This weekend the eyes of the gravel world turn to Emporia, Kansas in the USA as the world's best gravel bike event kicks off in the Tallgrass Prairie and Flint Hills surrounding Emporia. From its humble beginnings of just 34 riders in 2006, Unbound Gravel, now in its 17th year, has attracted 4,000 registered riders across its five distances for the 2023 edition. With elite WorldTour riders to keen amateurs lining up for the world's premier mass-start event in the gravel racing calendar.
The scramble for much sought-after lottery places went live back in January, with a record amount of riders attempting to grab a spot. At the same time organizers Life Time Events and the Unbound team announced some important Unbound rule changes for 2023, including elite men's and women's fields starting separately from the amateurs, and a ban on the use of aero bars.
