The third version of the UCI Gravel World Championships, held October 5-6 within the Flemish area of Belgium, brings a contemporary ethos to the burgeoning battle for rainbow stripes, with a brand new organiser, new geography and new rivals. Not all the modifications have created a full metamorphosis within the self-discipline, however the groundwork is in place to present gravel a strong basis on the worldwide stage.
The qualification course of by way of the year-long Trek UCI Gravel World Series has helped deepen the fields. The sequence went from 16 international occasions in 2023 to 25 occasions on the calendar this yr, the place the highest 25% of every race made the lower of their class. Golazo Sports, which manages the Gravel World Series, can be overseeing the Worlds this yr and with much more advance discover on the course and qualification because the UCI incarnation of the self-discipline hits its stride, the beginner and elite fields are brimming with these wanting to race, particularly from the highest tier of the skilled street biking ranks.
Unlike the UCI Gravel World Series occasions, the elite ladies have their very own day for the beginning on a route that’s shorter than the elite males. On Saturday, October 5, Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland) will defend her 2023 title on a 133km course between Halle and Leuven. On Sunday, October 6, elite males’s defending champion Matej Mohorič (Slovenia) will begin on the entrance of the grid on an 182km course, the distinction being further native laps for the lads.
The course has a lot in widespread with the one used final yr for the European Gravel Championships and is ready up like a one-day Belgian Classic with a number of flat, quick sections and brief, punchy hills. The mixture of the shorter distances than usually discovered within the massive US gravel occasions together with with the proportion of filth paths and cobblestones to paved sections are prone to lean in favour of the street specialists. That is much like the primary two editions when 100% of the ladies’s prime 20 got here from street backgrounds on Continental or WorldTour groups and 85% of the lads’s prime 20 had WorldTour or ProfessionalTeam expertise.
All programs begin on the Possozplein in Halle, with a 12.5km loop, then traverse by way of the nationwide park Brabantse Woods, to achieve Leuven. The ladies will full a 47.7km end circuit as soon as, the lads making the lap twice, to finish the race within the metropolis centre of Leuven. To attain the end line, a brief however steep Ramberg cobblestone climb of 1.8km have to be crossed, adopted by the Donatuspark “gravel” part for the ultimate kilometre.
Expected to return after a one-year absence is Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) whereas first-time rivals trying to make their marks on gravel embrace two-time ladies’s elite street race world champion Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) and U23 ladies’s street race world champion Puck Pieterse (Netherlands).
The seasoned professionals who’re again for a 3rd time on the Gravel World Championships and have completed within the prime 15 in each earlier editions embrace simply 5 ladies and three males. On the ladies’s facet are Tiffany Cromwell (Australia), Letizia Borghesi (Italy), Rasa Leleivyte (Lithuania), Riejanne Markus (Netherlands) and Lauren Stephens (United States). On the lads’s facet are 2022 champion Gianni Vermeersch (Belgium), Alessandro De Marchi (Italy) and Sebastian Schönberger (Austria).
The UCI recognises that the booming off-road different self-discipline started blossoming “within the US Midwest some 15 years in the past”, nevertheless most of the notable names of the gravel racers from North and South America is not going to be in Belgium. Fans will not see Keegan Swenson, Peter Stetina, Sofia Gomez Villafañe, Haley Smith or Lauren De Crescenzo, as they continue to be within the US for different gravel pursuits, particularly shares within the cash-rich Life Time Grand Prix.
While a couple of different names lacking embrace Alejandro Valverde (Spain) and an injured Wout van Aert (Belgium), fourth and eighth, respectively, final yr within the males’s race final yr, there’s nonetheless a bounty of massive names on elite begin lists.
Here are a few of the versatile riders to look at – based mostly on preliminary starter indications – who might earn the rainbow jerseys on the UCI Gravel World Championships.
Elite Women
When Kasia Niewiadoma lined up on the UCI Gravel World Championships in 2023 it was her first gravel race and got here after a interval of sturdy outcomes on the street, however a top-step drought that dated proper again to 2019. That all started to vary when she flew solo towards the end line on the end in Pieve di Soligo and secured the gravel rainbow stripes.
The drought broke, and Niewiadoma then swept up two of the largest victories of her greater than a decade-long skilled profession in 2024. The 30-year-old first received La Flèche Wallonne after which went on to upset the clear-cut Tour de France Femmes favorite Demi Vollering, securing yellow in an thrilling competitors that ended with a tenacious battle up Alpe d’Huez and a successful margin of simply 4 seconds. It was a contest of nerves and grit, two traits that would simply assist put Niewiadoma in with a shot of defending her gravel title towards a packed Dutch workforce.
It shall be Niewiadoma’s second race again since her Tour de France triumph, with COVID-19 altering her Tour de Romandie race plans. Her first race again was the chilly and moist World Championships street race in Zurich and whereas seventeenth maybe wasn’t the outcome she was searching for it ought to have helped with the race rhythm forward of Bolero. Regardless of what occurs on Saturday, it has been an unforgettable yr for Niewiadoma and that nothing-to-lose angle might simply work in her favour on the punchy terrain. (SG)
Lotte Kopecky has not competed in a gravel race throughout her intensive biking profession, however it’s no shock that she shall be one of many favourites to line up on the occasion in Leuven on house soil in Belgium.
Kopecky is in prime kind having secured her second-consecutive street race world title on the Zurich World Championships final weekend. She can be one of many prime one-day Classics specialists on this planet, which suggests this classics-style gravel occasion may very well be well-suited to her strengths.
Kopecky, who can be a six-time world champion and Olympic medallist on the monitor, excels as a multi-discipline racer. She won’t have raced within the gravel self-discipline earlier than, however she has received cobbled Monuments; Tour of Flanders twice and Paris-Roubaix. She has additionally proven no issue on the white gravel roads of Strade Bianche, successful the one-day race two instances.
Watch for Kopecky so as to add a rainbow jersey in gravel racing to her assortment of world titles on the street and monitor.
Lorena Wiebes will lead a strong Dutch workforce on the Gravel World Championships that features Demi Vollering, Marianne Vos and Puck Pieterse, all of which have the potential to win the world title.
Wiebes is the reigning European Champion, having received the title in Oud-Heverlee final yr, and shall be trying to carry her gravel racing success into this world championships. She has loved a successful season on the street up to now with 19 victories, and quite a few different podiums as a part of the SD Worx-Protime squad.
Last yr, Wiebes completed fifth within the World Championships occasion in Italy, however this time across the course seems much like the earlier yr’s European Championships, and so might higher swimsuit Wiebes’ strengths on a flatter, classics-style race.
She lately received the street race title on the European Championships in Hasselt earlier than turning her consideration to gravel racing the place she received Ok Gravel + Merida NL Gravel Series-Meerveld.
She didn’t take part within the street World held in Zurich final weekend and so could be lining up more energizing than her rivals who competed within the elite and under-23 ladies’s street occasions.
Tiffany Cromwell has the best mixture of street and gravel know-how plus the confirmed skill to carry out on the fashion of terrain that this course presents. The Australian has been a daily participant, and winner, within the UCI Gravel World Series rounds. She additionally is aware of her street ways and rivals inside out after 16 seasons of racing.
Already on the two UCI Gravel World Championships she has raced, Cromwell has delivered a tenth and sixth place however this yr is one the place she has each motive to hope for much more because the punchy course, with out a massive climb proper in the beginning, works to her strengths. The proof of that was clear when she received the European Continental Championships race in 2023 – the title nevertheless went to second-placed Lorena Wiebes as an alternative given Cromwell’s nationality.
Cromwell is exhibiting sturdy kind, successful the Sea Otter Europe UCI Gravel World Series spherical in current weeks, pulling off a dramatic fightback after slipping effectively again within the discipline within the opening levels. Plus Cromwell was then a late call-up for the Australian workforce on the Road World Championships, the place among the many riders she was supporting had been U23 silver medallist Neve Bradbury. The Canyon-SRAM teammates’ roles will flip this weekend, with Bradbury certain to be a beneficial assist for Cromwell as an alternative, giving her a bonus she hasn’t had in earlier editions of the World Championships. Add in Sarah Gigante as a participant in each Road and Gravel World Championships and if street workforce ways leach into the gravel contest the bonding in Zurich might effectively repay even additional in Belgium. (SG)
Lauren Stephens will lead the US workforce on the Gravel Worlds having simply competed within the time trial, combined relay and street race on the Road Worlds in Zurich final week and weekend.
Stephens received her second consecutive nationwide title on the USA Cycling Gravel Championships in September and likewise received Rattlesnake Gravel Grind, SBT GRVL, and defended the ladies’s title at Garmin Gravel Worlds in Nebraska.
On the street, Stephens received Clasica de Almeria, a stage of the Tour de Normandie, the general title at Tour of the Gila, and gold within the elite street race and silver within the elite time trial on the Pan American Championships.
Stephens stated she spent a lot of the later a part of her season competing in gravel occasions and criteriums to arrange for competing in back-to-back Road and Gravel Worlds. Upon arriving in Leuven, she has taken time to get well from her effort in Zurich and has frolicked previewing the Gravel Worlds route.
Although Stephens hasn’t competed in a UCI gravel occasion this yr, she goals to complete on the rostrum in Leuven. She has raced within the earlier two editions of the UCI Gravel World Championships ending sixth in 2023 and fifteenth in 2022.
Additional riders to look at
Outside of our number of favourites, there are honourable mentions and riders to look at and lots of of them shall be competing for the Dutch squad together with Demi Vollering, former multi-discipline world champion Marianne Vos, mountain bike world champion Puck Pieterse, former cyclocross world champion Lucinda Brand, and reigning cyclocross world champion Fem van Empel. Any considered one of these riders has the potential to win a world title, and Vollering strains up, she is going to little question wish to safe a rainbow jersey after a number of second-place performances on the Tour de France, Tour de Romandie, the person time trial in Zurich, the place she completed fifth as a part of the breakaway within the street race. That stated, Pieterse lately secured the elite ladies’s world title in cross-country mountain bike and the under-23 world title within the street race. The multi-discipline rider has additionally earned silver and bronze medals within the elite ladies’s cyclocross Worlds and she or he received a stage on the Tour de France Femmes in August. Other riders to look at embrace Italy’s Silvia Persico, who completed second final yr, and German Champion Carolin Schiff, who received Gravel World Series occasions in Poland, Germany, and France, whereas additionally successful Traka 200 and Utopia Gravel Fest.
Elite Men
When cyclocross ramps up in a matter of weeks, Mathieu van der Poel will race within the rainbow stripes, however he misplaced his grip on the street world title in Zürich only a few days in the past. The 29-year-old large of a number of disciplines might very effectively add the gravel rainbow jersey to his assortment subsequent Sunday. No one might catch Tadej Pogačar on his solo win at Road Worlds, however Van der Poel was third greatest and one of many few riders to complete rather less than a minute behind the hovering Slovenia. Unless Pogačar surprises the sphere and exhibits up in the beginning line in Halle, Van der Poel would be the prime favorite.
Two years in the past at Gravel World Championships, Van der Poel rode to bronze in Veneto, Italy. Since then in one-day races, he is received 4 Monuments – Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, each begins at Paris-Roubaix and likewise the 2023 Road Worlds race. He was additionally on the rostrum this yr at Gent-Wevelgem and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, in addition to Road Worlds.
If for some motive Van der Poel cannot get in gear on a course that’s a lot shorter than his Classics conquests, Jasper Ockeloen might take over because the Dutch chief. He completed thirteenth final yr on the gravel championships and has two gravel wins this season. Dutch gravel coach Laurens ten Dam gave him the nod as ‘the man’ if Van der Poel isn’t in kind. (JT)
Matej Mohorič (Slovenia)
Matej Mohorič is greater than motivated to retain the lads’s elite world title for gravel, as he wish to put on it throughout a end line at one race. He suffered a mechanical at Unbound Gravel 200 and was a DNF. Then he suffered a hand damage on a preview trip the day earlier than Sea Otter Europe Girona which brought about him to drag out of that gravel tuneup. He subsequent didn’t line up for Slovenia on the Road World Championships to get well for his defence on gravel.
The 2024 season saved Mohorič centered on the street with UAE Team Emirates and he supported Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar for a 3rd GC win. Before that, he had nice efforts at two Monuments with a fifth at Strade Bianche and a sixth at Milan-San Remo.
“I’m fairly excited [about Gravel World Championships]. It’s principally like a giant one-day Classic,” he advised Cyclingnews about this yr’s route. Last yr, he stated the Italian setup was “tremendous exhausting and fairly punchy within the closing with lengthy climbs” and stated he wasn’t positive the Belgian course with smaller quantities of climbing would swimsuit him.
The 29-year-old has competed in 12 Grand Tours, and numerous Classic, so so long as his hand can take the impacts of off-road terrain, search for Mohoric to be on the rostrum once more. (JT)
Jasper Stuyven (Belgium)
The Belgian males’s workforce is stacked and an extended record of riders on the squad might simply be listed among the many favourites, however there may be one factor that units Jasper Stuyven aside, and that’s his confirmed skill to win on the terrain. It was final yr in the identical territory that he slipped on the bands of a European champion along with his solo end forward of compatriot Tim Merlier. He additionally practically as soon as once more proved his gravel skill in stage 9 of the Tour de France, when for a second his win on the prestigious race had appeared inside attain as he countered an assault from the break to surge out the entrance solo at simply 11km to go, although his hopes had been dashed when the catch occurred in sight of the flamme rouge.
Still on the Gravel World Championships, the confirmed Classics energy of the Milan-San Remo, Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne and E3 Saxo Classic winner combines with the familiarity of the roads and paths he grew up on, making him a formidable foe. So does the energy of the Belgian workforce. Quotas might preserve a good restrict on the variety of riders in a Road World Championships, however not so in gravel so the house nation workforce is predicted to come back out in drive to ensure considered one of their riders will get to rejoice in entrance of the house crowd. (SG)
Paul Voß (Germany)
Last yr’s winner of The Traka 200 has develop into one of many veterans of gravel racing, his 11 years on the world stage of street racing put aside in 2016. Last weekend, Paul Voß completed second at Sea Otter Europe Girona, one of many closing qualifying races within the UCI Gravel World Series, so he is acquired confidence getting into his third Gravel World Championships. In Girona, he outsprinted Petr Vakoc (Czechia) and distanced prime contenders Alessandro De Marchi (Italy) and Hugo Drechou (France).
Last yr he was third within the UEC Gravel Championships, outsprinting world champion Gianni Vermeersch for the rostrum spot. That efficiency was on the course that served because the template for this yr’s Worlds course, so search for Voß to do effectively on acquainted floor. (JT)
Connor Swift (Great Britain)
Last yr when WorldTour rider Connor Swift determined to “have a bash at some gravel racing” on the Gralloch he found a self-discipline the place he appeared proper at house, successful on his first outing. He then stepped straight onto the rostrum at his UCI Gravel World Championships debut, coming third behind Matej Mohoric and Florian Vermeersch, and never surprisingly rapidly foreshadowing his dedication to returning to attempt once more in 2024.
A yr later the Ineos Grenadiers rider has a bit of extra gravel expertise, a course the place his Classics expertise ought to make him that little extra at house and an ideal file within the self-discipline in 2024, having received each the British Gravel Championships and the UCI Gravel World Series race, Graen Cymru. Swift now shall be hoping he could make it three for 3. (SG)
Additional riders to look at
We might have one Belgian rider listed among the many favourites above however there are lots extra that would simply as simply be placing the house colors on show on the entrance of the sphere. Firstly there may be the winner of the inaugural version, Gianni Vermeersch or maybe final yr’s second-placed Florian Vermeersch. Then if Tim Merlier strains up he’s seemingly be one other main risk, having come second on the European Gravel Championships final yr, received on the mid-year Blaavands Huk UCI Gravel World Series spherical and likewise being within the midst of a strong streak on the street, with three wins in September and a type of being the European Road Championships. Turning to different nations, former WorldTour rider turned gravel specialist Petr Vakoc (Czech Republic) is a critical risk, having come sixth on the European Gravel Championships final yr and barely having been off the rostrum this season, together with wins on the La Monsterrato UCI Gravel World Series race and Traka 200. American Chad Haga may very well be an extended shot, having delivered a powerful gravel run this yr, with second at Octopus Gravel and Unbound. The choices for the Dutch workforce additionally aren’t confined to Mathieu van der Poel, with the gravel centered Jasper Ockeloen having completed thirteenth on the World Championships final yr, having come second at The Traka 200 this yr behind Vakoc.