Mavi Sperotto is new to Enough Cycling. 25 years old with a long career in pro cycling, she decided to join the Collective at the beginning of the year. Unbound Gravel will be her second race on dusty roads – let’s hear from her how she feels!
I got asked by 3T to write something about Unbound before my first real gravel event and I started thinking about it. I’m still pretty new to this “World” but after The Traka I can say I had a first bite of something I really enjoyed.
At The Traka I loved the vibes and the community. And of course the race: it was tough – I won’t lie – but beautiful indeed. The competition was really hard and it was interesting to see how it compares to road races. I made some mistakes for sure, like forgetting my gloves and getting to the finish with my hands bleeding! A bit of experience I took home to be a bit more prepared for the next big one overseas.
At first glance I’m really drawn to the meaning of the word UNBOUND: “to be unbound is to be untethered and unrestrained. The term’s pre-12th century origins illicit notions of liberation and escape. Those who are unbound embrace life without limits or restrictions”. I like it, I definitely want to feel unbound! That is what I’m looking for when I ride the bike, whether racing or just riding.
What I can expect is to join a very cool event, full of free-spirit people. I’m keen to know the attitude of the riders of the other Continent. I went to the USA in 2018 to race the Amgen Tour of California and I bloody loved it. I loved the American way of life, the way they create events, the fans and the way they enjoy sporting events. Can not find a word that suits better than just cool.
As far as the preparation is concerned, I will train for that by just doing hours sitting on the saddle enjoying what’s around me and eating sandwiches on the peak of the mountains. The month of May it’s quite complicated since my free time is not much – but I’ll do my best to get ready and be prepared. Experience Unbound is already… enough! Whatever it comes on top of it, I’ll just take it!
Last but not least, I feel it’s gonna be a great experience overall. Might be a good occasion for a new tattoo, just to make sure I’ll always remember it for life!
Credits Chiara Redaschi
