The Gravel Spirit is very much alive in Hico. On the same streets where Billy the Kid once walked nearly 150 years ago, the gunfights may be history—but the energy remains. The 110-mile Gravel Locos race captures that raw, untamed feeling. As I ride through the open landscape, I can’t help but feel a bit like an outlaw myself—swept up in the wildness of it all, chasing something just out of reach.
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– Shall I go? My friend and team mate in Cadence, Corey Ray asks.
– Yeah, attack! I respond.
Corey is a genuine cowboy from Dallas. He makes the first move in front of the 450 riders participating in the event. Before long, other riders respond, and the race gets underway.
– Splash.
It doesn’t take many miles from the start before my clean, new Felt Carbon Advanced is soaked with water and caked in mud after smashing through the first river crossing. The water is mild—it doesn’t feel cold. At around 23ºC, it’s actually quite comfortable. Hundreds of riders are charging through the same crossing, sending shockwaves through the water. Up ahead, it looks like my fellow Norwegian, Simen Nordahl Svensen, is setting the pace.
We’re the only two Norwegians here, but the field is full of international talent. Teams like PAS and Swatt are well represented, along with the Dutch Mafia crew: Laurens ten Dam, Jasper Ockeloen, Ivar Slik, and their newest addition, former WorldTour rider Ramon Sinkeldam. The American Gravel Champion Brennan Wertz is here too, along with gravel legend Ted King and local Texan standout Chase Collins.
I’m feeling good and holding the pace through the accelerations without much trouble. But I also know I can’t chase everything. Last year’s winner, Julian Gagne, along with Brennan Wertz and a Swatt rider, manage to slip away. No one really reacts, and just like that, the day’s breakaway is gone.
The temperature is climbing, and the effort in the peloton is already heating up. Attacks keep coming, one after another, and the crosswind adds another layer of difficulty. Before long, we’re down to about 20 riders.It’s summer in Texas which means the trees and flowers have bloomed and the last is dry and rough. It’s my fourth time racing Gravel Locos, and I knew it was going to be hot. As we reach mile 35 it’s 33ºC and temperature is rising.
– I feel like I’m dancing on the pedals. I think to myself.
I feel incredible—probably the best I’ve felt all year. With so many strong teams in the race, I still believe it’s smarter to follow than to attack on my own. But I also know I’m not riding as conservatively as I probably should. I just really don’t want to risk getting left behind.
Gravel Locos has two mandatory stops where you have to pause for two minutes. We’re approaching the first one. With close to 20 riders together, it quickly gets a bit chaotic.
— Which one’s the water? And the Untapped drink? I ask a helper.
He points to a bucket, and I quickly fill my bottle. I need to top up all three—there’s no way I’m making it 50 miles and more than two hours in this burning heat without them.
I grab some gels, and while filling my last bottle, I notice some riders are already rolling out. Stress kicks in as I scramble to close my bottle and chase after them. Gravel Locos has always been a gentleman’s race, where riders respected the feed zones and waited their turn—this rush feels disappointing. I’m the last one out of the stop, but I manage to latch onto the wheel of my Felt teammate, Adam Roberge, who pulls me back up to the group.
Wasted energy, but at least I’m back with the 20-man group as we approach the 3Bs. The map calls it the Norway Hill, but I still don’t feel welcome here.
Bam—we hit the first of three kickers. I drop to my lowest gear and pedal as hard as I can, but the bike barely moves. Cadence sits at 40. Magnus Bak Klaris and Mads Würts Schmidt are pushing the pace hard. I lose a few meters at the top but dig deep and claw my way back. We’re down to six riders, and the front guys are about to get caught.
The heat is brutal. I can catch my breath on the downhill, but as soon as we hit the second hill, I start to struggle. The group pulls away.
– Nooo, Jonas. Get yourself together, I scream inside my head.
But I can’t. By the time we reach the last hill, the train is gone. I settle into my own rhythm, and after the summit, Ted King, Laurens ten Dam, Chase Collins, Francesco Bettini, and Tobias Kongstad catch up. It’s a solid group. With half the race still to go, having company feels good as we head into the second half.
Suddenly, Tobias slips away and no one chases. This guy just won the Traka 360, so if anyone’s worth sticking with, it’s him—he’s not going to blow up and will motor us all the way to the finish. I accelerate to close the gap, and soon it’s just Tobias and me—like at Unbound 2024, where we rode together in the break. Now we’re behind, but still sharing turns and keeping the pace honest.
It’s been a windy morning, but as we turn north, the wind shifts to our backs. The pace picks up—fast, but the cooling relief of the breeze disappears, replaced by the relentless heat.
I feel like a roasted chicken, sizzling on a grill. The sun beats down mercilessly, and I’m not sure how much longer I can endure it. Tobias and I keep sharing pulls, but a growing doubt creeps in—I might have to stop in the shade just to survive. I weave across the gravel, searching desperately for a patch of shade. My Bryton says it’s close to 40ºC. I unzip my CCN jersey just to get a little breeze on my chest.
Then, like a miracle, an oasis appears: a river crossing. Without a word, we both brake hard and plunge into the water, submerging ourselves completely. The cold shock is immediate, a lifeline in this furnace. For a moment, everything slows—the heat, the race, the pain. We’re just two riders, caught between fire and water.– Ohh – what a feeling!
Taking a dip has rarely felt so good. We don’t linger, but it’s enough to cool me down just enough to feel alive again. As we roll back onto the gravel, I feel incredible—like I’ve been baptized and born anew. Suddenly, I can push 50 watts more without thinking.
LOOK BACK: Gravel Locos 2022
We’re cruising close to an average of 35 km/h (22 mph), but the hours drag on. At the last mandatory aid station, a big bag of ice is stuffed down my back, keeping me chilled for nearly the next hour—an icy shield against the relentless heat.
We hold the rhythm and reel in Niki Terpstra along with Matteo Fontana from Swatt, who had been in the early break. The heat is a ruthless opponent—ready to take out anyone who falters. For now, I’m managing to stay cool enough to match Tobias’s pace. Ahead, we spot Ivar Slik, the 2022 Unbound champion, pushing hard.
– Shall we pass with speed or let him join us? I ask the Dane.
– Yeah, let’s go fast. In a km there is crosswind. Let’s pass then, Tobias answers with a shady smile.
We’re into the last 15 miles, and maybe we should just let Ivar roll with us. Even though the leaders feel out of reach, there’s still a faint chance we’re riding for a top 10 spot.
I hang just behind Ivar, watching him closely, ready to attack if he looks back. As we near the turn, I signal Tobias and surge past Ivar. We rocket by, and Tobias keeps the pace after the corner. But Ivar’s got a strong kick—he quickly jumps back onto our wheels.
I flash Ivar a grin.
– Worth a shot, I say, but lets team up from now on.
A little later, another rider rolls up—Mats Würts Schmidt, another Dane. He looks like the heat’s been chewing on him, but he hooks onto our wheels, and just like that, we’re four.
Around the next corner, the final feed stations come into view. With only ten miles to the finish, I don’t really need anything, but a cold Coke sounds mighty fine.
The three of us stop to grab a quick refill while Mats keeps on trucking. This time, it’s not so easy to catch him. We regroup and chase hard, flying past riders at the 65-mile mark, but Mats keeps slipping further ahead. Approaching the last asphalt stretch into the finish, I realize it’ll be the three of us crossing the line together. I’m not exactly sure where we stand, but I’m guessing top 10.
Ivar admits he’s sitting out the sprint, so I get ready to go head-to-head with Tobias. Into the last corner, I launch ahead and open a small gap. I try to carry the momentum down the hill, but a quick glance back shows Tobias right on my wheel. I ease up a bit, saving my legs for the final hundred meters and the fun sprint finish.
Then I go full gas—but Tobias has other plans. He powers past me with 50 meters to go. We cross the line, and I head straight to the rider’s area where Allan’s waiting. I’m too wiped to talk much, but he hands me an ice cream from Untapped—just what I needed.
That was my fourth Gravel Locos—another epic event to remember. Blazing hot, high-speed, aggressive racing, and a whole lot of fun… with a serious dose of suffering thrown in. They tell me I finished 12th, which I’m more than happy with given the talent at the start. Now it’s all about recovering and getting even sharper for next weekend and Unbound.
Big shoutout to Fabian and his team for yet another fantastic event in Hico, right in the heart of Texas and the wild west.
READ MORE: 100-mile breakaway in Unbound Gravel