Bruno at Unbound

Photo credits: Julien Payette

Unbound is THE MONUMENT of gravel racing. Held in Emporia, Kansas, the event formerly known as Dirty Kansas welcomes participants of all levels. Including several pros and ex-pros, both men and women, who come to try their hand at the 200-mile (321.87 km) race.

Ten minutes after they set off, around 3,800 other participants will cross the starting line, in true gravel tradition, to cover 25, 50, 100, 200... or 350 miles (multiply by 1.6 to get the distance in kilometers) across fields and unpaved roads.

"This is the third time I've been invited to participate in Unbound, but I haven't been able to go," explains Bruno Langlois, owner of Vélo Cartel. "There were cancellations, and then because of the pandemic, it was pretty complicated to travel. This time, it's for real!"

The spirit of gravel
Bruno joins several former pros (and a few still active) who will compete on the often inhospitable dirt roads of the American Midwest. In the past, Laurens Ten Dam, Brent Bookwalter, Alex Howes, and Nathan Haas were among the headliners. Last year, Peter Sagan and his longtime teammate Daniel Oss also gave it a try.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9-AzLBgPsA

"For me," says Bruno, "Unbound is really where the spirit of gravel was born. These are races open to everyone, where the elite can shine while others simply come to have fun. You have to be resilient and self-sufficient, and it's a race of truth where tactics matter less than on the road. It's often the strongest rider and the one with the fewest technical problems who wins."

Follow our Instagram account to find out more about the equipment Bruno used during the event.