UCI Gravel World Series – Annabel Fisher defends title at Octopus Gravel whereas Chad Haga shocked by Asier Indave

Annabel Fisher (Classified Ridley Team) defended her ladies’s title from 2023 at Octopus Gravel, whereas Spain’s Asier Irigoyen Indave (Merler Gravel) took the shock victory forward of Chad Haga (PAS Racing) on the boys’s facet. 

Octopus Gravel, now in a 3rd 12 months as a part of the Gravel Earth Series, took half from Andermatt, Switzerland.

PAS Racing positioned second on each the ladies’s and males’s podiums. Karolina Migoń, who gained this 12 months’s The Traka 360, had the second-best cumulative time for ladies. On the boys’s facet, just one minute and 25 seconds separated the highest two males, with second going to Haga, who was third at The Traka 360 and second at Unbound Gravel.

Third for ladies was Haley Simmonds (Movistar Team Gravel) whereas Julian Lino (NR Gravel Team) completed third for males.

Incoming storms shortened the occasion, as three timed sections have been accomplished fairly than 4. Three of the seven ‘legs” of the Swiss gravel race went to totally different sections of the Gotthard Pass – one previous Lago della Sella, one on the switchback cobblestones of Tremola and one other to the scenic overlook at Aussichtspunkt. 

The unique route lined out-and-back extensions from Andermatt with a complete of seven climbs totalling 155km and 4,450 metres of elevation achieve. Several of the climbs snaked previous snowdrifts on the facet of the highway, with terrain various from filth and gravel to pavé and riders within the Gravel Earth Series clocking instances on pre-determined areas.

The elite winners for factors within the Gravel Earth Series have been determined with the most effective instances throughout timed segments. Indave had the most effective instances on three timed segments to Tremola, Rossmettlen and Vermigelhütte, a complete of 47 minutes and 6 seconds. Haga was two minutes sooner than Lino.

Fisher accomplished the trio of climbs in 56 minutes, 53 seconds. Migoń was 2:31 off the tempo, and Sušnik was one other 1:59 again.