Brendan Johnston conquered 200 miles of rain, wind and mud at Unbound Gravel to land a career-best fourth-place finish at the world’s most prestigious gravel event. Representing the Giant gravel squad, Johnston rode his prototype Giant Revolt bike with prototype CADEX wheels to a hard-earned result on a chaotic day that saw many of the big names abandon.
“Unbound Gravel is never a straightforward race, and this year’s edition delivered some of the most challenging conditions I’ve experienced,” said Johnston, who was second among Life Time Grand Prix competitors and moved up to fourth overall in the series after two of six races. “After finishing fifth here in 2025, I was determined to improve on that result. Despite the chaotic day, I was able to come away with fourth place against one of the strongest fields in gravel racing.”
The 34-year-old Australian’s day was anything but clean. The race started at a relentless pace and Johnston found himself caught out by a series of early mishaps. He had to chase back to the front group repeatedly before finally re-establishing a strong position. When a decisive attack by three riders eventually split off the front, Johnston missed that move and had to recalibrate.
“Those final hours were some of the hardest I’ve spent on a bike,” he said. “With no group to work with and conditions still deteriorating, it became a matter of staying committed and making the most of the position I had. Crossing the line in fourth place was incredibly satisfying given how many setbacks unfolded throughout the day.”
Through all of it, Johnston was emphatic about the role his bike and gear—which also included the new Giant Pursuit helmet—played in his result. “One of the biggest positives from the event was the performance of the equipment,” he said. “The new prototype Giant Revolt was outstanding from start to finish. In conditions that exposed weaknesses everywhere else, the bike provided confidence, comfort and speed all day long. Paired with the new CADEX wheelset, the package performed flawlessly and allowed me to stay competitive despite everything the race threw at us.”
GIANT’S BIG FOUR
Giant was well-represented across the broader field. Swatt Club’s Floris de Tier—a Belgian veteran who spent years at the top of road racing before making the switch to gravel—made his Unbound Gravel debut and delivered an impressive 11th-place finish aboard a Revolt Advanced Pro bike and CADEX WheelSystem. He hung near the front throughout, spending the final 70 miles in a group fighting for top-10 positions.
“A few years ago, I said that when my road career came to an end, I wanted to switch to gravel racing,” de Tier said. “I had been talking about Unbound for several years, and now I was finally here. I felt good throughout the race and was always positioned near the front. During the last 100km, I was in a group fighting for places five to eleven, which was a great position to be in. But with 20km to go, I had to let the group ride away because my tank was empty. What an experience! A 200-mile race, I’ve never raced such a long distance before. And what an edition of Unbound it was, with the weather and the mud-fest. Just wow!”
American Cole Paton, riding in support of Johnston, finished in 36th place. And Italian Swatt Club rider Matteo Fontana, also riding the Revolt prototype with CADEX wheels, crossed the line in 38th.