'On the half-way level, I used to be 4 minutes behind' – Unbound Gravel winner Cameron Jones surpasses Keegan Swenson's report time at The White Rim

Cameron Jones (Scott Sports activities USA-RCC) set a brand new quickest recognized time, FKT, on The White Rim path in Utah on Tuesday, knocking 4 minutes, 54 seconds off the earlier report held by Keegan Swenson (Specialised Off-road) since 2021.

The clocked stopped at 5:23:27 for Jones on the unsupported FKT experience recorded on Strava and confirmed by Scott Sports activities USA.

“It is about 5 minutes of it [the record]? It is a onerous factor to race round. The bike was so good,” Jones mentioned to the Scott Sports activities USA videographer on the end.

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The 100-mile (160.70km) problem with 7,414 toes (2,260 metres) of elevation acquire is about throughout distant desert terrain outdoors Moab, Utah, with a lot of the route passing by way of Canyonlands Nationwide Park. For an FKT, whether or not unsupported or supported, riders proceed in a counter-clockwise path, the beginning the place Mineral Backside Street intersects with Island within the Sky Street.

Skies have been clear for Jones’ try however the wind turned a problem. A headwind within the first half of the loop noticed him trailing Swenson’s report by virtually 4 minutes on the half-way level.

“It was fairly windy in my experience. I had timing written down on my high tube deal with. On the timing break up, I knew what time Keegan acquired previous that distance at, and so I might preserve observe of how I used to be progressing. And on the midway level, I used to be 4 minutes behind, even after pushing fairly onerous,” he informed Cyclingnews on Thursday.

“However I knew I needed to kind of keep optimistic that if I used to be placing up with the headwind early, then it will then flip right into a tailwind ultimately. So yeah, it was fairly a psychological sport as effectively, staying constructive and optimistic that it will work out ultimately.”

Previous to the try, Jones accomplished one-hour acclimation rides on every finish of the jeep observe, checking the terrain in addition to the surroundings. He mentioned the most effective recon he did was a name made to ladies’s FKT report holder Hannah Otto, who lives in Utah and likewise a fellow Scott Sports activities athlete. Each compete within the Life Time Grand Prix.

“The night time earlier than I made a cellphone name to Hannah Otto, who’s one other Scott athlete. She gave a heads up on a bit at in regards to the half-way level that was additional technical, and a few additional care ought to be taken. In order that was useful data,” he famous.

“It was a couple of line selection sections the place there was kind of rock cabinets and gullies the place you can fall into when you went the improper manner.”

What to learn subsequent

He used a full suspension Scott Spark RC body fitted with drop bars in addition to Trade 9 wheels and Schwalbe tyres. Particulars on the bike test will comply with within the coming days from Jones on social media.

Jones turned a family identify in racing final 12 months when he used the victory at Unbound Gravel 200 to ignite his marketing campaign within the Life Time Grand Prix and safe the general title in October. He unseated three-time sequence winner Swenson within the course of.

He began this 12 months by profitable the first-ever Oceania Gravel Championship for elite males, overcoming a puncture and a quick area to go second at RADL GRVL, which was received by Frenchman Romain Bardet (RCC). After going second in a three-rider dash at The Mid South in Oklahoma, he traveled to Utah for the FKT.

The route is open for leisure cyclists and most excursions are taken for bikepacking journeys, which take three to 4 days to finish on a mountain bike.

“It is fairly a preferred loop for individuals to do, simply as an journey experience with households. There have been numerous household teams on the market driving it once I did it.”

US rider Otto accomplished the loop in 6:37:44 final 12 months. She took simply over quarter-hour off the earlier ladies’s mark, which had been held for 4 years by Grand Prix athlete Alexis Skarda.

The White Rim report gave Otto a trifecta in FKT achievements for western US trails – the 55-mile Complete Enchilada in 2022, 140-mile Kokopelli in 2024, adopted by the 100-mile White Rim. All three are thought of assessments for mountain bike abilities and endurance.

“I’ve acquired a couple of issues I wish to do sooner or later, in all probability not this 12 months, like spending a while within the space. There’s the opposite two [FKT routes] close to Moab, the Kokopelli and the Complete Enchilada, however no actual plans for the time being,” Jones admitted.

“My subsequent race is Sea Otter in two weeks. As one of many Life Time races, it is tremendous essential to carry out effectively. It is one of many extra technical gravel races, so my mountain bike background helps there. I feel having been in New Zealand over the summer season is a bonus, so I ought to be in good type.”

The 2026 Life Time Grand Prix sequence begins at Sea Otter Basic, with the 90-mile professional gravel races held on Thursday, April 16 in Monterey, California.