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Taylor Phinney battles through the Unbound Gravel 200, finishing 130 kilometers with only one foot clipped in. What follows puts the whole situation in context, showcasing Phinney’s remarkable resilience amid chaos.
Phinney's race begins with a muddy disaster as he struggles with a bike that becomes nearly unrideable. After just 24 kilometers, the mud forces him to shift to a single-speed approach, leaving him behind the lead group, which includes eventual champion Mads Würtz Schmidt. Despite the challenges, Phinney pushes on, washing his bike at the first feed zone and then attacking the next segment to reconnect with a group.
The rain intensifies, transforming the course into a muddy slog. Phinney faces yet another hurdle—a slow leak in his rear tire. He stops multiple times to fix it, only to struggle with getting his cleats back into the pedals. By kilometer 205, he unclips for the last time, tackling the remaining distance with only his right foot secured. “I two quads, one hamstringed my way around Kansas,” he reflects, highlighting his determination. In a twist, he even finds himself caught by the elite women’s group, adding another layer of intensity to this epic return.
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