders take on UNBOUND and other ultra-endurance adventures, and are usually held about 8 - 10 weeks before UNBOUND weekend.

Camp athletes learn through a combination of educational seminars, hands-on clinics, and lots of gravel grinding. Mohn said the camp typically involves some course previews, which is helpful for riders preparing to return to Emporia.

“You just learn so much from being around other people that are out there doing the same thing,” Mohn said. “It gives them a chance to test their equipment and ask some questions, and maybe learn some things that they get to practice with leading up to the race.”

The last thing you want to do, she added, is change anything on race day.

You can learn more about the camp online at https://www.unboundgravel.com/trainingcamp

“If you learn something about nutrition [at camp], you have a good amount of time to try it out before race weekend,” Mohn said. “It’s an opportunity to check your gear, check your legs, and get a realization of the type of climbing and the type of surface. It’s just good prep.”

It’s a positive experience that lets amateur, everyday riders rub elbows with the pros they look up to. On top of UNBOUND staff, camp staff include names like Kristen Legan and Yuri Hauswald, Riley Swickard, Taylor Lideen and Travis McCabe — just to name a few.

“Kristen Legan has been a coach with our event for many, many years,” Mohn said. “She’s done the 200 several times and has been a podium finisher. She’s done the 350. She’s just super qualified and she’s had her own coaching business for years. … Yuri Hauswald has been coming since the very

first year and he’s one of our first coaches that came. We have some repeat offenders. I think that’s the best thing that our coaches love coming to camp. They want to be here for camp.”

Lesa Thompson, who raced the UNBOUND 200 in 2022, decided to give herself an edge in 2023 by signing up for camp. A seasoned cyclist, Thompson said she was relatively new to gravel riding when she took on UNBOUND the first time.

“I got my gravel bike about a month before the event and managed to break a wheel on my first long ride, so I just got the bike back about a week before going to UNBOUND,” she said. “I was so naive; I didn’t know what I didn’t know about riding on gravel!”

Thompson had done most of her training indoors using the FasCat Sweetspot training program, and read “GRAVEL!” by Selene Yeager.

“That scared me enough not to miss any training sessions but I was woefully unprepared for the mental fatigue of such a long distance on gravel,” she added. “I’m slow, and I spent 100 miles learning how to ride on gravel, then 100 miles trying to beat the cut-off time.”

But, Thompson needed more than just one good reason to sign up. Based in Japan, she said she needed to justify the cost of both the camp and traveling to Emporia twice in one year. It didn’t take her long to see the benefits: a guaranteed race ticket, gravel practice and lots of learning opportunities.

“1. Since this is a joint endeavor with both my husband and I, guaranteed entry to

UNBOUND was a real attraction,” she said. “It avoided any discussions of what to do if only one of us got a place in the lottery! 2. The opportunity to get some gravel practice in. It’s not so convenient to train on gravel from home, so it was an excellent chance to improve my skills & gain some confidence on the gravel that I’ll be on in June.

3. Last but not least, the camp program looked really interesting, with a fantastic mix of rides and seminars.”

Thompson enjoyed chatting with other riders and her coaches. Nutrition sessions, she said, were especially helpful since she struggled with that last year.

“Remembering that my fuelling was suboptimal last year, I especially appreciated ‘It’s an eating and drinking competition’ (Amanda Nauman) and ‘Sip, sip, nibble, nibble’ (Yuri Hauswald) — my new mantras for long rides and even not-so-long training rides,” Thompson said. “The camp leaders were very approachable and accommodating — huge thanks to Sparky Moir as sweeper and the sag wagon guys for staying with me on the 100 mile ride during camp.”

Mohn acknowledged that UNBOUND Gravel Training Camp is both a financial investment, and a hefty time commitment. But, it’s well worth it for those who love gravel cycling.

“The camp is an investment, but if this is something you love, I think investing in yourself is always worth it,” she said. “If that’s something that’s intriguing, definitely at least find out more, ask us questions.”

UG

1,000 WORDS

UNBOUND Winner telling stories with the Camera

By UNBOUND Staff | Photos by Dan Hughes

When people think of Dan Hughes they may think of him for winning UNBOUND, a record setting four times, placing 8 times in the top-ten, and inaugurated in the Gravel Hall of Fame.

While Dan is passionate about cycling he also enjoys photography and from Dan’s perspective, it’s natural that cycling and photography would go hand-in-hand.

“I think each is a pursuit that requires a modicum of effort, that can be blended with a heaping dose of technical fiddling, to produce a result that passes for pleasing at times,” says Hughes, “and they’re two pursuits I’ve loved doing for a long time.”

Picking up both the bike and a camera in high school Dan would spend pretty equal time riding miles and miles through the Kansas countryside, and spending hours and hours in the darkroom working for the school newspaper.

“I loved that there was always something to tweak on the bike to make it more comfortable, go faster, or make the rides easier over long distances. Likewise with a camera, there was always a wealth of new techniques and equipment to experiment with to try to make an interesting image” Dan said.

Ultimately Dan would find his way to gravel riding and was fortunate enough to be on the ground floor of the burgeoning sport in the early

I would think man, this ride is epic,' I wish there was someone here taking a picture

2000s. Participating in the very first DK200/UNBOUND 200 in 2006, Dan would go on to complete 11 editions of the race, winning four (a record), and placing eight times in the top-ten. Along the way, Dan would also win Trans-Iowa and Gravel Worlds in Lincoln, the only cyclist to ever have done so. In 2022, he was part of the inaugural class of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame alongside legends like Rebecca Rusch, Mark Stevenson, Corey Godfrey, Kristi Mohn, Chris Skogen, and Bobby Wintle.

“I was lucky to have been around when gravel riding first started and notch some wins before all the fast folks started showing up, but much of those early years was spent messing with equipment and pushing the boundaries of what we needed as riders to complete these crazy distances” Hughes recounts.

Now, as gravel riding has become a driving force in the world of cycling, Hughes has shifted his focus to capturing the stories of riders and the

environs they cycle through.

“In all those training miles I did, I would ride past far flung abandoned places and wonder ‘what’s the story behind that place?’ I bet that place had a crazy history. And then equally, during the races, I would think ‘man…this ride is epic…I wish there was someone here taking

a picture. So lately, I’ve been picking up my camera as much as I have my bike.” Hughes says.

Covering cycling events like UNBOUND and others, Hughes has built a catalog of images that he hopes tell the story of the places we ride, but also the effort it takes to get there. And the emotions involved.

“The thing I love about endurance cycling is that you’re out there for a long time. Long enough to experience the highs and the lows, and then over again. My friend Rebecca Rusch once gave me great advice in that regard, namely to remember that neither feeling… good or bad…will last forever, and you’ve got ride those waves of emotion. When you come through an effort like that, you come out a different person on the other end. That’s what I hope to capture on the back of the camera.” Hughes said.

Now through UNBOUND, Hughes will have a collection of images on display at his favorite Emporia hangout, Mulready’s, and his work is also viewable at dhughes101.com or on Instagram @dhughes101.

Dan lives in Lawrence, Kan., is the father of three kids, and is currently (and in his words, against his better judgement) signed up to toe the line one more time at UNBOUND 200…this time on a tandem with his fiancé, 5x UNBOUND 200 finisher Paulina

Cycling In the United States Is shifting

In2022 , Life Time launched the newest series in North American off-road cycling, the Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda — an unprecedented, sixevent journey that covered varying MTB, gravel and dirt terrain across six iconic off-road events around the country. From April to October, 60 of the world’s top cyclists hit the Flint Hills of Emporia, Rocky Mountains of Leadville, Colorado, and gravel trails of Bentonville, Arkansas, for their shot at the largest prize purse in off-road cycling history: $250,000, split evenly between men and women.

For Life Time, the goal of the series was simple (and also extremely complex): play a part in changing the landscape of professional and recreational cycling in the U.S. By giving pro cyclists a chance to push themselves against the best riders on the toughest courses for an entire year, while also giving cycling fans an opportunity to ride alongside these athletes, Life Time hoped to help reignite cycling fandom in North America — and

beyond.

Now, just a year later, the results are already showing.

“It’s a really exciting time in the United States for cycling. We continue to see the level of competition rise at events around the country, and the depth of the elite fields keep getting deeper” said Michelle Duffy Smith, Marketing Director for Life Time Events.

After kicking off in Monterey, California, at the Life Time Sea Otter Classic presented by Continental, the inaugural Life Time Grand Prix did not disappoint. From around the country (and across the globe), pro and recreational riders flocked to these six premier event locations — 1) Monterey (Sea Otter), 2) Emporia (UNBOUND Gravel),

3) Beaver, Utah (Life Time Crusher in the Tushar presented by The Creamery),

4) Leadville (Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB),

5) Hayward, Wisconsin (Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival presented by Trek), and

6) Bentonville (Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda) — with new levels of participation and excitement.

At UNBOUND Gravel 2022, the tangible energy filled the Flint Hills as MTB and gravel riders alike descended upon Emporia to embrace the spirit of gravel. With more on the line and more competitive fields, pro and amateur riders cranked up the heat to match the unrelenting Kansas summer sun. In the women’s field, MTB rider Sofia Gomez Villafane (Heber City, Utah) built a commanding lead early and held it for the rest of the race, defeating defending UNBOUND champion Lauren De Crescenzo (Atlanta, Georgia) by more than nine minutes. For the men, a lead pack of five riders stayed neck-andneck through the downtown Emporia finish, with nonLTGP rider Ivar Slik (Duivendrecht, NLD) claiming first and Keegan Swenson (Heber City, Utah) finishing just one second behind.

Following her fourthplace finish at UNBOUND Gravel, rider Haley Smith (Uxbridge, ON) emerged atop the women’s Life Time Grand Prix leaderboard by winning the notoriously difficult Crusher in the Tushar and finishing third at the

iconic Leadville Trail 100 MTB in August. With another top-3 finish at Chequamegon in September, Smith cemented her position as the first female Grand Prix champion, trailed closely behind by Gomez Villafane and Sarah Sturm (Durango, Colorado), who finished second and third, respectively.

On the men’s side, Keegan Swenson used the momentum from his firstplace finish at UNBOUND Gravel to pedal himself ahead of the pack and build an insurmountable lead, taking each of the first four events — twice, by significant margins. After thirdand second-place finishes, respectively, at Chequamegon and Big Sugar, Swenson coasted to the men’s title with room to spare. In a battle to fill out the rest of the podium, riders Alexey Vermeulen (Boulder, Colorado) and Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colorado) claimed the final two spots, narrowly fending off Cole Paton (Cashmere, Washington) and Peter Stetina (Santa Rosa, California).

“Now one year into the Life Time Grand Prix, we’re excited to watch the series

and UNBOUND Gravel is right at the gloriously chunky center of it.

develop moving into year two,” says Duffy Smith. “With a purpose rooted in elevating the sport of cycling, our team has spent much of the off-season preparing for ways to elevate the content and position the series’ competitors at the forefront of the sport. We hope to continue to inspire recreational cyclists to look up to these elite riders as inspiration to take on a challenge of their own.”

The action wasn’t limited to the courses, either. At each of the six events, Life Time collaborated with filmmaker Shannon Vandivier and his team at Cold Collaborative to capture and produce a six-part documentary, Call of a Life Time, that takes cycling fans behind the curtain of the Life Time Grand Prix story.

“The objective of Call of A Life Time was to capture the hearts of the athletes as people and to bring the viewer into a perspective that they’ve never seen before,” Vandivier said. “It’s easy to put pro riders on a pedestal and forget they’re people who struggle just like us. They’re emotional and insecure, in some of

the same ways we all are, in their own context.”

From Monterey to Bentonville, Vandivier and his team used their lenses to explore stories like Sofia Gomez Villafane’s quest to prove the legitimacy of MTB riders, Sarah Sturm’s journey to find her unique identity as a cyclist, and that question every cyclist was asking at UNBOUND Gravel 2022: Gravel or MTB, who’s the better rider?

“My highlight last season was seeing Sofia win at UNBOUND,” Vandivier said.

“To see that story of “mountain biker versus gravel racer” take form on both the men’s and women’s side was really, really cool. I’m excited to see people like Keegan and Sofia identify as gravel racers now.”

In Season One (now available to watch on YouTube), Call of A Life Time dedicated one episode to each of the six events. By capturing both the on-course action and behind-the-scenes storylines, COALT brought a much-needed human element to the world of professional cycling.

“I think right away what

struck me is how different all these athletes are,” Vandivier said. “When you don’t see behind the scenes, it’s easy to assume they’re all the same, or that they do the same things, or that they train the same way. It’s easy to create a uniform perspective on ‘the racer,’ but as individuals, they’re so different, and that really took me. It opened my eyes to just how human they are and how relatable they could be.”

Viewers seemed to reciprocate Vandivier’s sentiment, as the docuseries surpassed 500K views on YouTube in just a few months. As those numbers continue to rise and U.S. cycling interest continues to grow, so does the hype for the 2023 Life Time Grand Prix.

This year, the Grand Prix — and Call of a Life Time — is back, and Life Time is raising the stakes. By increasing the field of riders (70) and adding a bonus event (Life Time Rad Dirt Fest presented by Wahoo in Trinidad, Colorado, on September 30), the Grand Prix garnered expanded international interest from

riders in places like Europe, Australia and South Africa.

New in 2023, cycling fans can watch (and ride alongside) cyclists like: Lauren De Crescenzo, 2021 UNBOUND Gravel champion; Brennen Wertz, a 6-foot-5 professional-rower-turned-cyclist rising the gravel cycling ranks; Isabella Hyser, who, at 19 years old, is the youngest rider to race the Life Time Grand Prix; and Matt Beers, a South African national champion MTBer who might just win the whole thing.

This increased interest and expanded field for the 2023 Grand Prix reflects a reality Life Time has been striving for since the beginning: the cycling world is shifting. Fueled by the intrigue of events like Leadville, Big Sugar and UNBOUND Gravel, U.S. cycling is back on the world map.

“Competitiveness is growing, and the opportunity to produce an income as an athlete in the United States is expanding,” Vandivier said. “With the help of the Grand Prix, the United States is no longer a place where you just go to retire as a racer.” UG