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Annika Langvad (Specialized Off-Road) and Magnus Bak Klaris (PAS Racing) managed two days of technical programs and stacked fields to win common classification titles at Santa Vall in Girona. Both Danish riders used opening stage wins and follow-up podiums to earn victories to start the 2025 European gravel season.
Langvad distanced all challengers decisively with a mixed time of 6:34:25. Geerike Schreurs (SD Worx-Protime) used her third place on stage 1 and seventh on stage 2 to take second total on the ladies’s aspect, 12 minutes again. Rosa Klöser (Canyon CLLCTV) was one other 2:25 again in total time for third on GC.
Bak celebrated back-to-back stage victories on the lads’s aspect, ending with a mixed time of 5:36:11. Petr Vakoc (Canyon) secured second total, 3:18 off the tempo, and Paul Voss (Autsaid X Rose Bikes) completed third, one other 1:05 of the mixed time.
Across 196.5 kilometres of gravel racing at Santa Vall, riders earned bonus factors within the Gravel Earth Series, the Spanish race now a part of the expanded world collection. Last 12 months Santa Vall offered three days of racing within the Girona space, with an uphill prologue setting the early GC. This 12 months two days of racing had been held, transferring from May to the mid-February weekend slot to accommodate a place within the Gravel Earth Series, with 10% extra factors on supply than customary collection occasions.
Langvad, a six-time MTB marathon world champion, three-time Cape Epic winner and former Leadville MTB 100 victor, returned to off-road racing two years in the past with an emphasis on gravel.
“It was mentally, and bodily, so, so, so, so laborious. Just pushing, pushing with out actually understanding the place I used to be and what occurred. It was such a tough time out; I’m relieved proper now. I didn’t consider that it might really occur,” she stated in a interview with organisers.
“I felt actually sturdy on the market. With this new group, I simply really feel so quick on this new bike. I’m very completely satisfied.”
A former junior winner at Paris-Roubaix, Klaris gained the nationwide gravel title for Denmark in 2023. Last 12 months Klaris was fifth on the European Gravel Championships whereas mixing in 10 high 10s on the highway for Danish Continental group Airtox-Carl Ras.
Stage 1
Stage 1 rolled south from Sant Gregori throughout 80 kilometres, together with the primary stiff climb with as much as 9% gradient simply 2km from the beginning. There was no rain, however mud dappled the course, which was greater than 80% gravel.
Langvad gained the three-up dash in opposition to heavy-hitters Klöser and Schreurs, who went two-three. PAS Racing positioned 4 riders within the high 10, Morgan Aguirre fourth, and teammates Cassia Boglio, Emily Newsom and Karolina Migoń going eighth to tenth, respectively. Axelle Dubau-Prévôt (Numbero 31 Par Café du Cycliste), who gained Gravel Ibereólica Tierra de Campos within the GES final 12 months, completed fifth.
“It was actually good enjoyable. I’m right here with household. This is my first race again. I retired from being a professional mountain biker years in the past. I’m giving gravel a go,” stated Langvad, who gained two of three gravel occasions she tried in 2023, together with La Monsterrato.
There was a bunch of 10 ladies by the point they hit the bottom of the lengthy climb with one-third of race to go, and earlier than the highest the lead trio made separation on the entrance. Langvad stated she and Schreurs labored collectively to attempt to drop Klöser, however the three ran out of actual property and settle accounts within the dash.
“I didn’t know the course, however I used to be with two skilled girls. It was a distinct dynamic. Me and Gee [Schreurs] tried to do the Specialized teamwork, and put Rosa [Klöser] below strain. And I believe we did fairly properly.”
Klaris hammered on the entrance solo on the flat, ultimate 10km into Saint Gregory and gained the opening day by simply over a minute over Malezsewski. The 24-year-old Belgian sprinted to second place from a pack of 12 riders, Wollenberg going third to close the door on a podium for Mads Würtz Schmidt (PAS Racing). Also within the pack had been veteran riders Vakoc in seventh, Jasper Ockeloen in eighth and Paul Voss in ninth.
“There had been two huge climbs at first, however I used to be feeling good. I had just a little hole on the highest, and Petr Vakoc was near me. I used to be doubtful if I ought to watch for him and I attempted to go away. Then I had a small crash on the tarmac and he was shut once more. I needed to watch for him as a result of it was nonetheless a protracted approach to go,” Klaris stated to organisers on social media.
“Actually, he was much better than I used to be on the technical components and he knew the route very properly. So in the long run I believe I used to be stronger and I obtained away. I simply emptied myself the final 40k. It was a very laborious, and enjoyable day.”
Stage 2
An extended stage on day two, 116.5km, additionally introduced extra gravel and extra climbing, a complete of 1,600 metres of elevation achieve. And like Saturday’s race, professional/elite men and women had devoted races, a full hour separating the 2 divisions.
From Sant Gregori, the course provided two main climbs on a clock-wise circuit round Girona. The first climb was on pavement, simply 8km in, adopted by a protracted gravel descent to the steepest rise throughout 8km by means of the Gavarres Massif of Catalonia.
Canadian Anna Gabrielle Traxler (Enough Cycling Collective) took the solo victory, 12:41 sooner than Langvad. Dubau-Prévôt then sprinted from a bunch of three riders to safe third, charging forward of Nicole Frain (Ridley Racing Team) and Karolina Migoń (PAS Racing).
In his comeback gravel race since struggling main accidents from a coaching crash simply earlier than Unbound Gravel final 12 months, Iva Slik (Wilier Factory Races) earned the solo victory for elite males, distancing Naesen Lawrence (Next Level Racing) by greater than 14 minutes. Klaris trailed for third place.