Rosa UNBOUND – The fastest woman in Kansas
Rosa Klöser takes victory in a dramatic sprint finish in 2024 – and sets the fastest women's time at the UNBOUND 200.
A flat tyre and a fall couldn't stop her. She single-handedly made up the two-minute deficit and crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 10:26:02.
A flat tyre and a fall couldn't stop her. She single-handedly made up the two-minute deficit and crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 10:26:02.
Photography: Sami Sauri
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About Rosa
Rosa Maria Klöser (27) has moved to Denmark to study at Copenhagen Business School.
She is currently writing her PhD thesis. She has only been cycling ambitiously for two years and has never ridden a distance as long as the UNBOUND before.
She is currently writing her PhD thesis. She has only been cycling ambitiously for two years and has never ridden a distance as long as the UNBOUND before.
About the race
Distance: 322 km
Elevation gain: 3.087 m
Rosa's time: 10 hrs 26 min. 02 sec.
As the sun rose over tranquil Emporia this past weekend, the air was filled with ratching freehubs, tense mumbles of various languages, and the sound of beeping bike computers.
It's the calm before the storm.
It's the calm before the storm.
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A storm of more than 4500 riders, racing their way over the Flint Hills and endless grassland of Kansas on grueling gravel roads and demanding climbs at the most important gravel race of the year - UNBOUND 200 & UNBOUND XL.
Our two athletes Rosa Klöser and Sebastian Breuer were among the world-class starting grid and sensed their chance for an incredible result, but bike racing, and especially gravel races are hard to control and even harder to predict.
Our two athletes Rosa Klöser and Sebastian Breuer were among the world-class starting grid and sensed their chance for an incredible result, but bike racing, and especially gravel races are hard to control and even harder to predict.
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Right from the start of the first-ever UNBOUND 200 Miles (327km) Women Elite Race, Rosa was fast and vigilant to shape the lead group and stay in the front and out of trouble - at least for the first half of the race.
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The gravel roads of Kansas are unforgiving.
If you're inattentive for just a blink of an eye, or just unlucky the big and small, pointy and chunky rocks along the way you will puncture your tires and hear the unpleasant hissing of air leaving your tire.
"At 200 kilometers in, we entered a very technical descent with big rocks, and ruts, and unchecked I hit one of the bigger rocks. I crashed and punctured my front tire but had no time to lose and got back on my bike."
If you're inattentive for just a blink of an eye, or just unlucky the big and small, pointy and chunky rocks along the way you will puncture your tires and hear the unpleasant hissing of air leaving your tire.
"At 200 kilometers in, we entered a very technical descent with big rocks, and ruts, and unchecked I hit one of the bigger rocks. I crashed and punctured my front tire but had no time to lose and got back on my bike."
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With an incredible effort, Rosa fought her way back to the group and everything was set for a sprint finish in Emporia.
After 10 hours and 26 minutes, Rosa hurls her special edition Backroad FF over the line and secures her first victory at one of the most important gravel races in the world.
After 10 hours and 26 minutes, Rosa hurls her special edition Backroad FF over the line and secures her first victory at one of the most important gravel races in the world.
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" ... When I realised that the speed of my already sprinting rivals wasn't going up any more, I kicked really hard once and realised that I could open up a big gap straight away and won the sprint by a clear margin!"
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"Winning UNBOUND is special, but I'm even prouder to have won the first women-only edition in such an exciting final."
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