Lifetime Fitness has confirmed that the seven-hour Garmin Unbound Gravel live race presented by Kraft Sportswear will be broadcast on June 5 by its new partner, Frobikes. This is the first time an American gravel race will be streamed live to the entire United States.

The live coverage will begin at 12:00 CDT on Saturday to coincide with the estimated finish time of the Unbound Gravel 100 and will continue until the Unbound Gravel 200-miler completes the final 25 miles and crosses the finish line in downtown Emporia, Kan. in downtown Emporia, Kansas.

Two-time U.S. Olympian Frankie Andrew, who raced professionally for 11 years, will join commentary, as will Janelle Spilker, who finished third in the 200-mile race in Emporia after racing professionally for eight years. In addition to live coverage on the race course, the cameras will take viewers on a tour of the city of Emporia and the Gravel Expo, as well as exclusive interviews with the athletes.

Last contested in 2019 as Dirty Kanza, Amity Rockwell (Easton Overland Gravel Team) won her second title in the women's 200 race, while Colin Strickland (Meteor X Giordana) won the men's 200 in 2019.

FloSports said in a press release that it expects Unbound Gravel to stream more than 200 miles of racing covering seven hours of programming.

"This is the first time a gravel race has been produced at this level, so we believe it will be one of the most exciting broadcasts of the year for fans who love cycling," said Ryan Fenton, director of global rights acquisition for FloSports ... [Gravel racing is one of the most fascinating disciplines in cycling, and UNBOUND has become the premier event for the sport. This partnership reaffirms our commitment to lead and invest in the growth of the sport of cycling and raise the profile of these athletes. This first-of-its-kind broadcast is an integral part of FloBikes' success, in addition to our unparalleled coverage of prestigious events around the world."

FloSports will serve as the exclusive media partner for Unbound Gravel, part of a two-year partnership with Life Time. 15]

"FloSports will represent the boom in gravel cycling for the next two years as Garmin We are very excited about the decision to offer this first-of-its-kind opportunity to bring UNBOUND Gravel to the masses," said Kimo Seymour, President of Events and Media at Life Time

.

"The gravel scene is unlike other cycling events, where participants train for months for UNBOUND after waiting for the lottery results. For many, it is a bucket list accomplishment.

Known as Dirty Kanza when the event first began in 2006, the 2020 event was rescheduled and then canceled due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, so owner Lifetime last fall rebranded the event as Unbound Gravel. Last year, 4,000 people registered to attend.

Physically and mentally demanding, the event covers distances across the prairie ranging from 25 miles to over 350 miles (the new XL event). It will be one of the largest gravel races in the world, with professional riders from cyclocross, road, track, and mountain biking disciplines and thousands of amateurs competing in six races over three days. All races are held on the rugged terrain of the Flint Hills in mid-eastern Kansas, with the Unbound Gravel 200 being the signature event.