Fine 33 mile shakeout ride and then hit Radius Brewepub for lunch (delicious!), grabbed our numbers and cruised the expo. Caught up with a couple of old industry buddies and saw more pros than you can imagine.
Also yanked off the aerobars and swapped out my HB back to the Enve AR carbon bars.
Another easy roll tomorrow and then it is showtime. Stress has definitely eased a bit since we left….no need to obsess about what to pack / bring anymore. 
In what ways are domestic pros gatekeeping? From everything I see, they have been welcoming the competition from EU/WT riders. The smart riders know that big names bring more eyes which brings more $'s to everyone. And I don’t think anyone is claiming that the US off-road scene is in the same universe as the WT. One is an interesting side show with no significant $ involved and the other is a borderline mainstream sport (at least in some regions).
The days of Strickland and Stetina preaching spirit of gravel sermons seem like a distant memory and I personally never saw that as gatekeeping as much as a misguided romantic vision they were promoting (poorly). Trying to promote grass roots riding/racing etiquette for people who are racing for their next job/paycheck was naive and idealistic, but actually well intentioned from my perspective.
The issue for WT pros at unbound has typically been execution more than fitness/power. Even if he’s not at peak fitness, he should have the motor to be there at the end if he executes well and has decent luck. He seems like a smart bike racer, I don’t see him going out and taking dumb risks and ending his day early (see Quin Simmons, Taylor Phinney, etc.). But it’s still a long day with a lot of things to go wrong. With the way Keegan has been executing these races, he’d still be my favorite, but I’d definitely take the field over him this year if I had to place a bet.
If I hear this kind of chatter from a guy I’m competing with, I’d be on high alert. Of course he blew up… OK, maybe he did, but I seriously doubt Mahoric loses the front group due to fitness.
I like Matt Beers in this race as well. I think there are enough selective spots where his off-road skills will be a benefit and he clearly has the engine to rip things apart at these choke points. I’m not sure he has the tactical background to “race smart” at unbound, but that could make things interesting.
7 one day races in the legs already this year all over 200km. MSR and Flanders close to 300km…i’m sure it’s a bit of gamesmanship
I agree, the problem that most WT pros have is execution. They do not prepare for a mostly self supported race where the racer plays a much greater role in managing their fueling and equipment. There is strategy and skill in doing both of these things. And if you are not prepared for it and things go wrong (and they often do over the course of 200 miles) you usually can’t overcome it with fitness. If you have never plugged a tire. If you can’t put in a tube in less than 5 minutes. You are probably going to have a bad day.
Anyone been doing 30-35 hr training weeks?
Side note: I’ve been listening to these Roadman podcasts for the past couple of months. Very good. Worth checking out.
Yeah, I’ve been enjoying his podcasts for a while, as well. Really high caliber of guests (current and former WT pros and coaches, LeMond numerous times, nutritionists), and a pretty pragmatic no bullshit approach. Always seems very well prepared, too, with no wasted time waffling around trying to figure out what to talk about next.
Looks like the rain today and tonight has gone down significantly, thank the lawd
If we talk about the weather are we jinxing it?
I need to get a shake out ride in today, going to let it dry out
God bless.
Did a shakeout near town yesterday. Nice gravel, not nearly the hills I’m used to in VT 
. Going to drive up to Eskridge to ride Divide Road this morning and might take a peak at Little Egypt.
Please report back if you can. I heard Little Egypt was graded again this week and is in better shape than usual (and it wasn’t bad when I rode it last month).
Anyone swapping tires
Currently on 47 don’t think I want to go 40mm
I switched back to 47 pathfinders this morning and put my 42’s on my pit wheels. Probably going to drive out to eskridge later today and check out that stretch of divide road and make a final call
500W FTP - self reported on the podcast linked above 
Went out about 12.5 miles on the course today….some mud ~mile 10 ( short patch, stay in the center of the road) and then again where we flipped ( longer stretch, not sure how long because we flipped).
Overall, it was very rideable, although some did collect on the frame. Was running my 47’s ( which measure 45) and I had no clogging issues. My buddy was running 40’s on his first-gen Crux so there is VERY little clearance for those tires and he was also OK.
Obviously can’t speak to the rest of the course, but based on what I saw today and the current forecast, I’m sticking with my 47’s.
Bike is washed, freshly waxed chain is on and prepping my drop bags now.
Let’s go racing! 
Yep! Good luck, all!
Rollin 47’s and turning my brain off. Thanks!
Compared to some junk @FergusYL sent me on…
So key. Struggling to do that!!
