Unbound ambitions

Factor Bikes will have multiple elite athletes representing the brand at Unbound in 2024. Among them, former road professional Jan Bakelants as well as Jordan Schleck and Seth Hakizimana, both of whom currently race for Team Amani.

Jan and Jordan have raced Unbound before, but it will be Seth’s first time in Emporia. Each is going with his own plans and ambitions. We had the pleasure of speaking with them to discuss set up, expectations, and goals.

Jan Bakelants

“Last year was my first participation. I was in the first year after my retirement as a pro on the road. I felt like I wanted to go there just to see what it is like,” he said. “I paid some ‘learning money’ in the race last year. I could have made better preparations for ways to cope with the mud we faced, for example. So this year I am determined to come back and try it again.”

Jan had a long career in the professional road peloton, racing in the biggest events on the UCI calendar. Having won a stage in the Tour de France and worn the yellow jersey, Jan has been at the top of his profession. What’s the attraction of coming to the middle of Kansas to race on the dirt in a mass-start semi-party atmosphere?

“Obviously, I had heard a lot of stories about Unbound, rough stories, and I hoped to experience it myself,” Jan explained. “Factor gave me an OSTRO Gravel to race on, which is definitely one of the best bikes available to do this race. It’s a bike designed for this kind of parcours.”

Having taken 14th in his inaugural attempt at Unbound, Jan is looking to move into the top-10 or better for 2024. “I think top-10 should be the goal, but let’s try to go for better, maybe top-5. The first thing, you need to reduce the number of bike problems because Unbound is a race that really tests your bike setup,” he said.

“I think that the north parcours will suit me better than the south. But at the end of the day, riders have to deal with the parcours as it is. It’s out of your control. You have to adapt to the circumstances and make the best of it. I don’t think it will really change a lot. It will still be the same riders in the front, and I hope to be one of them.”

What’s Jan riding?

“The OSTRO Gravel is a super bike. It’s just amazing to see how strong good carbon manufacturers make carbon frames these days,” Jan said. “Because I can tell you what I did to my OSTRO Gravel last year at Unbound, it was crazy. But the bike survived. It came out unshattered without a scratch and there you see how important good carbon fiber is for the bike industry. Because a lot of bikes would have just been for the dustbin after this race, and I still did the World Championships on it, and I also did a race in Spain on it this April, until I shifted to my new OG. And I still use the OG from last year for training. It’s brilliant.”

Jordan Schleck

This will be Jordan’s second time at Unbound as well, and he’ll be looking to build on the good form that he has shown at races like Gravel Locos where he took a stellar 6th place in a stacked lineup. “The Gravel Locos was a really nice race. Good competition as usual. A good field. I am so super excited and happy for the result,” he said.

“I managed to get 6th place. So that shows good progress. Slow, but sure. We’re getting to where the team wants to go and inspire people back home with what we are doing. Things are not going so bad. The most important thing is always to improve. I’m super happy, looking forward to Unbound.”

What’s Jordan riding?

“The OSTRO Gravel is really nice and the wheels are very fast. And when the rider likes the bike, good things can happen. The bike is very stiff in terms of power transfer as well, which is important. Especially on the flats. You can feel that this bike is way different from others. I like the bike. It is very fast, stiff and beautiful. The paint job is also really nice.”

Seth Hakizimana

Though this will be his first Unbound, Seth Hakizimana has been getting great results already this year. In his first race of the year at the Safari Gravel Race Series, he took a super strong 2nd place only to follow that up with a victory in the second round of the series in March. Early in the season he was in the lead in the Gravel Earth Series as well, and is still sitting comfortably in the top-10. Taking 8th place in the Traka 100 after a mechanical scuppered his chances in the 200, he most recently took 11th place at Gravel Locos, which is a tough 150-mile (236 km) race through the wilds of Texas.

“This will be my longest race, so it will be a good experience,” Seth explained. “I plan to try to follow the strong riders for as long as possible because if you can go with the strong riders, it’s easier than chasing later.” Following the strongest riders is a great pacing plan, if you can do it. And Seth has proved in recent races that he can keep up with the best. “For me to finish with the strong riders would make me happy. And if I ride strong in the group; if I don’t have any mechanical issues, to cross the finish line with a good result, I would be very happy.”

What’s Seth riding?

“I like this setup a lot. It’s new this year for me since I was on the LS last year. The comfort is good, and it is really fast. I have it setup with a 110 mm stem and 40mm wide bars, which is perfect for me. This bike is great!”

Follow Jan Bakelants and Team Amani via Instagram to keep up with their news ahead of the big appointment in Kansas.

Jan Bakelants / Team Amani / Jordan Schleck / Hakizimana Seth