Ten years after riding his first Unbound Gravel 200 in 2013, Yuri Hauswald (Giant) was inducted into the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame. The California native had two solo wins at the 24-Hours of Adrenaline and at top 10 at the 2006 24-Hour World Championships, so was looking for new challenges, but admitted "I went out there from Northern California, having absolutely no idea what gravel was".
He etched his name into the Unbound Gravel history books on his third ride with the elite men's victory, nailing a two-rider sprint at the finish to stop the clock at 13:01:17. The average speed was 15.44 mph (24.84 kph). By 2022, elite men had broken the 10-hour mark and in 2025 Cameron Jones (Scott Sports USA-RCC) blazed a new mark riding to the win in 8:37:09, an average of 23.49 mph (37.80 kph).
He makes his annual pilgrimage to Emporia for a 13th edition of the race this year, this time lining up at the back of the field for Life Time Foundation's 'Chase the Race', raising funds for a bike skills park for a local Emporia youth mountain bike team. He called it a 'no-brainer' to ride for a cause rather than just a placing, and this way there's no need to be concerned with an average speed.
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"It was a different dynamic. You know, in my time we were all blue-collar folks that had day jobs," Hauswald, a former teacher, told Cyclingnews about the changes in gravel racing across a dozen years. "The horsepower, truly, was like a tectonic shift when Ted King showed up, and it was great.
"The first human that really changed the race with Ted King, Peter Stetina and Ian Boswell helped for sure. On the women's side, it was Rebecca Rusch and Amanda Naumann. It's great for the sport. I have nothing but love for the growth and change that I've seen with Unbound."
The technological changes have experienced warp speeds just like the efforts of elite riders. Hauswald has a role with Gu Energy Labs and is a part-owner of Merchant Cycles, the investment just three years ago confirming him as an honorary Emporian. He sees the technology side blossoming as quickly as the outputs of human horsepower.
"Gravel basically created its own separate, niche industry with gravel bikes, gravel tyres, gravel shoes, gravel kits, all these things. Specifically, gravel bikes have changed. I did my first Unbound on a carbon cyclo-cross bike that I could barely fit 38 tyres on it. Now, people would laugh if you showed up with 38s," Hauswald noted, and laughed.
"So all bikes now have massive tyre clearance now. One of the biggest technological changes you're seeing these days, particularly in the last couple years, are aerodynamic tube shaping, which is trickling down from time trialling. You're seeing like one piece carbon cockpits, where the bar and stem are all one in frame storage units. And in the last two years, you have the UDH universal derailleur hanger.
"You have wider rims, and tyre technology has been trying to keep up with the demand. So there are all these technological changes that have happened, and I'm probably missing a few."
What does all this mean? Riders are fast, can make a solid living on gravel and Hauswald's bike shop thrives on "the biggest week of the year" with Unbound Gravel, and the 5,000-plus amateurs and pros in town for the event.
'Chase the Race'
Hauswald turned pro as a mountain bike racer at the age of 36. He won Unbound Gravel 200 at the age of 45. He is still quite fit and passionate about riding a bike, but his priorities to reach the finish line have a new perspective.
This year he lines up at the back of the age-group field in the back, and for every rider he passes, it translates into raising funds for the Life Time Foundation, specifically a facility for local youth in Emporia, many on the Coyotes mountain team with a high school league. It was inspired by the NorCal Interscholastic Cycling League, where Hauswald's wife, Vanessa, was the executive director for many years.
"It's actually way more than just the challenge for me. I taught elementary school for 12 years while I was chasing the dream of being a pro racer, and so anything that I can do to help kids move is great, because I've seen the power of movement," Hauswald told Cyclingnews.
"My pedal strokes this year will help build a bike skills park in a town that has changed the trajectory of my career and enhanced my life in so many ways. It was a no-brainer for me to say yes. What I'm doing this year is, you know, the most impactful thing I think I could do as a rider, so I'm really, really motivated."
He's already had individuals hand him $20-$100 for the cause, GU has set up a $3,000 matching challenge and one company pledged $10,000. The goal of $50,000 had passed the 50% mark before race day, with the Life Time Foundation accepting online donations through the early June.
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