‘Rainstorm came in and changed everything’ – Peter Stetina and Ted King crash out of Unbound XL while Lachlan Morton is the first casualty in 200-mile race

The threats of overnight rain in eastern Kansas came as predicted and turned sections of the prairie roads into pools of water and mud, the kind that hide dangers from unsuspecting tyres, destroy derailleurs and derail contenders for pro races, both Unbound Gravel 200 and Unbound XL.

Lachlan Morton (EF Education-EasyPost) was the first major casualty on Saturday at Unbound 200. He was off the bike just beyond the 50-mile mark and short of the Texaco Hill climb, sitting on the side of a dirt road due to an apparent crash. Details were not confirmed, but Morton pulled out of the race.