The rain of recent days in Emporia Kansas has given way to sunshine, leaving an expectation among key contenders that the course they will be facing in Unbound Gravel 200 on Saturday will be largely dry, though patches of mud could still help shape the outcome.
"This year I think we will encounter some mud in a few spots but, fingers crossed, I don't think it will be like we had in 2023 or 2022," Haley Smith (Trek Driftless), who took fourth last year, said at a Life Time Grand Prix athletes panel on Friday. "But I think it will potentially create a few separations and make some smaller groups out on the road."
The mid-week mud has been drying as rain gave way to warm and sunny conditions ahead of the 200 mile event across the Flint Hills of Kansas.
"I think it’s drying pretty well," said Brendan Johnston (Giant) at the panel session Friday. "It does dry here and I’ve been fortunate to be here for two weeks and I’ve seen a similar amount of rain and then also the time it takes to dry out. So I think by tomorrow, especially the later parts of the course, it's going to be baked by the time we get there anyway."
"On the drive into this now, there was dust on the road, so I think there will be some bogs but otherwise it is going to be fast racing."
Fast and hot
The National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures of 86°F (30°C), a slight chance of showers between 3 and 4 pm and a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm on a mostly sunny day with a west wind of 5-10 mph. The chance of precipitation is put at 20%.
The wind could also be a factor said Smith, while Courtney Sherwell (Santa Cruz), who has recently flown in from Australia where it is approaching winter, also cautioned that competitors shouldn’t be underestimating the toll that could be taken by the heat.
"I think people underestimate the temperature – they may say it’s not going to be too hot, but once that sun is beating down on you out there, there is nowhere to hide," said Sherwell. "So I think the main thing is getting enough fluid in and conserving."
Still, even though the heat may be drying out the riders and course alike, it’s unlikely many will feel comfortable leaving any handy mud-removing device behind because, as Hannah Otto (Scott) said, "The only thing I’m expecting tomorrow is the unexpected."
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