Teamwork is important in road biking, but in gravel, the emphasis is on the individual, and support riders are the exception. Russell Finsterwald, a key rider in the Unbound Gravel 200, was grateful that Howard Grotz was one of those exceptions in the Flint Hills of Kansas.

"It was my teammate [Grotz] who was originally part of the lead pack this weekend," Finsterwald said in an Instagram post.

"We came into the day with the plan that we would race as a team and he would be in a support role, providing mechanics and assistance in the chase.

The two Specialized Offroaders were in the lead group of seven about 11 miles into the race, and after a particularly tough mud section, they opened up a considerable gap. It is a tactic often used in other disciplines, but not necessarily an uncontroversial approach in gravel. However, this tactic proved to be a decisive advantage and kept Finsterwald away from the leading racers, who lost their chance due to mechanical problems.

"When I got a flat tire with about 30 miles to go, Howie swapped wheels with me. I really enjoyed riding with him through the chaos and mud early on, and his sacrifice motivated me to get through the dark moments throughout the day, hoping to bring home a win for the team."

"It wasn't a minor puncture, it took him almost 20 minutes to fall over.

"Thank you, Howard."

This was the sacrifice mentioned by Payson McElveen. He was forced to abandon the race from near the front after suffering debilitating back spasms, but stayed involved by posting updates on his Instagram story. He analyzed that while Grotz saved the race, there was a price to pay for its flatness for Finsterwald.

"Russell had to chase and burn matches on his own, despite a quick change of wheels.

Still, the quick change was enough to see Finsterwald head down the narrow finish straight as the sprint unfolded in the lead pack. The winner was Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz), with the Specialized Offroad rider finishing in sixth place, one place up from 2022.

"It was an up-and-down challenge, both terrain-wise and psychologically, but I have good memories.

"I was happy to pass the wheel (to Finsterwald) around mile 25. From there, I just kept chugging along.