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Unbound and Unfiltered: Alex Howes on the Art of Gravel Racing
photo: @velophoto.tx
Today, we get to chew the fat a bit with Alex Howes, a name synonymous with dedication and versatility in the world of U.S. cycling. Beginning from his early days as a junior racer, Howes built a distinguished road career, racing with the Slipstream organization for well over a decade, during which he accumulated five Grand Tour finishes scattered between Italy, Spain, and France, in addition to stage wins in the Tours of Colorado, Alberta and Utah.
In 2019, he joined his EF Education teammate, Lachlan Morton, in tackling what was dubbed an “Alternative Calendar,” where he would juggle a mix of WorldTour racing in Europe with the blossoming U.S. gravel calendar.
2019 turned out to be a prolific year for Alex, finally laying claim to that elusive US Professional Road Race Title in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was also the year that Alex began forging a new path – one strewn with gravel, rock, and dirt, securing podium finishes in some of the most prestigious off-road events on the U.S. calendar, including 3rd places at both Unbound Gravel (known then as The Dirty Kanza 200) and Utah’s notorious Crusher in the Tushar. He soon followed that up with an impressive 5th place a month later in the legendary Leadville Trail 100 MTB race.
In the subsequent years, Alex has become a full-time “privateer,” focusing on the world’s top gravel events and accumulating a wealth of experience along with impressive results, including a victory in the 2021 SBT GRVL in Steamboat Springs, CO.
Q: So, from a “10,000 foot level”, how different would you say your training for gravel racing is compared to your World Tour days? Is there a single biggest switch-up that jumps out in your mind?
A: In World Tour racing, the races require much higher peak powers. Super sharp 30 second efforts or blasting 5min efforts to make the difference between executing strategy or making the move. In gravel, it’s much more about attrition. Long one day races with super high average power. In gravel, I average higher numbers than I did in the WT, but I’m probably 50w lower on my 5min power. The training definitely reflects that. Way more tempo, long diesel efforts and generally more volume (when I can get it!) vs training that super high end.
Q: Is the level of commitment & training required to be a competitive professional gravel racer in 2025 at odds with the widely portrayed image (dare we say “vibe”?) of gravel, and how much has that changed since your first foray into the discipline?
A: There is a big difference between the front end of a gravel race and the general public vibes. To race at the front requires a ton of resources and energy. That said, it’s still not at the level of WT racing. The WT guys are on the road and at training camps nearly 200 days a year with just about every waking moment focused on performance.
Q: How do you train for the super long distances and varied type of terrain surfaces in gravel racing, compared to the road? Is the amount of hours you put in or type of specific work markedly different?
A: Training for gravel is honestly pretty simple. More is better! For road there’s a fine line between doing too much and sacrificing the high end power vs doing too little and not building the aerobic engine needed to go the distance.
Q: How do you get yourself ready for the more technical aspects of gravel racing, such as climbing on steep grades with ball-bearing gravel and washboards such as the Crusher’s “Col ‘d Crush” – or bombing down it, for that matter?
A: As they say, practice makes perfect! I’m fortunate to live in an area where 90% of the roads I ride on are gravel. I probably don’t have my 10,000 hours on gravel just yet, but I’m probably not too far off.
Q: Do you do much off the bike for training? Nordic skiing, trail running or the like?
A: I run a bit in the off season and throughout the year. A bit of nordic skiing, yes. Regular gym work as well. I also carry my 40lbs toddler roughly 3hrs a week. Some would call that rucking.
Q: How about specific strength work? Do you implement any into your training regime at all? If so, what are the main exercises you focus on?
A: I try my best to lift throughout the season. My best years have always been when I was in the gym consistently. I think a big part of that is because I live at altitude where it’s hard to develop that strength on the bike. Generally, I do a lot of mobility work (getting older every day!) and I try to lift quite heavy once a week. That really heavy stimulus is good for racing, but also super good for bone density and getting the hormone levels up.
Q: How do you deal with feeling super fatigued during heavy periods of training or racing? Any favorite recovery modalities or methods?
A: Getting to bed on time is always the best way to counter fatigue. So simple yet so tough to execute on sometimes. Eating clean, getting morning sunshine and a long hot shower are usually enough to get me back to life.
Q: Do you have a “go-to” training ride or route that you find yourself doing to prepare for an event of Unbound's magnitude?
A: I can’t say there’s one ride in particular. This time of year is fun though because I get to cruise around and check off most of my, “greatest hits.” The blue Strava lines hit all the surrounding counties this time of year.
Q: Has your nutrition strategy changed or evolved much since your focus shifted to gravel?
A: Toward the end of my road career we were just starting to really push the carbs in during races. Now 90+ grams of carbs is the norm when racing. I think that’s the same for both road and gravel. One thing that’s still a bit of a novelty for me is racing with a hydration pack. When we’re racing on a rough course, the pack is vital for drinking on the go.
Q: As a follow- up to that last question, does that strategy change at all for an event as long as The Unbound 200 is?
A: The length of Unbound doesn’t change the nutrition strategy much. I basically do the same thing that I would do for a 5hr race and double it for a 10 hour race. The thing that’s always playing the joker card at Unbound is the heat. I often scale back on the EFS-PRO High Carb in the second half if it’s going to be warm and switch to the EFS Drink Mix to focus more on hydration.
Q: Has your relationship with technology changed or evolved since your WorldTour days? (power meters, gps, training software, etc.)
A: I can’t say it’s changed much. We were pretty tech focused at EF and I’m a bit of a nerd so I’ve kept that going. It has evolved a bit as things progress.
Q: What does the contents of your saddle/handlebar bag look like for a typical gravel race?
A: It depends on where we’re racing (aka can I get a ride home if I’m SOL). Generally, one tube, two co2s, co2 head, super glue, master link, two separate dyna plug racers, and a small multi tool. 50/50 on a pump.
Q: Tell us a little about your bike setup and does it change dramatically from race to race, say from Sea Otter to Unbound?
A: Honestly, it doesn’t change too much. Finding a position and sticking to it, is the way to go. The one thing that’s always changing is the tires. Tire width, tread pattern, casing toughness… those are things I think about and change nearly every race. It’s both a blessing and a curse working with Biketiresdirect.com. I get to use whatever I want which leads to a whole lot of pontificating. Use AH10 at check out for 10% off ;)
Q: What’s your feeling on the increasingly shorter crank lengths we’ve been hearing about in the peloton?
A: I think it makes a lot of sense for most folks. You can get a bit more aero and less injury potential. For me though, after 20 something years on 170mm cranks, I’m stuck.
Q: How do you manage to fit in the kind of training necessary to be at the pointy end of races and still have the energy to be a Dad, Husband and thrower of sticks for your pup?
A: Really it comes down to two things. One, I try to never fall too far behind on training. I’m always able to step out for a quick spin on busy days to keep the train rolling. Maintaining that consistency is key. With that foundation, I try to block off weeks where I can free things up a bit and really get the training in. Those weeks I’m on dish and book reading duty and not much else.
Q: What's the number one mistake you see gravel newbies make with their training?
A: The distances of some of these races can be quite daunting and many folks think they need to get close to that distance in training. In reality, stacking three days of quality rides is usually more productive than one big ride followed by two days on the couch.
Q: If you could give just one piece of advice to the Weekend Warrior who's trying to squeeze training for a big gravel event into a packed schedule, what would it be?
A: On the bike, quality over quantity. Off the bike, doing something is better than nothing (think a walk at lunch time). If you really have no time, focus on your diet. Good quality fuel is the best foundation you can lay for performance.
Q: Last, but not least, what’s your favorite beverage after a 200 mile gravel bike race?
A: Cold bubble water, Ultragen, Steeplejack pilsner. In that order.
