People she is aware of name her ‘Gee’, however most individuals within the US weren’t acquainted with Geerike Schreurs (SD Worx-Protime), or the right way to pronounce her identify, till she hit the massive time of gravel on the 2024 Life Time Unbound 200. A relative newcomer to gravel racing and a first-timer at Unbound, the Dutch rider completed second to winner Rosa Klöser, one other debutant, in an thrilling eight-rider dash to the road in downtown Emporia, Kansas after 203 miles (327km).
Saturday’s fierce dash, to finish a race that performed out over 10 hours, 26 minutes and two seconds, was additionally the quickest version of Unbound Gravel’s north route which has been accomplished now thrice.
“When I realised it was for certain going to be a dash, I attempted on the ultimate kicker to assault, and use my huge core, my weight, on the downhill to get a niche,” laughed the tall Dutch rider referring to her peak, at simply over six toes.
“I had a extremely good lead out from Sarah Sturm, she was on the entrance on the final nook, I mentioned ‘simply go, go, go’,” mentioned Schreurs of her fellow Specialized rider. “I feel the strongest really received right now. Rosa [Klöser] was actually sturdy. I’m actually completely satisfied that I may dash to second place right now.”
Coming into her first Unbound Gravel race, she already had a robust outcomes sheet, together with a win at The Gralloch two weeks in the past, second at Wörthersee Gravel Race and The Traka 360. She additionally made a visit to the US and completed fourth at Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona. But 2024 is her first full season racing off-road occasions, so even she was uncertain of what she would uncover at Unbound about her talents and her rivals.
“I don’t know everybody so properly but as a result of it’s my first yr. It’s my first time at Unbound. So it’s all the time kind of exhausting to see how everybody can be within the dash,” she mentioned within the combine zone to media after her second place at Unbound 200.
“It’s actually superior. It’s actually totally different. I’m completely satisfied that I can expertise this. I’ve such an ideal sponsor behind me, they let me come over from Europe to be right here, particularly Specialized. That’s actually superior.”
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A biking profession reboot
Her path to gravel glory is a bit difficult. Gee’ started racing a motorbike when she was 19 years previous and she or he did it for enjoyable. “I performed volleyball for a really very long time and wished one thing totally different.”
Her biking profession started in 2008 with a membership workforce and after a number of years on the Continental degree she simply stopped racing when her workforce closed its doorways. In 2017 she started working as a soigneur for groups Hitec and Cylance, then touchdown with Lidl-Trek in 2019. In 2023 she took a chance to deal with her driving once more, this time with SD Worx-Protime.
“She give up biking, which at the moment I assumed was actually unhappy that she did as a result of she was actually sturdy as a highway bicycle owner,” SD Worx-Protime sports activities director Anna van der Breggen recalled in a YouTube video about Schreurs put out by Specialized. “She began fairly late and she or he actually appreciated it, nevertheless it was additionally fairly totally different [to be part of] the bunch while you don’t have the expertise. I keep in mind she crashed many instances, and she or he had some nice outcomes.
“I don’t know the way it got here up, however I recommended it, why don’t you attempt gravel racing. She had a gravel bike and she or he appreciated it on the roads round right here [Netherlands] so she was optimistic about it,” Van der Breggen mentioned. They each questioned if it was potential after so a few years of Schreurs working as a soigner, however Van der Breggen mentioned the timing was proper since gravel was rising.
“When you see the qualities of Geerike, it’s one thing she will actually do properly. The longer it takes, the higher she will get. And she is after all very motivated. We prefer it that there’s a gravel rider racing in our equipment. Team SD Worx-Protime is basically supporting this. We are serving to the place we will to provide her the very best preparation and supplies, along with Specialized to make her the very best gravel rider.”
Schreurs completed second at The Traka 360 this yr, whereas the 200 final yr, the place she got here fifth within the girls’s class, was a pivotal level in her gravel journey as ‘the primary occasion that acquired me into gravel’.
“I do know now that I used to be a extremely good soigneur. By all the time taking care of another person, you typically neglect your self, ‘what do I need, or what do I want’,” mentioned Schreurs. “When I made the choice final yr, I assumed I do one thing lastly that I need to do. And I don’t let anybody change my resolution. I really feel completely satisfied about it, that I used to be courageous sufficient to make that call and return to the place I didn’t [leave] on an excellent feeling.”
Now with a podium at Unbound Gravel 200, Schreurs mentioned she deliberate to remain within the US to to compete on the Oregon Trail Gravel, held June 26-30 as one of many international occasions for the Gravel Earth Series.
“I’m actually trying ahead to it [Oregon Trail] as properly. It’s going to be one other American expertise. And have a while between to simply chill out and luxuriate in America.”