Last year Unbound Gravel had an unrelenting villain, known as peanut butter mud, which stole the show with an extended stretch right near the start that wreaked havoc across the categories. Measures have been taken this year that may mitigate the scale of the mud's race-destroying role but it appears that it will still make a cameo appearance in 2024.
Some riders may be prepared and unperturbed, with social media posts including a shot of Carolin Schiff's “ready for peanut butter” bike and a video of experienced hand Peter Stetina looking like he was just going about a well-practised familiar task as he found a local waterway to wash the mud away. These riders know all too well what they could be in for after having ridden – and walked – through the worst of it last year, but some others may have been caught a little off-guard.
