Peter Stetina would be the first to say that spring has not been the smoothest of springs. From dealing with a broken wrist to organizing his own gravel event, Stetina's Carson City Paidert, to preparing to welcome twins with his wife this summer, it's safe to say life has been busy for the 34-year-old Stetina.

Despite all of this, Stetina feels ready for the Garmin Unbound Gravel presented by Craft, having been on the podium twice in 2019 and 2021 with second and third place finishes, respectively, and with his wrist healed and out of braces. He will be at the starting line with his wrist healed and out of braces.

Since then, he says he and his longtime mechanic, Wayne Smith, aka "Big Tall Wayne," have "gotten the hang of unbound," and this time Stetina is serious about that top step.

"I really think the Unbound is the biggest, most prestigious gravel race in the world. I want to get that feather in my cap. I want to win that feather," Stetina told Cycling News before arriving in Emporia, Kansas, for the Unbound.

"Wayne and I have developed a pretty reasonable setup for this race. Unbound is always the biggest logistical mess of the year. It's a whole different ballgame than fitness. The famous Flint Hills of Kansas flint is like a razor blade. You can still find Native American arrowheads there. Above all, the tires must be protected.

"There is more to success in Unbound than just fitness. I train at high altitude in Lake Tahoe with my friend and training partner Levi Leipheimer.

"However, you don't want to put too much pressure on yourself, because that's what you're going to do.

Logistics are one of the factors that make Unbound unique, and Stetina says it is one of the most complex on the gravel calendar. Riders must be completely self-supported outside of two aid stations and must finish in the same frame.

"You have to be prepared for anything. That means Wayne and I are prepared for any scenario. Wayne has the rear derailleur ready to change within 60 seconds. Fueling is critical. Dehydration is a big problem. And the pits themselves run like Formula 1 style. It has to be fast and precise. Tire choice is also important. I really love it."

Unbound, Stetina said he is running IRC double-cross tires. He used these tires last year and is confident in their performance on the sharp flintstone rocky terrain that riders will encounter.

"I'll probably put a new set on the night before the race to make sure there are no minuscule slices in the casing and fresh orange sealing. We have to put in sealant and refill that sealant and a lot of tire plugs. The course is all southern now and many of us have not seen the south. So if we have to change tires, we'll bring some other tires when we do the pre-ride."

This year's route heads south from Emporia, the starting point, into Greenwood and Chase counties. Due to heavy rains and river flooding over the past few days, parts of the course of the Unbound 200 were deemed impassable. The original route was 204.6 miles long, but was slightly modified to head east instead of south at the Eureka checkpoint, and as of June 2, the updated route was 199.98 miles (321.8 km) long.

While Stetina was busy training and preparing for Unbound Gravel, she found time to organize her own off-road event on May 21 in Carson City, Nevada. Primary Goal] To remind the community why they fell in love with the discipline in the first place. He plans to host another one in 2023.

"I wanted to make it the best day on the bike," he said of the inaugural event. So I asked myself what would be the best day on a gravel bike."

"I promised the riders at the starting line that this would be the most unique race ever, for better or worse. There are timed sections like this one. There are some strange aid stations. We'd traverse the Carson Valley from mountain range to mountain range. It really was like an expedition. And all in all, I think we did well and I hope everyone else felt the same way. My cup overflowed with excitement and happiness for the event and the community."

Paydirt served the community in other ways as well. For many, it was the first time they had raced together since the tragic murder of gravel star Moriah 'Mo' Wilson in Austin, Texas, on May 11.

"I can't speak for everyone, and I can't say I gave everyone closure, but I feel like there was a silver lining for a lot of people," Stetina said.

"Mo was part of the NorCal cycling community. Many of her close friends and training partners signed up. I think a lot of her friends were kind of hiding, showing up in public for the first time since the tragedy.

"Flavia Olivier, the women's champ, said she thought about Mo all day and in the technical section she saw Mo's ghost dancing away from her in the corner. I think it was a healing experience for many. Then again, I can't speak for everyone. But I felt like I did. There were a lot of hugs there."

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