Even in a year where the speeds were high and the warm weather had dried up much of the mud, there was no avoiding the mishaps and misadventures that put an end to so many riders' Unbound Gravel hopes – 200 miles of rough terrain can take its toll no matter what conditions unfold.
There were 62 finishers in the elite women's field of Unbound Gravel 200, and 14 DNFs, many of the names among them expected to be right at the front of the field, including Sarah Sturm who came third at The Traka 360 earlier in the month and was seventh form among the lead group at Unbound 200 last year. Crashes took quite a toll in the women's race.
In the elite men's race, 115 crossed the line and 28 were marked down as DNFs. There were also those who managed to cross the line but, due to everything from crashes to mechanicals saw all the training and preparation not reflected in their position on the results list. Mattia de Marchi, for one, was among the favourites at the start, particularly after coming fifth last year but he finished in 61st after a broken chain early.
As always, the numbers and results only tell part of the story so we have trawled through the coverage and social media, asked questions on the ground and reached out to others to reveal some of the stories behind those DNFs or results that didn't match the form.
Elite women's race
Sarah Sturm (DNF) – Sarah Sturm had entered the race among the favourites, having taken third in The Traka 360 earlier in the month and also stood on the podium of the race in 2023. However, a crash ended the race early with concussion among the consequences.
Rosa Klöser (4th) - The 2024 winner first had to fight back after having hit the deck as a rider crashed in front of her, just as the crucial move including eventual winner Karolina Migoń was going. Still the defending champion continued to fight for a podium spot another mishap struck - a wrong turn. "I had to unclip, turn around and get back," Klöser told Cyclingnews. "The other three girls were already ahead of me, so I kind of already had to do a sprint to catch up with them on the line and then, unfortunately, I had to settle for fourth today."
Klara Sofie Skovgård Hansen (DNF) - Another of the victims of an early crash, with a suspected collarbone break reported and the rider posting social media pictures from hospital.
Samara Sheppard (41st) – A crash in the bunch behind the New Zealand-born rider meant she was taken out from behind and had a broken front wheel and jammed rear, losing 13 minutes and leaving her with a chase to move up from 74th spot to 41st by the line.
Nicole Frain (DNF) - Things were looking good for the former Australian road champion when early on in the race she made the crucial front group but then just as her race looked to be falling into a place another rider crashed and took her out.
Anna Yamauchi (DNF) - It wasn't a good day for the woman who after Sea Otter had been leading the chase for a wildcard entry into the Life Time Grand Prix series, with Anna Yamauchi crashing early and having to pull the pin and end her wildcard chances at aid station 1.
Emily Newsom (DNF) - Another in the running for a wildcard who faced an outcome that ruined not just her race but also her series hopes. The rider who was third at Unbound 200 two years ago hit her head in a crash just a few miles from the start.
Elite men's race
Mattia de Marchi (61st) - The big races just aren't falling in the Italian's favour at the moment with a brake out at The Traka 360 and then a broken chain early in Unbound 200 which left him posting "Always chasing, The story of my life." on his Instagram story.
Lawrence Naesen (DNF) - The former AG2R Citroën WorldTour team rider simply said on Instagram that "s*** happens" and that it was a "Good day until blood came out."
Keegan Swenson (7th) - It may not have been obvious in the results but Keegan Swenson had quite a day out in the Flint Hills, crossing the line with ripped kit and a bloodied body after a crash at mile 130. On top of that he had a puncture, a failed tyre plug plus a wheel swap with teammate Tobin Ortenblad. Still, he got through the day without having to utilise the double valve hack.
Tim Declercq (DNF) - One flat, Tim Declercq could handle, even two but "the third time flat was too much" the Lidl-Trek rider told In de Leiderstrui.
Jelle Van Damme (DNF) - An encounter with a barbed wire fence quickly brought an end to the race for the Belgian, with social media showing some pretty nasty cuts across his back to be treated as a result.
Matthew Beers (16th) - Another of the pre-race favourites who had a stop and start day of racing, that left him joking that if he remembered how hard it was he wouldn't go back.
Tom Dumoulin (DNS) - the former Giro d'Italia winner went home with mixed feelings after cheering on his compatriots from the feed zone.
"I had a great time in Emporia, Kansas," Dumoulin wrote on Instagram. "It's crazy to see how this little town on the prairie turns into the Mecca of gravel racing for a week during Unbound. I was supposed to compete in the 100 miles, but unfortunately I couldn't start because of a stupid crash three days before. I hurt my hand and it was too painful to put any weight on the handlebars in the days after."
