Unbound entry headache for Thomas Dekker, Laurens ten Dam skips race for first time in five years

Thomas Dekker has spent the past few weeks and months preparing properly for Unbound Gravel, but his participation is now somewhat up in the air. The former Dutch pro has been placed in the age-group field, even though he says he registered for the elite race at the major American gravel event.

The next edition of Unbound takes place in Emporia, Kansas, from May 29 to 31. In recent years, Dutch attention has often centred on Laurens ten Dam, but he will not be taking part for the first time in five years. On June 12, Ten Dam is set to start his second Tour Divide, the long-distance race that runs from the Canadian border with the United States all the way to the Mexican border.

Dekker, meanwhile, had been preparing for Unbound, where the 200-mile race will be held on Saturday, May 30. “I did take a bit of a hit this week. I woke up and our friend from Las Vegas sent me a message: you’re in the age category,” Dekker said on the Live Slow, Ride Fast podcast with Ten Dam and Stefan Bolt.

The 41-year-old Dekker has therefore been placed among the 40-to-44-year-olds. “I just feel like having a good day out and, in principle, I don’t mind that, but I registered for the elite race. That means you have to sign a WADA thing and so on, but nowhere did it say that I was in that age category. I only had a message saying I was allowed to take part, so all year I assumed I would be able to start with the elite.”

Dekker also knows where the problem lies. “The issue is that I have to provide results, and my last race was Unbound 2024. They make that classification themselves. I am still trying to sort something out, but if my final option does not work, then I do have a problem. In that case, I think I won’t go,” said Dekker. “I really would not feel like it at all. It is quite a hassle.”

For Dekker, it is a blow to his preparation, he admitted. “If you sign up for that, then I think it is fine to ride in the age group. But that is not what I did. It is not good for your motivation either; it does affect you. In my own way, I was taking Unbound pretty seriously,” Dekker concluded. For him, the hope is now that a solution can still be found from the United States, allowing him to race in the elite category after all.