The reality is that European gravel races, and many American ones too, favor the same sort of rider that does well in moderate to difficult, though not necessarily technical, road classics. The best riders with these attributes are in the road peloton. Bring them to Unbound and they would win too. I don't think the technical skills of an XC specialist overcome the better endurance of a road rider unless the course is essentially a MTB track.
Don't get me wrong: I love gravel and challenging tracks. I'll be riding some rocky logging roads today. But that is not where big time gravel racing is heading
They're 0'fer so far, but okay. And there are roads in Unbound that are significantly harder than anything they rode today. Every year, someboty makes the claim you make, and every year, the ProTour guys go home empty. It's the distinction between could and would, with the former being the operative word to use.
And I disagree about big time gravel racing moving more toward courses like the WC. I see no evidence of that, here, in Traka, in The Rift, and in many races that are far harder than the WC's. The UCI sees the formula as one where you attract people who are fans of the sport, not necessarily participants. Get the big names to get the crowds, but that doesn't have anything to do with what is happening in the US, and by far, the US gravel racing scene is the strongest, hardest, and most prestegious. The fans here, and therefore the people bringing money that allows US gravel pros to exist, are participants in events, and I don't hear any people around me at races, begging for easier courses.
I'd be happy if someone like Pidcock showed up next year in Emporia. I'd get an autograph. Of any of the pros (outside of Pogacar, who will win just about anything as long as his equipment holds...which can be a challenge in Emporia), I think he would have the best shot. That part of Kansas isn't flat, contrary to popular belief. It's short grinding climb after grinding short grinding climb. Last year, my wife's total climb for the 200 was just over 12,000' (3700 meters), so it was death by 1000 cuts, and takes a toll on the legs. Also, if you've never ridden those roads, you really cannot appreciate what they actually are. Next year is the south course, which is slightly less climbing, but much more chunky roads. (I get to race it. Did my volunteer hours, so I get an automatic spot) If it rains...well, then peanut butter mud kills everyone, unless you're smart enough to get off early, and just walk however many miles you have to. Also, pack dynamics are far different, and if you listen to the guys who ride the US scene, it's one of the things the ProTour guys get wrong, because it is ostensibly like a road race, but much trickier, because if you don't have a sense of what is happening, you're going to slash a tire or demolish a wheel. You also have to be used to hydrating and getting nutrition in places where taking a drink from a bottle, or tearing open a gel is more difficult that it would once appear. Lose a bottle? You're screwed, because it's hot, and there are guys who will stay more hydrated than you, and perform better because of that. Tear off the gel top with your finger and squeeze just as your tire hits a rut, and you're picking youself up off the ground. It's a different discipline, where the UCI WC course, isn't, which is why the guy who won had UAE gloves.
(EDIT: Are the ProTour guys more physiologically talented? Yes, by a mile in most cases, though I think Kegan and Beers in particular, would be doing well on a ProTour team. The thing that is most interesting to me about races like Unbound is that physiological talent isn't everything. There is much more to it than that.)
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