It wasn’t exactly an uneventful May for Tasman Nankervis. First, he took the UCI Gravel World Series win in Nannup Western Australia, even after having to track down his missing bike on race eve. Then, it was a close sprint at the Australian Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships to take the runner-up spot before the next day flying out for his first gravel race in the United States.
June is set to be even more laden with action for the 27-year-old Australian, particularly given that first race US race is Unbound Gravel 200.
That means 205 miles, or 330km, of gravel roads with a top-notch field packed with the gravel specialists from the US, international challengers and a host of riders from other disciplines that have been drawn to the prestigious gravel race in the Flint Hills of Kansas.
“It's the roughest first race and the biggest unknown,” Nankervis (BMC-Shimano) told Cyclingnews before flying out from Australia.
“I mean I've done a lot of endurance training the last month, increasing that in volume, but I don't think anyone, unless you've done Unbound before, can know how the body will really react after 9 to 10 hours of racing. You know, I can do 9 to 10 hours of riding, but to race it, it's going to be a different challenge. Fueling [and] pacing are just going to be so important. And luck, as well by the sounds of it.”
But Unbound is just the beginning.
Nankervis is among the 70 riders – 35 men and 35 women – that have been selected to race the Life Time Grand Prix series, which delivers seven rounds of racing in the US and a $250,000 prize purse. It is an opportunity to make a mark in the gravel world, a type of racing which seems ideal for the multi-discipline rider from Bendigo.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm just jack of all trades, master of none but gravel seems to really suit me," said Nankervis. And so does the series mix of long mountain bike events and gravel racing under the one banner.
"I've got that mountain bike and road racing background and these are kind of even the dream events, these long mountain bike marathons and gravel races and they've got big atmospheres. There is good prize money for the series if you do well and then the opportunities are just so much bigger in the US."
That could potentially mean, if all goes to plan, that in the future he may not have to dig as deeply into his own pocket to make the trip to North America. Nankervis said he is fortunate to have all his equipment covered by his sponsors, but there is so much more, particularly when competing in the United States means an expensive 20-odd hour flight, accomodations and taking months off work, which for Nankervis is as an exercise physiologist in a regional Victorian hospital.
"I'll definitely be living on the cheap," said Nankervis, who is travelling with his girlfriend.
That means house-sitting where possible and renting a pickup truck from a friend, with a mattress thrown in the back and box trailer to transport bikes and camping gear, in what will provide a cheaper option than flying from race to race. At least that way he can also count on there being no repeat of his Nannup experience when he got off his flight to find his bike hadn't arrived.
Nankervis missed the first round of the Grand Prix, the Sea Otter Classic's Fuego XL mountain bike race in April, staying in Australia a little longer instead. He is facing a big unknown at the second round, Unbound Gravel 200, but it is all-important to make as many rounds as possible count. He will now race six of the seven events and five count towards his tally on the series leaderboard.
"I'm realistic that because every race is going to be new to me, it might take a full year of doing this racing to figure it out and maybe next year I'll be asked to come back but I think financially ... hopefully next year I can do it supported."
Races that he hopes will help him start moving up the leaderboard are on the horizon. Crusher in the Tushar on July 8, the third event, has a hill-top finish that plays to the Australian's climbing strength, which also helped him take off and ride solo to victory in Nannup.
Then there is the Leadville Trail 100 MTB in August that Nankervis picked as among the races most likely to help him move up the rankings and reach his goal of a top-10 finish.
"I know I can be competitive and as long as I get that top 10 overall, I'll be in the prize money so I'll try and aim for that and make sure I don't have too many mechanicals," said Nankervis.
