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Laurens ten Dam, winner of Gravel Locos in 2021, returned to the US this week taking aim on La Loca in Hico, Texas. It is the first of two American adventures for the Dutchman who has a bullseye on Unbound Gravel. The 150-mile Texas gravel grinder is serving as “the perfect preparation” for what could be a third consecutive sprint finish at Unbound.
The 200-plus mile off-road romp through the Flint Hills has come down to a full gallop on the tarmac for the past two years, with Ten Dam finishing second to Ian Boswell in 2021 and fourth to fellow Dutch rider Ivar Slik in 2022.
“Last year I was part of the Life Time Grand Prix, but this year I bailed because of the traveling. You know, it was really nice to do for one year but to be in and out of the US for races it turned out to be too much of a toll on my family time,” Ten Dam told Cyclingnews, who had two of his sons with him in Texas, taking in a major league baseball game for a more-relaxed visit.
“This year I opted for two or three [North] American trips. I did one in April, I do this one, and maybe one in the autumn. Basically, Unbound is my big goal. I can train like a pro for the next few weeks leading up to Unbound. Then I’ll be more mellow at home, you know, and do stuff with my kids.”
Ten Dam raced five of the six events in 2022 with the Life Time Grand Prix, finishing 12th overall. His best result was at Unbound Gravel 200, where he was second best among the Grand Prix field. Keegan Swenson won the overall title.
Fewer races for the Dutchman in the US this year means he can mix in UCI Gravel World Series events to an off-road programme that also includes bikepacking adventures. He finished 11th overall, second in his age category, at Gravel Fondo Limburg in the Netherlands in April. In August, he plans to race Gravel Grit ‘n Grind in Sweden.
It has been two years since Ten Dam charged onto the endurance scene of pro gravel racing, winning the inaugural Gravel Locos and then finishing second at Unbound Gravel 200. But that year was not his introduction into the world of “alternative” racing, as he gave a few events a try in 2016 while he was still on the WorldTour circuit and living on the west coast of the US that year. The demands of stage racing were beginning to take a toll, but he did not retire for three more years.
“Back in 2016 I did an alternative programme. My first real gravel race was a Grasshopper, which was really nice. So in 2021, I rode Gravel Locos…
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