Each year at Unbound Gravel 200, a new crop of rising stars and some dark horses line up alongside the race’s veterans, and one of the names whispered in the weeks leading to the start is Morgan Aguirre (PAS Racing).
For Aguirre, the race is a test of both body and mind. After a derailleur failure forced her out last year, the PAS Racing rider returns determined to finish what she started, though she’s quick to admit she’s still figuring it all out. She comes in as an outside favourite this year, with two wins already in the Gravel Earth Series, where she was third overall last year.
Earlier this season, the 31-year-old tackled Spain’s Traka 200 for the third time, finishing in 17th place after a flat tyre eliminated her from the lead group.
“It was a bummer, but it got me more excited for Unbound,” she said, noting The Traka and Unbound offer starkly different challenges. “Traka is more about knowing the course and what’s coming when, while Unbound is an attritional race. Over 200 miles, people just fall off – it just kind of happens.
“In Europe, the racing is much more dynamic. You’re fully focused for four or six hours – there’s singletrack, tight turns, it’s very engaging. Unbound is different. You have 20 kilometers straight, then a turn. It’s just a hard way to race.
“I used to think flat meant easy. Like, I’ll go do this flat race in the Netherlands. But the flat races have been some of the hardest. Unbound is flatter than I like. I definitely prefer more climbing.”
Yet it’s precisely that unpredictability that draws Aguirre back to Kansas.
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“This race is about embracing the unknown,” she said. “I don’t know what happens to your body after seven and a half hours. It’s long, it’s hard, and it’s about accepting that uncertainty and being okay with it.”
Originally from Oregon, where she grew up outside of Portland before moving to Seattle, Washington, Aguirre now lives in Girona, Spain, a hub for pro cyclists. That leap, from a Craigslist bike in 2019 to racing on one of gravel’s biggest stages, has been steep. Aguirre acknowledged the mental side has been the hardest part to master.
“When you’re not used to suffering, it’s a shock,” she said. “But I’ve learned that pain is temporary. That feeling in your legs, yes, it’s physical, but it’s also your brain. And you can control that. You’ll have ups and downs, but you have to remind yourself: it ends.”
That mindset carried her to her first major gravel win this spring at The Hills, a chaotic 180km race in Italy’s Prosecco hills where relentless rain turned the course into a “7.5-hour cyclocross race”. Aguirre soloed to victory, navigating treacherous descents and muddy vineyards while other riders slipped and crashed.
“It was absolute chaos,” she said at the finish. “My biggest goal this year is to control the ups and downs. You feel good, then you feel bad, then you crash, then you come back. The more you panic, the worse it gets.”
Aguirre’s perspective has shifted in other ways, too. Once someone who cared about how her body looked, she now appreciates what it can do.
“I never thought I’d call myself an athlete,” she says. “I used to want a thigh gap. Now I don’t care; my legs work, they pedal the bike, and that’s what matters.”
Racing for the PAS setup has also been a game-changer. While gravel is often an individual pursuit, Aguirre said having a team makes a difference.
“We’re not working directly for each other like a road team, but we’re not working against each other either. Having teammates in the race is a huge help—whether it’s making dinner together or knowing you have allies in the field.”
This year marks Aguirre’s first season fully dedicated to racing after stepping away from part-time work, and her name has quietly become one to watch in the gravel scene. Her win at The Hills was no fluke, and she followed with a win in Spain at Tierra de Campos. Aguirre’s combination of grit, mental fortitude and growing race savvy make her a dangerous contender at Unbound Gravel 200, especially if the weather turns and the course becomes unpredictable.
“I’d love to feel like this is my race, but I’m still working on that confidence,” said Aguirre, who was building a reputation as a rider who thrives when the going gets tough.
As the gravel calendar unfolds, her results suggest she’s not just a promising talent, but a legitimate threat on the biggest stages. After Unbound, Aguirre plans to race Oregon Trail, The Rift in Iceland, and Gravel Worlds in Nebraska, all three in the Gravel Earth Series. She had an eye on the Life Time Grand Prix for 2026.
“I can’t control everything. What I can control is how I eat, how I ride, and how I manage my head.”
Her advice to Unbound first-timers? “Your bike needs to work, but it’s a mental game. It’s long, it’s hard, and you’ll have your ups and downs. Just know when you’re in that dark place, you’ll come out of it.”
Aguirre has been there before, and this time she knows how to suffer, how to stay calm, and how to finish strong. Don’t count her out.
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