These races are never really lost: Robin Gemperle on Winning Unbound XL

IMAGES: Ri Ganey

TEXT: Robin with Pedaled

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IMAGES: Ri Ganey

TEXT: Robin with Pedaled

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“These Races Are Never Really Lost”

After conquering some of the toughest ultra-distance events in the world, Robin Gemperle arrived in Kansas with unfinished business. A year after his first experience at Unbound XL, he returned with a deeper understanding of the race, the terrain and, perhaps most importantly, himself. What followed was a commanding performance that added one of gravel cycling’s most coveted titles to an already remarkable palmarès. We caught up with Robin shortly after his victory to talk about overcoming setbacks, finding confidence in the second half of the race, and why Unbound XL stands apart from the other ultra-endurance events he has raced.

First off, congratulations. How does it feel to have achieved one of your biggest goals for the season?

Actually, it doesn’t feel particularly huge or special right now. I think I got over it quite quickly. At the same time, I know it’s a very important result.

What I do believe is that when the next race comes around, I’ll notice that the pressure is a bit lower than it would have been if I hadn’t won. I’m trying to enjoy that feeling. It adds a bit of lightness to what’s coming next, and that’s a really nice place to be.

How did your approach to this year's race differ from last year's experience?

The biggest change was my approach to nutrition and refuelling.

I expected that nobody at the front would try to ride the entire race without stopping, so I always assumed one or two resupply stops would be necessary. Still, I wanted to make sure I could go for the first few hundred kilometres without needing to refuel. That was probably the biggest lesson from last year.

If you lose contact with the front too early, the race simply moves away from you.

I also had a much better understanding of the roads, the gravel and the style of riding in that region. That experience helped me make decisions that favoured safety, and looking back, that was probably very smart.

You said you walked a half marathon during the race. Was there a moment when you thought victory — or even finishing — might slip through your fingers?

Definitely. From around race hour four to eight, I didn’t believe I could win. I completely messed up my stomach, had to throw up, and lost contact with the lead group.

That was a really bad moment. Mentally, I wasn’t in a place where I could keep believing in the result. I had to stop focusing on the outcome and instead focus purely on performance.

That shift worked surprisingly well. I slowly found my rhythm again and, after around twelve hours, I was back at the front. At that point I started believing once more. In fact, once I reached the second half of the race, I felt pretty certain that I would be the strongest rider there.

What are the memories or moments from this year's Unbound XL that will stay with you the longest?

One of the biggest highlights was that I wasn’t travelling alone. My brother came with me, and I really enjoyed having him there. At this point in my career, I appreciate having someone around who helps make the whole experience fun. That was a big difference compared to last year.

We even rented a huge pickup truck because we thought that was a very American thing to do. Having a vehicle gave us the freedom to explore a bit more and enjoy the trip beyond the race itself.

One memory that really stands out is going to the same breakfast place every morning — Tortas El Toro. We got to know the people there, had great burritos and just had a really good time. Those moments will stay with me for a long time.

When did you realise that you weren’t just fighting to finish, but that you had a real chance of winning Unbound XL? What was going through your mind at that moment?

When I made it back to the front in the second half of the race, it became pretty obvious that I was at least going to be racing for the win. But I remember exactly when I became convinced it was going to happen.

It was at kilometre 484. There’s nothing special about that number, but I looked down at my Garmin, saw the distance, looked at my power numbers and realised I felt amazing. I was riding very fast and felt incredibly strong. At that moment, I was quite sure that nobody behind would be able to match the pace or close the gap. That was the point when I really believed it was going to work out.

What lessons did you learn from this race that you'll carry into your next ultra-distance event — or even your next Unbound?

This sounds like something I should have learned a long time ago, but Unbound was probably the clearest example of it yet. These races are incredibly long, and they are never really lost. After around 220 kilometres I was thirty minutes down and in a terrible mental state. Yet I managed to close that gap surprisingly quickly.

That experience reminded me that distance itself can be an advantage, especially if you're used to even longer events. There is always time for things to change. So the lesson is simple: never give up. It sounds cheesy, but in races like these it’s often true.

You have described the Transcontinental as the tactical race, the Tour Divide as the mental one and the Silk Road Mountain Race as the adventurous one. What adjective would you give this latest addition to your palmarès?

I still think those descriptions fit those races quite well. Unbound belongs to a slightly different category, but if I had to choose, I would describe it as a physical success.

For me, it was primarily about athleticism rather than adventure. I know some people might disagree because of the weather conditions this year, but honestly, after experiences like the Silk Road Mountain Race, the mud and rain barely registered.

So for me, Unbound XL was above all a physical challenge — and a physical achievement.

Finally, can you tell us about how your kit performed?

I rode the same setup I used at Traka, and at this point I feel incredibly comfortable in it. Especially the bib shorts. They fit me really well, and after a race like this I had no saddle sores or issues at all.

The jersey offers enough storage space for everything you need during a fast ultra race, and I particularly like the small zip pocket on the back. It’s perfect for carrying a bit of money or small essentials.

Overall, it’s a simple, close-fitting, performance-oriented kit, and that’s exactly what you need for races like this.

To be honest, the fact that I don’t have much to say about it is probably the highest compliment. Everything worked exactly as it should.