While the 2020 racing season was mostly a wash, it certainly wasn’t a waste. The team took the time to go on bike packing adventures and push their limits into other styles of riding. At the beginning of 2021 things didn’t look too different but with the pages of the calendar turning to the summer months the time has come to kick off the season in full force.
Unbound Gravel was the team’s first time together since team camp in March of 2020. And as much as you may try stay in touch over Zoom and Facetime nothing beats pinning on a number and competing in the Super Bowl of gravel for team bonding.
It turned out to be an awesome weekend for the team with top 10 finishes in both the XL and 200-mile events.
Unbound 200
Lisa Woerner, in one of her very first races for the team, finished 7th on the day despite 2 spills including one in the decisive Little Egypt section. The women’s 200 was a race of attrition with groups slowly becoming smaller and smaller leaving the top 10 spread out over miles at a time. But Lisa, who’s also an MD and doing a post-doc at Stanford was able to slowly reel back her competitors and put in an incredibly strong showing in the world’s premier gravel event.
Lisa’s Exploro RaceMax
The Unbound XL
If 200 miles of flint, sand, and dust doesn’t feel like enough of a challenge, what about 350 miles? Cynthia and Rachel took on this daunting challenge for the team. Battling against a who’s who of the ultra-cycling world these two teammates stuck together through thick and thin to finish 4th and 5th on their journey through the plains.
A message from team founder BrittLee Bowman:
This year the team hope to be racing across the country
Race Schedule:
- Unbound June 5th, 2021 – Emporia, KS
- The Ranger June 13th, 2021 -Tunbridge, VT
- GraVista June 26th, 2021. -Buena Vista, VA
- Crushar in the Tushar July 10th, 2021 – Beaver, UT
- Jam Grand Fundo July 10th, 2021 – Southampton, MA
- Belgian Waffle Ride July 18th, 2021 – San Marcos, CA
- Rooted Vermont Aug 1st, 2021 – Richmond, VT
- SBT GRVL Aug 15th, 2021 – Steamboat, CO
- Belgian Waffle Ride Aug 21st – 2021. Asheville, NC
- The Overland Aug 29th, 2021 – Reading, VT
- Rebecca’s Private Idaho Sept 2-5, 2021 – Ketchum, ID
- The Big Sugar Oct 23, 2021 – Bentonville, AR
Team Web/Social:
- Instagram: @velocio_exploro
- Twitter: @velocio_exploro
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/MatchesToBurn/
- Strava: www.strava.com/clubs/MatchesToBurn
- Website: www.MatchesToBurn.com
- Hashtag: #MatchesToBurn
Meet the Team