Piotr Havik achieves a fourth place on Ridley at Unbound

Piotr Havik finished fourth last weekend at the mythical Unbound Gravel. In Kansas, the rider of the Classified Ridley Factory Team fueled by Foodmaker delivered a particularly strong performance and was part of the trio vying for third place. Eventually, the 29-year-old Dutchman claimed the fourth spot on the podium.

Unbound Gravel is the most captivating gravel race in the world. It entails a journey of a whopping 200 miles (327 kilometers) through the 'Sunflower State' with 3,700 meters of elevation gain. Over 90% of the race traverses unpaved roads, making it a true test for the athlete and their equipment. The Classified Ridley Factory Team fielded three riders, Piotr Havik, Toby Perry, and guest rider Arno Van den Broeck. Annabel Fisher started but had to withdraw due to illness.

The mythical aspect of the race is amplified by the lack of live footage, so Unbound Gravel must be followed through text updates and timing recordings. Many enthusiasts spent an entire Saturday scrolling through various channels to follow the performances of the top riders. They learned that world champion Matej Mohoric quickly took the lead and turned the race into a true battle of endurance. It would become the fastest edition ever.

During the final 100 kilometers, the cream rose to the top. Former pros Lachlan Morton and Chad Haga attacked together with Thijs Zonneveld, but the latter suffered a mechanical issue and fell back. In the end, Australian Morton won in a fierce sprint against Haga. Piotr had broken away with Dane Tobias Kongstad and Italian Mattia De Marchi in the background. He sprinted to fourth place, and with five spots on the podium, he had the honor of greeting the crowd the next day.

Piotr demonstrated his top-level sportsmanship afterwards. "The goal was to go for the win or top three, and we were close. With such a strong field, we should be satisfied and proud of this result and remain hungry for the future. I tried to make the move around 70 kilometers from the finish, but the gap turned out to be a minute too large. In the final kilometers, I managed to salvage a podium spot. The Classified powerhub made the difference today, and with a 54-tooth chainring, I launched myself towards the climbs without losing momentum while shifting."

Arno finished in a particularly impressive 30th place on his Kanzo Adventure. Unfortunately, Toby didn't finish. At Ridley, we are incredibly proud of our riders' performance and are already looking forward to the gravel World Championships, which will take place in our own Belgian backyard. Being on the podium of this iconic classic with our bikes confirms all the hard work we have put in over the past few years.