Justin Barrow may not have exactly the ideal preparation for her latest stint in Gravel Racing in the United States, but had to put her training on hold for even more surgery on her AC joint in late May. But now the Australian gravel champion is coming into the unbound gravel with a winning streak.

The first step was her victory in the SEVEN UCI Gravel World Series race in Nanap on 5/11, where she carved out a clear lead and set a new course record on her way to victory. Then he got straight on the plane to go to America in time for Gravel Locos the following weekend, and again Barrow pulled out a big gap with his rivals, crossing the line first and finishing 14 minutes ahead.

Barrow may have had to rebuild again after 6 weeks away from outdoor riding after the latest surgery, and just weeks ago she was even wondering if she would recover enough to surpass this year. But it ended up being an auspicious final lead-in to unbound Gravel200.

Last year's Gravel Locos winner, Carolyn Schiff, continued to claim victory in the race at Flint Hills in Kansas, which stands as the pinnacle of the Gravel world, but to try and put Barrow in as one of the top favorites for this year's unbound, she was particularly pleased with the results than she had. Given the ideal run-in, you might disagree.

Last year, Barrow had to abandon a brutally muddy version of the race at about 85 miles (130km), so "definitely finishing" was her first response when asked what her goal was during her second attempt. But, of course, there are more.

"I always want to be competitive. They say you need some luck to work out with Unbound, and I think you need some of your luck with proper preparation of your equipment, but you still probably need some luck as well," the rider told Cyclingnews in Emporia last week.

"I have a huge respect for the women I line up with, and, you know, overall, I really want to be competitive, yeah this is the ideal course for me, but I don't appreciate myself there.

That does not mean that the rider in the green and gold jersey of the Australian Champion has not prepared as meticulously as possible and thereby done everything he can to make sure that as much "luck" as possible falls on her path on Saturday 6/1 . Still only with her second start of the race, she is still ready for the inevitable moments when things do not go her way.

"I am more aware that when things go wrong they will go wrong. For all competitors in some stages, it's not your race over. You can come back from that," she said.

Riders who have shifted from the road to gravel races are already in the process of coming back from a gravel plan that did not work out last year. After winning the Australian title in a Devils cardigan on May 6, her next AMERICAN stint ended prematurely with a nasty crash and her first AC joint surgery.

The recovery from it did not go as smoothly as expected, ending plans for the rest of the season and leading to more surgeries earlier this year.

It's a journey that meant Barrow didn't have as many opportunities as he wanted to showcase the Australian Champion jersey. Perhaps as a result, and the uncertainty surrounding what has been a difficult recovery, the chance to finally do it exactly means even more. She's certainly making the most of her recent race with it.

"I was feeling pretty insecure before coming here, yeah, two starts and two wins under the belt so far...This is going to be a little test, and test

Committed to the rest of the season, after returning to Tasmania and the Devils cardigan to defend the Australian title at 6-22, Barrow decided to jump straight back on the plane again and take the race schedule, which includes both US and European events. I mean. And, of course, the 45-year-old will also make her second attempt at unbound.

"I will enter again with lower expectations than last year. It's going to be such a competitive field," Barrow said. "I'm definitely not just there to ride it; I'm definitely there to race it, but I crashed last year so getting through this year will be an achievement. Second, I really appreciate the woman's only start and it just makes me look forward to it more.

Riders in the Unbound race, which actually covers 202.9 miles (327km) and covers an elevation difference of 11,850 feet (3,600 m), will depart early on Saturday. Elite men start at 5:50CDT, Elite women start at 6:05, and the remaining 200 fields start at 25 minutes later at 6:30.