'I made some beginner mistakes but I want to do it again' – Young Red Bull road pro Emil Herzog impresses on gravel debut with a top 10 at Unbound 200

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s young road professional Emil Herzog made a striking impression in his gravel racing debut by finishing eighth at the Unbound Gravel 200 in Emporia, Kansas. The 21-year-old tackled the grueling 200-mile (322km) event for the first time, completing the race in just over nine and a half hours. Herzog crossed the line in a tightly contested group of five riders, including reigning champion Cameron Jones, finishing less than 25 minutes behind the winner, Specialized Off-Road’s Mads Würtz Schmidt. Despite his strong performance, Herzog admitted to making some rookie errors, notably missing his second feed station, which left him depleted midway through the race. After recovering at the third feed, he was able to regain some strength and maintain a competitive pace to secure a top-10 finish. Herzog’s experience primarily lies in road racing, having progressed through German junior ranks and competed in WorldTour events such as the UAE Tour and Strade Bianche, making his gravel debut a significant step outside his usual discipline. Throughout the race, Herzog showed promising tactical awareness, working alongside teammate Keegan Swenson and other riders in the closing stages. However, he acknowledged a misjudgement in his sprint positioning, which ultimately cost him a higher placing within the leading group. Despite this, Herzog expressed enthusiasm for the challenge and gratitude towards Specialized for the opportunity, signalling his intention to return to gravel racing in the future. Herzog’s top-10 finish alongside his teammates’ strong results—Würtz Schmidt and Matthew Beers took the top two spots, with Swenson finishing fifth—highlighted the depth and strength of the Specialized Off-Road squad at Unbound. The event underscored Herzog’s versatility and potential to expand his racing repertoire beyond the road, while also emphasising the growing prominence of gravel racing within the broader cycling landscape.