‘Unbound decides’ – Australia’s Brendan Johnston prepared but pragmatic ahead of Kansas gravel showdown

Answering the call of gravel has served Brendan Johnston well, allowing the Australian to finally follow his multi-discipline passion and prowess on the bike to a life as a professional cyclist, but he has also learnt that gravel can be as fickle as it is fulfilling particularly when it comes to the jewel in the crown, Unbound 200.

The 33-year-old fully immersed himself in gravel from the start of the 2023 season, joining the Life Time Grand Prix series with the Australian champion’s jersey on his back and a determination to establish himself in the US scene so he could make this chance to turn professional into a lasting experience. There is no doubt he’s done that, with the rider who racked up a long list of prestigious wins across disciplines in Australia while working full-time as an electrician now also having taken seventh and fourth overall in the Life Time series the past two years. He has also had a win at the Belgian Waffle Ride series along with podium places at other US races while also adding an extensive list of top step gravel appearances when he returns home and pins on a number. 

This season, Johnston’s third competing in the Life Time series, may only be in its early phase but already has bought considerable success as while he may have passed along the Australian champion's jersey his tally is still five gravel races for three wins. He claimed a UCI Gravel World Series victory at Tasmania’s Devils Cardigan, a US win at Salty Lizard and a season opening victory at RADL GRVL in South Australia in January.

“I think I managed to execute them well and recover really well, and still maintain good training around around them,” Johnston said of the early season races, with the continued focus on training around them crucial because the rider from Canberra’s focus was squarely calibrated toward another target.

“I put a lot into Unbound this year,” Johnston told Cyclingnews a week out from the race. “It's been my goal since the end of the season last year, so it's been nice to have some good sort of moments along the way but all along, the goal has been Unbound. Even arriving at other races, I've still had eyes on this one.”

Unbound 200, which will this year play out on May 31, is the event that can instantly transform a rider from one of the pack into the star turn. There is no bigger prize on offer in gravel than the prestige of being able to call yourself an Unbound 200 winner and Johnston has strengths as a rider that play into the long-range challenge. 

Still Johnston has also discovered first hand some of the things that can go wrong while racing 200 miles across the Flint Hills of Kansas. His debut appearance was in the tough edition of 2023 and his race was effectively over 11 miles. He fell prey to the equipment destroying mud pit that left him trying to battling through on a bike that couldn’t shift gears for some time before ultimately having to pull the pin. Then he finished 15th second time round, as while he made the lead group in 2024 he then suffered three punctures.

“The win is what I've had in my mind and what I'm set on, but I feel like you don't really decide that you can win Unbound – Unbound decides who wins, and it's a bit foolish to go in expecting that as such,” said Johnston. “All I can do is prepare the best I can and I think I've done that. 

“I feel great within myself, been doing all the the one percenters really well. I want to arrive here in the shape that I can win the race and I feel like I am.”

The mental game

This third time racing Unbound Johnston characterises his form and preparation as "probably better than ever", with the rider having given himself a solid lead in time in Emporia. That not only gives him time to recover from the impact of the long flight from Australia and time zone change, which flips day and night, but also to spend time on the course as well as prepare equipment and hone fueling strategies.

Johnston has also stepped it up a notch on another level too for the race where the winning time comes in at over nine or even ten hours.

“I've trained a lot, the physical parts and then also the mental parts. I've been working hard with the sports psychologists now to really overcome some things that I've struggled with in the past, especially in longer races where it gets touch and go," he said.  "So I'm feeling good about that, which you need in this race. Your mind and body both become compromised when you get 6, 7, 8 hours in."

The level of attention to detail has become every more crucial with the growing depth of the field and recognition of the race, which generates a swathe of interest that extends beyond the gravel world.

"There's so many guys," said Johnston when asked about the riders he sees as key rivals at the event media conference. "It's crazy actually and really cool to see how each year there's more and more contenders – guys from the World Tour, cyclocross mountain bike, all walks of the cycling world – coming to Emporia and taking it on."

That, however, also means that even though 2024 winner Lachlan Morton (EF Education-Easypost) will not be lining up, opting to take on the XL distance instead this year – there is no shortage of rivals. As a result even if the preparation and execution runs without a hitch, there is no easy path to the podium.

"I mean, I think I'll be disappointed if I'm not the winner on the day but so many things have to go right and there's so many parts to this race that you need to to get right to make that happen," Johnston told Cyclingnews. "My goal is to do all those pieces as best I can."

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