The spiciest sights and quotes from the Trek Driftless crew after an unforgettable Unbound
The 2026 edition of Unbound Gravel will go down in history. Riders experienced just about every form of adverse weather condition, almost all of which caked them in mud and made a grueling ordeal out of a race that’s brutal under the best circumstances.
The squad survived, and took home strong results to boot. In the men’s race, Torbjørn “Toby” André Røed and Cobe Freeburn finished 13th and 16th, respectively (fifth and eighth among Life Time Grand Prix riders). In the women’s race, Paige Onweller and Cécile Lejeune were fourth and 10th, respectively (third and seventh in the LTGP). Only Daxton Mock succumbed to the day, pulling out of the race with 70 miles to go.
Honestly, not a bad hit rate given that 51 riders — nearly 30 percent of the elite men’s and women’s fields — were unable to finish. Those who got to the line had wild tales to tell. Kudos to everyone who even attempted the race. For everyone else, here are our favorite photos and post-race reactions from the Driftless squad to enjoy in the warm, dry comforts of our homes.
"I overdid it. F@#$ing hell. I really overdid it." - Cobe Freeburn
"It was a good day, it was an awesome day, it was a horrible day at the same time." - Torbjørn "Toby" André Røed
"I probably ate a lot of mud. I hope I'm not ill tomorrow." - Cécile Lejeune
Overheard between Cobe and Dax:
Cobe: “We went up Texaco Hill, and Mads [Würtz Schmidt, the winner] just railed it, and he got away. Dax was with him.”
Dax: “Big mistake.”
Cobe: “You’re an animal. I was like, ‘Dax is a climber now.'”
Dax: “I got passed by like 20 people by the top of that climb.”
"Super happy to go for the Checkpoint. It definitely saved the day with the extra tire clearance." - Toby
"We had everything out there. Mud, rock, heat, rain, thunder, hail. I mean, it was so insane. I was swimming." - Paige Onweller
"At times." - Cécile, when asked if she had fun
"You have a choice: either an excuse, or an opportunity. And every time I had an obstacle, I just said OK, this is my chance to motor back and showcase what I can do, and I just kept fighting." - Paige
"It started pouring and I could barely see in front of me. Some cows almost hit me, and I really thought I'd find enlightment out there. I did not." - Cobe
The squad will return for the Leadville Trail 100 MTB this August. See what they get up to in the meantime by following Trek Driftless on Instagram.
