Lauren Stephens won the Unbound 100 in 2024(Image credit: Future)
Unbound 100 men – l to r – winner Elliott Baring, 3rd Jim Snitzer, 4th Stefano Barberi(Image credit: Future)
US gravel national champion Lauren Stephens (Cynisca) won the women’s division of the Life Time Unbound Gravel 100 while Elliott Baring (Baring Performance) outdueled four other riders to take the men’s victory in Emporia, Kansas.
Stephens crossed the line on Commercial Street in downtown Emporia with a time of 5:06:40, good for the women’s title and placing ninth overall in the full 100-mile field.
Flavia Oliveira Parks was second for the women in Unbound 100 – 15:54 back. Laura King third another 10 minutes back.
The top women’s contenders were mixed with the front group of men for the first 20 miles, the divisions having a combined mass start for the 100-mile race. By the mid-way point, Stephens remained with the men’s front group and eased away from the rest of the women.
“It was a last-minute deal, we decided after Nationals that I was going to do the 100. This is the gravel that I love, you’re just trying to survive and get good training in and have a good day,” Stephens told Cyclingnews at the finish, celebrating her third victory in the 100-mile gravel race.
“Unfortunately I had to stop and put air in my tire at 100k (40 miles to go), it was in a headwind on the road section. It seemed like the group was going slow and then that enticed someone to attack. So I didn’t make it back to the front group. We ended up with a nice group of five or six who worked all together.”
Five men were together at the front on the final paved ascent of the race on Highland Hill. Baring launched his sprint fourth wheel in the group in the final long stretch on Commercial Street to edge Alexis Cartier (Cycles Region-360 Agency), who was second. Baring’s teammate Jim Snitzer was third.
Riders in the 100 mile race, actually 108.5 miles (175km) this year, across the Flint Hills of Kansas started at 7:30 around an hour-and-a-half after the elite riders taking on the headline 200 mile race. The course, which used part of the 200 event route, started and finishes in Emporia and included 3,651 feet (1,113m) of elevation gain.
