Cameron Jones - From Wildcard to Winner of Unbound Gravel 200
Gepostet von Andrew Davidson am June 2, 2025
A massive congratulations to 4iiii’s New Zealand powerhouse, Cameron Jones (Scott-Shimano), who put on a gravel masterclass this past Saturday, to win the Life Time Grand Prix’s Unbound Gravel 200 event in a record-breaking time of 8:37:09! We couldn’t be more proud of the grit and determination the affable Kiwi put on display at the world’s premiere gravel event, hosted by Emporia and the surrounding Flint Hills of Kansas.
Coming into the 19th edition of the internationally contested race as a wildcard rider, looking to secure a spot in the Life Time Grand Prix series, he threw down his cards early, riding clear of the field with one other rider, Simon Pellaud (Tudor Pro Cycling), roughly 50 miles into the race. With hot temperatures drying up the course and minimal wind, the two riders kept an impressive pace out front and steadily grew their gap to the field.
When Mom and Dad are in the pits working, you’ve got to put on a show - and put on a show he did!
Backed by a dedicated support team (including Mom and Dad) and his hard-earned experience from the previous years edition, that in his own words it was an “eating competition”, he downed a whopping 195g of carbs per hour! The calories were put to great use, as he ticked off the miles and hours without any signs of weakness and a growing sense that the duo’s early move might go the distance.
They would stay together for the remainder of the day, until the final miles as they re-entered Emporia, when Cameron hit the accelerator on Highland Hill and rode clear from his fellow escapee. With a sizable gap, Jones was able to soak up the roar of the appreciative crowd, as he rolled in solo for the biggest win of his career. Pellaud would finish 42 seconds later, with both riders besting the previous course record, with Jones’ first place average speed of 23.49 mph.
No rest for the weary… it was straight into the media scrum to answer all the questions about his record-breaking day out in the Flint Hills of Kansas.
In a summary of his tour de force, Cameron stated, “I always go out and race like there’s nothing to lose. It worked out this time. It’s a course that suits me. So much came together. It’s always fun to be leading a race, and so leading a race for six hours, it’s made for a great day.”
Not only does he secure a spot in the remainder of the Life Time Grand Prix events, but currently sits tied for 3rd overall in the standings, after his combined points from Sea Otter and now Unbound Gravel 200. If there’s any downside to his victorious ride, it may be the target that Jones has now put on himself, as one of the strongest riders to watch and mark in upcoming races - a problem we’re sure he’s happy to have.
We supplied the power meter, Cameron supplied the power.
Some of the mind boggling stats from the epic performance, captured by Cameron’s 4iiii PRECISION 3+ PRO Powermeter equipped on his 2x Shimano Dura-Ace crankset:
Not sure what’s more impressive, the stats from Cameron’s Unbound Gravel 200 ride, or that he described them as, “nothing mind blowing”, when comparing them to training rides he’s done.
Distance: 200 miles
Winning Time: 8h 37m 9s
Average Power: 291W
Normalized Power: 327W
Max Power: 1096W
Watts/Kg: 3.49
TSS: 447
An additional and notable highlight of the day was fellow 4iiii athlete and wildcard rider, Andrew L’Esperance, claiming an impressive 12th place, and also securing a spot in the series going forward. He’ll join his teammate and fellow Canadian, Sean Fincham, in the Life Time Grand Prix to contest the remaining off-road events and overall prize purse.
When you and your Life Time Grand Prix wildcard mate both have a great day out and qualify for the series. Andrew L’Esperance and Cameron Jones celebrate their mutual success at Unbound Gravel.
We have plenty of stories to come, featuring all of our amazing athletes that toed the line at Unbound Gravel, so stay tuned!
Watch the video recap of Cam’s race here:
To learn more about the training and racing tools that Cameron Jones used to take home the big win, click here.
