Lozano and Irvine return to Kansas with unfinished business at Unbound Gravel

Team Novo Nordisk’s David Lozano and Declan Irvine are set to line up at the start of one of cycling’s most iconic and demanding events, as Life Time Unbound Gravel presented by Shimano returns for its 19th edition on Saturday May 30, sending riders out across the rugged, rural terrain of the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas. 

The showcase event racks up 207 miles (333km) with over 9,000 feet of climbing  — a brutal test of endurance, grit and self-sufficiency that sits in a different world to the road racing both riders have been immersed in this spring. The 2026 course is a special one for the race’s 20th anniversary, combining iconic sectors from both the northern and southern routes with new roads to create a truly unique edition. 

The route heads south out of Emporia from the start, with riders hitting the rolling uphill section of Yy Road at 15 miles in towards the Towers climb, featuring chunky gravel and creek crossings.  After passing through the first elite feed zone in Madison at mile 43.5, riders face the notorious Texaco Hill between miles 59 and 63 — a staple of the southern Unbound routes — followed quickly by the steep gradients of Teeter Hill at mile 69.  A unique aspect of the event is that the course is entirely unmarked, so riders must navigate using downloaded maps, with outside support only permitted at designated checkpoints. 

Lozano arrives in Emporia for what he describes as his “second and a half” Unbound experience, with a history at the race that has been anything but straightforward. “This year will be my second and a half year racing Unbound and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s always nice to know something in advance but I feel every year for me it’s been completely new — the first year I crashed out at the front of the race and broke my scapula and couldn’t see the rest of the parcours. So the next year was completely new for me, and this year the parcours is completely new again.”

The Spaniard is philosophical about his route knowledge going in. “Experience with the course will depend on the recons we can do,” he said, “but at the same time it’s an advantage knowing a bit how to manage the long kilometres and the teamwork with the staff we need to do to lose the minimum time possible in the tech areas.” Despite a road-focused spring, Lozano feels ready. “My preparation was not really specific to gravel since the main season is road, but I had some long and nice days out with the gravel and road bike to get some of the miles we need. I think this year will be special since we are mixing north and south — but the rain will tell if it’s 100% epic or a record-breaking course, since everyone is getting faster and more prepared for this kind of event.”

For Irvine, this will be his third appearance at Unbound, and the Australian arrives with hard-won experience and a point to prove after the heartbreak of last year. “Third time racing Unbound has given me lots of knowledge,” he said. “The first year I didn’t know what to expect and came in naive — not knowing what I was in for! I ended up having a great race, coming 24th, so I came back the second year putting all my energy into the race.” That second campaign, however, ended in cruel fashion. “Last year I prepared the best I have for any race I’ve ever started and it was all going well until I had a flat which took me out of the race. These things happen — especially in gravel — and going into this year I know what to expect, have done the right training and have a good mindset.”

Elite men start at 5:50am CDT on Saturday May 30, with free live coverage available on the Life Time Grand Prix YouTube channel for nearly seven hours of racing.  For two athletes who manage type 1 diabetes, the unique logistical challenges of Unbound — remote terrain, limited support and unpredictable conditions — add another layer of complexity to an already formidable challenge. But if Team Novo Nordisk’s story has taught the world anything, it is that complexity is no barrier to ambition.