The 2024 Life Time Grand Prix continued today, with the Unbound Gravel event in Emporia, Kansas.
The 200-mile event is arguably the Super Bowl of gravel, attracting North America’s best gravel racers, along with cycling stars from multiple disciplines from across the world.
This year, the men’s race attracted Joris Nieuwenhuis, silver medalist at the 2024 Cyclocross World Championships, gravel world champ Matej Mohorič, and Paris Roubaix winner Greg Van Avermaet, among many others. Many eyes were on Keegan Swenson, undefeated in his major 2024 offroad and gravel exploits.
The race featured breakaway groups throughout the day, but the key break was Lachlan Morton, Chad Haga and Thijs Zonneveld with more than 70 miles to go.
While Zonneveld fell off the pace, Haga, from Colorado, and Morton, from Colorado but now residing in California, worked to hold off a chase group of 15 including many of the favorites.
Mohorič suffered tire and rim issues, and would take a shortcut back.
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With just over an hour of racing left, four Europeans in Sebastian Schönberger, Mattia De Marchi, Piotr Havik, Simen Nordahl Svendsen and American Peter Stetina escaped from the main chase group, closing the gap to the leaders to under a minute. Stetina would be first to fall off this chase group, but eventually all five were absorbed by the main chase group within 20 miles to go.
Many of the favorites, including Keegan Swenson, lost time as Haga and Morton kept up their two-man time trial up front.
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The leading duo held the chasers off all the way to the finish. Morton outkicked Haga for the win in an impressive 9:11:47, a new record.
2024 Unbound Gravel 200 Elite Men's Brief Results (Unofficial)
| Pl | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lachlan Morton | 9:11:47 |
| 2 | Chad Haga | 9:11:48 |
| 3 | Tobias Kongstad | 9:15:23 |
| 4 | Piotr Havik | 9:15:24 |
| 5 | Mattia De Marchi | 9:15:28 |
| 6 | Simen Nordahl Svendsen | 9:16:28 |
| 7 | Greg Van Avermaet | 9:16:34 |
| 8 | Payson McElveen | 9:16:35 |
| 9 | Sebastian Schönberger | 9:16:35 |
| 10 | Dylan Johnson | 9:16:36 |
| 11 | Torbjørn Andre Røed | 9:16:36 |
| 12 | Russell Finsterwald | 9:16:36 |
| 13 | Matthew Beers | 9:16:51 |
| 14 | Keegan Swenson | 9:20:38 |
| 15 | Brendan Johnston | 9:22:55 |
| 16 | Peter Stetina | 9:22:57 |
| 17 | Cameron Jones | 9:25:05 |
| 18 | Lance Haidet | 9:25:05 |
| 19 | Hugo Drechou | 9:25:08 |
| 20 | Lars Loohuis | 9:25:08 |
| 21 | Andrew L’Esperance | 9:25:44 |
| 22 | Jonas Orset | 9:25:44 |
| 23 | Paul Sandmann | 9:25:44 |
| 24 | Declan Irvine | 9:25:44 |
| 25 | Zach Calton | 9:25:44 |
| 26 | Alban Lakata | 9:26:08 |
| 27 | John Borstelmann | 9:31:14 |
| 28 | Jan Bakelants | 9:31:15 |
| 29 | Joe Goettl | 9:31:19 |
| 30 | Thijs Zonneveld | 9:31:19 |
| 31 | Freddy Ovett | 9:31:19 |
| 32 | Jesse Yates | 9:31:55 |
| 33 | Jasper Ockeloen | 9:35:21 |
| 34 | Ted King | 9:36:33 |
| 35 | Benjamin Perry | 9:37:38 |
| 36 | Connor Kamm | 9:37:38 |
| 37 | Joris Nieuwenhuis | 9:45:05 |
| 38 | Adam Roberge | 9:46:12 |
| 39 | Innokenty Zavyalov | 9:46:12 |
| 40 | Petr Vakoc | 9:47:27 |
| 41 | Thomas Dekker | 9:47:27 |
| 42 | Daniel Oss | 9:47:27 |
| 43 | Tobin Ortenblad | 9:47:28 |
| 44 | Griffin Easter | 9:47:28 |
| 45 | Connor Sens | 9:47:28 |
| 46 | Chase Wark | 9:47:29 |
| 47 | Robert Britton | 9:47:31 |
| 48 | Paul Voss | 9:47:33 |
| 49 | Laurens Ten Dam | 9:47:40 |
| 50 | Niki Terpstra | 9:49:23 |
