Ian Boswell (open in new tab) is in Kenya for the Migration Gravel Race (June 23-26), but the Unbound Gravel (open in new tab) winner is not only in Africa for the four-day event.

The American gravel racer will compete against top African athletes, including European riders and riders from the Amani Foundation team.

"It's so cool here in Kenya. The only time I've been to Africa was in 2016 when I did a training camp in South Africa with Chris Froome, but tomorrow I'm here for a different reason," Boswell told Cycling News two days after landing in Kenya. [Yesterday we rode through Hell's Gate National Park and it was amazing; it was worth the 36-hour drive. From Boston to Detroit to Amsterdam to Nairobi, it wasn't easy to get here, but I traveled with my Wahoo colleagues and the Frontiers film crew. Then in Amsterdam we met up with the Dutch contingent, including Laurens ten Dam and Thomas Dekker"

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The competitive aspect of the race is of course important, and the athletes face 600 km of gravel roads over the four-day event. They camp in tents and race point-to-point, but for Boswell, the race is also a chance to pave the way for African riders looking to break new ground on the American and European scenes.

"We are here to race with African riders and that is the purpose of this trip. We have been working with them for the last year, first through our products and also with our sports science team in Boulder, Colorado, Neil Henderson (Rohan Dennis' coach). Neil, along with the Wahoo Sports Science team, has been helping Amani riders and coaches implement better training techniques. I want to stay here and ride hard, but I also want to help get riders up to speed tactically and performance-wise," Boswell said. [They had the opportunity to work with one of the most respected coaches in the world, and now they have the chance to compete against some of the more prominent names in the gravel world. Also, with the Amani team in the race, Wahoo will bring the top three riders in the race to the U.S. for the SBT Gravel and Belgian Waffle Ride in Asheville. So the project we are participating in is much bigger than this race. It's cool to be here in Kenya, but what's even cooler is that we can bring value back to the African riders and give them a chance to see what they are capable of. Hopefully, they can take advantage of this and build a career in cycling.

In the evenings between long stages, Boswell is eager to spend time with the national riders and share his knowledge and experience. He has never raced in Africa and admits that he has a lot to learn in that regard. But on the other hand, he wants to open up about his life as a professional athlete, both on the road and in gravel.

"My biggest hope is that they are already at a high level and can share the positive impact cycling has had on my life.

"Through racing, I want to help change the paths of these riders. I think it is only a matter of time before we see more African riders on the road to Europe or in gravel in the US. It is a great honor to be able to share my experience with them and carry the torch. It will be very cool to welcome them to the U.S. later this month and it will be fun to build a relationship with them in this race."

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