'If I give him the wheel, he can win' – The story of Keegan Swenson's sacrifice to help Mads Würtz Schmidt triumph at Unbound Gravel 200

Keegan Swenson, Unbound Gravel 200 champion three years ago, was once again among the frontrunners at this year's edition of the Kansas gravel epic. He'd end up in fifth place in Emporia and had some story to tell at the end of it.

In 2023, the Utahan outpaced Petr Vakoc and Lachlan Morton in a thrilling seven-rider sprint. On Saturday, he rounded out his race in fifth place, 24 minutes down on the winner, Specialized Off-Road teammate Mads Würtz Schmidt. With second-placed Matthew Beers also racing on the Specialized squad, it was a more than successful day on the bike.

Along the way, Swenson, who fractured his hip only three months ago, and his team battled through mechanical maladies before he effectively sacrificed his own shot at glory for the good of his teammates.

Both he and Würtz Schmidt were off the front alone with 75 miles to go, having left behind Cobe Freeburn, when the European gravel champion suffered a massive rear puncture. Swenson, recognising that his teammate had more energy left in his legs, gave up his own wheel to help.

"It was one of those things. The hole is so big – it was like tread to bead. We tried plugging it, but it didn't work, and I was on the limit. I was telling Mads to slow down," Swenson told Cyclingnews reporter Jackie Tyson after the finish.

"I got something tangled in my cassette early, and had to chase for an hour to get back to the front before Madison. I think I spent most of my pennies there, so I was a bit cooked, and I knew that he could make it.

"I wasn't 100% sure that I could make it, and the goal was that one of us had to win the race, so I was like, if I give him the wheel, he can win."

Würtz Schmidt raced on solo, avoiding any further mishaps, and carried a seven-minute lead into the final 50 miles. He'd convert that into victory, the first European to win the men's 200-miler since Ivar Slik in 2022, while further back, Swenson battled on in search of a top placing.

After giving up his own wheel, Swenson managed to fix Würtz Schmidt's – with its broken freehub and all – before getting going again. He managed to link up with a chase group containing Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe road pro Emil Herzog, also racing here under the Specialized umbrella.

"So, I gave him the wheel, and I just got it fixed, and carried on," Swenson said.

"It was a long change, because the freehub had fallen off and I was missing parts, and had to go back and find the parts. For a second, I was like, 'Oh, I guess I'm calling a ride, because I can't pedal.' But then I found the spring and got it fixed, and then we carried on, so...

"Then I was able to catch Emil, who was here riding with us from Bora. He was amazing, a great teammate. I got back to him, and he was like, 'We're still racing for top 10.' So, it kind of re-motivated me to keep pushing."

Herzog told Cyclingnews that he had made a rookie mistake during his debut, including missing the second feed zone. But still, he was on hand to help Swenson, even if the conditions were far from what he's used to.

"It was super fun, but I did some, let's say beginner mistakes, because I missed my second feed. After five-and-a-half hours, I was completely empty, and I just dropped from the wheel," Herzog said.

"I was never able to get back to the group I was in, and then at one point, some riders came, and my teammate Keegan came from the back.

"I worked with him, and then a small group caught us. I spoke with Keegan, and he said he wants to go on the last kicker, and I was then just sitting there, and let the others close the gap."

Swenson and Herzog raced in a group containing Adne Koster (Seka Bikes), Daan Soete (Ridley Racing), Piotr Havik (Castelli SOG x Colgnago), and defending champion Cameron Jones (Scott Sports USA-RCC). Swenson would take off before the end to secure a fifth-place finish with a little help from his new teammate.

"It was a pretty horrible day. It wasn't a great day. But it was a good day for the Specialized squad," Swenson said.

"My back was pretty cooked all day. I was struggling with it. I started to feel a little bit better at the end, I think. I don't know whether everything else was hurting, and it got better.

"I found out we were racing for fifth, and I still had a little bit of gas in the tank, so I attacked on the last climb and finished it."

Herzog clinched eighth place, meaning Specialized grabbed four of the top 10 placings on the day. It was a more-than-solid debut for the 21-year-old German on his first time visiting the USA.

"Then I sprinted, but it was a little bit stupid. I started the sprint as fifth, but it would have been better to start the sprint first or last," he said.

"It was a super cool experience, and for sure I want to come back. I got support from Specialized. They gave me the opportunity, and I'm super thankful for this because it was an awesome week, and I really appreciate it."

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