A Giro stage winner, a former wearer of the maglia rosa, and now a gravel racer.
Lukas Pöstlberger has long been a respected figure in the professional peloton, but after a 10-year stint in the WorldTour peloton the 32-year-old Austrian has turned his attention to the world of gravel racing.
Trading in tarmac for the trail, he’s joined Rose Racing Circle and is taking aim at one of the biggest off-road events on the calendar - Unbound Gravel.
Pöstlberger’s switch isn’t exactly first in class. He’ll be on the startline with a number of familiar faces - including the likes of Nathan Haas and his former teammate, Daniel Oss. It’s worth pointing out that the Austrian is no stranger to the rough stuff either, having raced mountain bikes from a young age before switching to road racing at age 11.
The Austrian has already notched up two podiums in the UCI Gravel World Series, with strong rides in Monaco (2) and Austria (3). Those results make him a good outside bet for Unbound, a race infamous for its brutal mileage, unpredictable conditions, and leg-sapping Kansas gravel.
To tackle the chaos of Unbound, Pöstlberger will be aboard the Rose Backroad FF, the German brand’s lightweight, race-optimised gravel bike. It’s a purpose-built machine designed for high-speed performance on mixed surfaces, with a fully carbon frame and integrated cockpit setup.
At just over 7.5kg, Pöstlberger’s steed is pretty lean for a gravel bike. Aiding the build is a set of Newmen Advanced SL X.R.36 wheels, which tip the scales at just 1385g for the pair.
Shifting is handled by the latest SRAM Red AXS XPLR groupset, set up in a 1x configuration. Pöstlberger is running a 46T chainring up front and a 10–46T cassette at the back.
Tyre choice is critical at Unbound. Pöstlberger will be racing on Schwalbe’s G-One RS Pro tyres in 45mm width - right at the maximum of the Backroad FF’s claimed clearance. The added width offers more grip and comfort across Unbound’s notoriously varied terrain.
Year after year we are seeing more pros and ex-pros take to the dirt roads, adding to the gravel racing spectacle. Unbound 2025 is set to be as unpredictable as ever, so it's worth keeping an eye on Pöstlberger on Sunday in what promises to be a brutal but beautiful day of racing.
