Lael Wilcox won the women's DKXL 350, and came in sixth overall. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Past winner Alison Tetrick rode alone for much of day, and almost all of it as second female on the gravel. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Olivia Dillion worked hard to stay at front of race, and led the women's field through the middle of the day. Mechanical troubles sent her back to fifth by the end of the day. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Lance Heidet expanded on his road and cyclocross programs with a top-twenty finish. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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The pursuit of Colin Strickland was left to Lachlan Morton, Alex Howes, and Peter Stetina. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Colin Strickland escaped the lead group mid-race, and knew the following hours would be headwind, followed by a tail wind back into Emporia. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Two hundred miles of this terrain tested body and machine. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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2018 winner Ted King stayed active at the front as the pace shed riders around mid-race. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Colin Strickland left the front of the race around mile 95 in a technical area with steep climbs and deep rock. He rode on own for the next five hours to take the win. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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The deep gravel can sometimes stop forward progress. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Sarah Max followed her podium ride at the Belgian Waffle Ride with a third-place in the 200-mile event. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Kiel Reijnen made the most of the early miles before racing got tough. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Amy Charity built a lead of more than six minutes in the women's field before mid-race, but a series of flat tires sent her backward in the standings by end of day. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Chef Matt Accarrino was at the front of the race in the opening miles until a fall and broken collarbone ended his day. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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The men's podium: Payson Mcelveen, Peter Stetina, winner Colin Strickland, Alex Howes and Lachlan Morton (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Early miles of the 200-mile event saw the gravel roads packed with riders. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Downtown Emporia's Commercial Street was filled with starters for the 200-mile event. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Payson McElveen awaited the start alongside other called-up riders. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Taylor Phinney at staging. Early-race flats sent Phinney to mid-pack for the duration of the race. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Exhibitor registration doubled from 2018 according to Dirty Kanza organizers. (Image credit: Will Matthews)
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Kirsten Walker double-checked her set bag full of snacks and gear before the DKXL. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Competitors in the DKXL departed Emporia on Friday, the day before the start of the 200-mile event. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Nico Deportago-Cabrera headed into the night during the DKXL 350. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Jay Petervary and Jake Wells led the DKXL as night fell. Petervary would go on to take the win in 22:31. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Within an hour of the start, the front end of the race was getting stretched out. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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The rocks of the Flint Hills look inncouous but can defeat the best tires. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Street signs are a rare sight on the dirt and gravel roads at Dirty Kanza. The course is unmarked and riders must use GPS or cue sheets and maps. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Peter Stetina grabs one extra sandwich on way out of the first checkpoint. Riders typically swapped their hydration packs with a new, pre-filled pack as mechanics triaged the bike for critical needs. A minute or two and riders were back on course. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Amy Charity built a lead of six minutes over the rest of the women's field before a series of flats deflated her lead and podium chances. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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A creek crossing in the later miles brought welcome cooling on a day where temperatures exceeded forecasts and wore down riders. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Colin Strickland was congratulated by Dirty Kanza founder Jim Cummins after taking the win and setting the first sub ten-hour DK200. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Alex Howes told Lachlan Morton "I suppose I owe you a beer," after their finish. Morton waited when Howes flatted around mile 130. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Amity Rockwell was in disbelief as she crossed the line for the win after working her way up through the women's field. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)
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Ted King at the start (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Amity Rockwell, winner of the Dirty Kanza 200 (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Amity Rockwell, winner of the Dirty Kanza 200 (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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The men's podium: Payson Mcelveen, Peter Stetina, winner Colin Strickland, Alex Howes and Lachlan Morton (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Lachlan Morton backstage (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Lachlan Morton (EF Education First) after Dirty Kanza (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Alex Howes and Lachlan Morton finish in the top five (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Alex Howes and Lachlan Morton finish in the top five (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Peter Stetina after taking second in Dirty Kanza (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Colin Strickland's winning gravel bike (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Colin Strickland, winner of the 2019 Dirty Kanza (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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2019 Dirty Kanza (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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2019 Dirty Kanza (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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2019 Dirty Kanza (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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2019 Dirty Kanza (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Alison Tetrick (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Ted King (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
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Amity Rockwell's winning gravel bike (Image credit: Linda Guerrette (JC Photography))
Colin Strickland (Meteor X Giordana) won the 2019 men’s Dirty Kanza gravel race, crossing the finish line in Emporia, Kansas with his bike raised above his head as he walked across the finish line after just shy of 10 hours of racing.
The lead group eventually split up with the Red Bull athlete Strickland riding away solo for over 150 kilometres to finish 9:06 ahead of Stetina. EF Education First duo of Howes and Morton finished together nearly 20 minutes behind Strickland, after Howes suffered a mechanical, to make up the top-four riders.
Speaking to Velonews after the race, Strickland said: "I rolled the dice and was betting on discord and a lack of cohesion behind. I knew I had to get through 40 miles of headwind, and then I would have a ripping tailwind.
"Catch me if you can in a tailwind, I love to go fast."
Former race winner and WorldTour professional Ted King and Stetina’s Trek-Segafredo teammate Kiel Reijnen also finished in the top 10.
Amity Rockwell (Easton Overland Gravel Team) won the women’s race after being part of the two lead groups that broke ahead after 64 kilometres of racing.
Rockwell, Olivia Dillon (Velocio) and Alison Tetrick (Specialized) were within aronud 10 minutes of each other in the final quarter of the race before Dillon punctured and allowed Rockwell and Dillon to pass before Rockwell then pressed on to move into first place and win solo 16:25 ahead of Tetrick, with Sarah Max in third.
Early race leader Dillon eventually finished in fifth place, nearly an hour down on Rockwell.
The 324.6-kilometre event is a gravel/mixed terrain event through the Flint Hills region of Kansas, USA. A total of 2,700 riders took part in the various races in this year’s edition.
Team leaves empty handed after crash disrupts peloton late on Friday's race
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