Jan Bakelants at the Vuelta a Espana in 2022 Belgian breakaway artist Jan Bakelants makes his first trip to the United States this week to compete at Unbound Gravel 200. He retired from the pro road peloton after his 17th season in 2022 and wasted no time in fashioning a new getaway, on and off the bike.
He’s pursuing a sports management degree, mixing in some off-road events in Europe, making a documentary on riding gravel and commentating on the Giro d’Italia for Belgian TV station VTM. A trip to Kansas wasn’t at the top of the list a few short months ago.
"There are so many places in the world you can visit. And yeah, Kansas probably wouldn’t be my first choice, because going [so far] comes at the cost of going somewhere else. The opportunity is good, a quick stop and go," Bakelants told Cyclingnews the day after he hit US soil in Kansas City on Tuesday.
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After Unbound there is no sightseeing, as he returns directly to Belgium. "It’s maybe better to arrive earlier and overcome the jet lag, and get used to the heat, but it’s also part of the experience."
And why not make a splash at Unbound Gravel, the world’s most prestigious gravel race? Bakelants earned the biggest victory of his road career at the 2013 Tour de France, where his first pro victory on the WorldTour came on stage 5 in Corsica, […]
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