Cameron Jones (Scott-Shimano) had a decision to make at Unbound Gravel 200. He could race conservatively with a view to securing a wildcard spot in the Life Time Grand Prix, or go all-in, risk it and try to win outright. The 24-year-old chose the latter, and it worked.
After 202 miles of relentless Kansas gravel, Jones sprinted away from Simon Pellaud (Tudor) on the final climb into Emporia to take his first Unbound 200 victory and, with it, assure himself a position in the Grand Prix series via one of the four men's wildcard spots on offer.
Jones, who had applied for the 2025 Grand Prix earlier this year but was not initially selected, knew Unbound was his best shot at earning a wildcard. The recipients of the wildcards would be decided based on the results of the first two series races of the season – Unbound and Sea Otter Gravel, where he came across the line 12th but was third among those chasing a wildcard.
“This whole wildcard thing, it’s kind of in my best interest to play it safe—like, it’s not just the race I can lose, it’s the chance to be in the Grand Prix,” Jones said. “But every time I sit down, I’m like, ‘Who am I kidding?’ I always go out and race like I’ve got nothing to lose. And yeah, it worked out this time.”
That all-in approach was clear from the start. Jones made his move around 150 miles to go, bridging across to an early breakaway before going clear alongside Tudor Pro Cycling’s Simon Pellaud. From there, the duo never looked back, building a gap of over seven minutes on a fragmented chase and working together deep into the Kansas headwinds. For Jones, the risk was part of what drove him toward the reward.
“Bridging across the breakaway, you get a sense of risk there, and that definitely gives you a few extra watts,” he said.
The effort wasn’t without its challenges. Jones admitted the toughest stretch came after the Alma aid station as the pair faced a relentless headwind with about 30 miles to go. “That was definitely the hardest moment, digging deep into the headwind,” Jones said. “But once we turned the corner, we had a cross or tailwind all the way home, and the splits going up gave us extra morale.”
Jones credited not only his legs but his meticulous preparation for the win. After struggling with hydration in last year’s Unbound, he and his team—his parents in the feed zones—came prepared.
“Last year, my undoing was those feed zones and not taking enough water. This time, I brought way more than I needed and ate it all anyway,” he said, noting he took on nearly five and a half liters of water and multiple ice socks to stay cool. “If the only thing that went wrong today was not doing up my first hydration bottle properly, that’s a pretty lucky day out.”
Jones also dialed in his equipment choices, describing his setup as “perfect” for the demands of the Flint Hills.
The win secured Jones the top spot among the men’s wildcard contenders so with the victory, Jones not only proved he can go long and fast against the world’s best but also punched his ticket to the rest of the Grand Prix season.
“Guess it’s time for Leadville now,” Jones said with a grin, already looking ahead to the next challenge in the six-race series.
After a dominant performance in Emporia, he’s no longer a wildcard, he’s a contender.
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