Tribute to a man’s best friend – Alexey Vermeulen’s custom-painted ‘Sir Willie’ Enve bike for Unbound Gravel

It’s said that dogs are a man’s (or woman’s) best friend, and gravel racer and ex-WorldTour pro Alexey Vermeulen certainly seems to have a special bond with his dog Sir Willie.

Vermeulen often rides with Sir Willie (whose Instagram page you can see below) housed safely in a backpack. The American rider finished 5th at Unbound in 2022 and came home in 15th place in this year’s Elite 200 race with an average speed of just under 21mph – that was without carrying Sir Willie around the course.