Laurens ten Dam uses Gravel Locos as 'test for the body, mind, material' for first attempt at Unbound Gravel XL

The path to Kansas for Unbound Gravel goes through Texas. That's the "dress rehearsal" at least for many of the elite riders, especially Laurens ten Dam. The overall winner of the inaugural running of Gravel Locos in 2021, the Dutchman will hit the repeat button for a fifth trip to Hico, Texas on Saturday. 

Once he gets to Emporia next week, however, his roadmap looks a lot different. Ten Dam will compete in the Unbound XL event, 350 miles, for the first time, lining up with Unbound 200 rival Lachlan Morton.

"I've raced Unbound 200 four times, I've raced the Tour de France, I race 200k races a lot. But now I race the longer races to experience my limits," Ten Dam told Cyclingnews on his drive from the Dallas airport to Hico earlier this week.

"To be honest, I'm 44, get to 45 this year. I would just like to do adventurous things. So it's not a choice in terms of performance, because performance for Unbound XL would have been better to do the Traka shorter version because I was tired for one week after that [Traka 560]. I've done the Traka at 200 [kilometres] a few times already. But I decided I wanted to just see the Pyrenees by night. So that was pretty cool."

Ten Dam did finish the 560-kilometre Traka Adventure at the end of April, participated in Race Around Rwanda but has reeled back his time at the front of the peloton in one-day off-road races. 

"I'm also the coach of the women's Dutch national team. I have a little bit more focus on the company, Live Slow Ride Fast which is growing, and the kids, they are getting older and they have more stuff to do, so there's less time to train. So for me it's about shifting to adventure. You know, I did Tour Divide last year, I did Race Around Rwanda this year, also Traka 560. So in the time I have, I try to do adventurous rides now."

Ten dam has a second place and a pair of fourth place finishes at Unbound Gravel 200. Last year he and fellow Dutchman Thomas Dekker made an unplanned trip to a Marietta, Kansas jail the night before the race start, which depleted their energy for the 200-mile ride. Both were arrested for ‘inappropriate behaviour in public spaces’ when they stripped themselves of dirty clothing next to their motor vehicle to wash off and be presentable at a local restaurant. 

Hours later after processing in the jail, the two paid bail charges and were released. Without the full dinner and rest they had planned, Dekker finished 42nd and Ten Dam 50th at Unbound 200.

So for the change to the long-distance XL this year, Ten Dam has not spent a lot of time researching the course, admitting "the thing with the 350, I don't know if it's just another 150 miles more of Flint Hills, or if I just go further. Actually I have no clue."

While Morton edged Ten Dam for a podium spot at the 2023 200-miler, the Dutchman did not expect a bunch sprint for the longer distance. "I would like to follow him, especially when it's 350. We'll see what happens."

Texas Hill Country

Gravel Locos has become the go-to warm up for Unbound for many Europeans, as they have a chance to adjust to the central time zone, the chunky rocks, intense elevation changes as well as hot and humid weather. While Unbound is not expected to be sizzling hot, Texas is, with temperatures reaching 35°C (95° Fahrenheit). 

Among the 'Dutch Mafia' riders joining Ten Dam in the US for the Texas-Kansas doubleheader include 2023 Unbound Gravel 200 winner Ivar Slik, Jasper Ockeloen, Niki Terpstra and Ramon Sinkeldam. The Texas race, GL for short, can be a good excuse for relaxed time with other cyclists, and race founder Fabian Serralta.

"It's nice for the European guys. It's only one week before [Unbound], and the race is a little shorter this year, which means there is time to recover. It's a dress rehearsal here. It's a test for the body, the mind, the material," Ten Dam said.

"I always make sure my trips are nice, and then if you have a flat tyre and something bad happens, the year after you still want to return because you went to a Rangers [baseball] game, for example. There's a dinner for the Dutch Mafia with him [Thursday], also a dinner with all the racers coming, a Friday morning ride with everyone on a gentle pace. We have fun Saturday night with burgers with the people who arrive a few hours later [after pros finish]. What Fabian [Serralta] created is great.

Saturday's Texas Hill country 118-mile race, reduced from 157 miles last year, will also be a stop for Ted King, Emily Newsom, Brennan Wertz, Adam Roberge, Mattia de Marchi and a group of PAS Racing riders including Morgan Aguirre, Karolina Migoń, Mads Würtz Schmidt and Tobias Kongstad last year's third-placed Unbound 200.

"The route this year is shorter because we are only one week away from Unbound. Although the GL110 is shorter, the elevation gain is very similar to that of the GL150. All the big climbs are still part of it, all of the water crossings are included, five aid stations, SAG support and on route bike mechanics," race founder Serralta told Cyclingnews.

"This year I gave free registration to women in the month of February. We gave out approximately 150 free registration to women. I also gave approximately 50 free registrations to people experiencing economic hardships and kept their names private. We also gave out 20-25 free registrations to juniors this year.

"There is no prize purse. The pros have been very supportive of my decision to instead give those funds to Hico. My goal from day one still remains."

Serralta said his biggest reward for starting the race five years ago has been the money raised, approximately $300,000 to date, for the Hico Volunteer Fire Department and for the City of Hico. He does most of the work himself with the help of two friends, Robert Parker and Eric Mulcahy, to save money on staff. They make the trophies, handle social media, cook the food, his favourite being the hot dogs and serving Cuban coffee at rest stop number five.

Ten Dam was looking forward to relaxed time, and a little racing, in Texas.

"So it's long days in the saddle we encounter here. So for us it's like we have to freshen up the memory of the Flint Hills, or the stones in Texas, for a long, long day. And some new competitors of course. Not a lot of US guys go to Europe to train or to race, right? 

"I think they go [to Gravel Locos] to enjoy these things. And then from Monday, the focus will be on Unbound."

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