After a first year of “wait and see”, an avalanche of preeminent riders from the top levels of road, mountain bike, cyclocross, and yes, even gravel, have changed the tide of interest to compete at the UCI Gravel World Championships, October 7-8.
Last year, just 41 riders took the start in the elite-women’s-only event on a course 54km shorter than the elite men, with the sprint coming down to a pair of world-class mountain bikers – Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France) beating Sina Frei (Switzerland). On the following day, 99 men competed over black tarmac and white crushed stone in north-east Italy, with Gianni Vermeersch (Belgium) distancing Daniel Oss (Italy) for the title. In that race, the top nine riders had WorldTour experience.
What seemed to be missing at the inaugural competition last year were not just higher numbers in the elite fields but just more gurus of the gravel. In fact, many of the US contingency, long considered the pioneers of the gravel peloton who survive debilitating all-day races, skipped the long travel to focus on more traditional off-road races.
Team USA, which had only 7 riders across the two elite races last year, but this year has announced a squad of 23, including newly-crowned national champions Keegan Swenson and Lauren Stephens.
The UEC Gravel European Championships take place in the Flemish town of Oud-Heverlee on October 1, and the start list for this inaugural mixed-terrain test will be an indicator for the competition a week later at the UCI Gravel World Championships. Lorena Wiebes, Fem van Empel and Pauliena Rooijakkers (Netherlands) are among the Women’s WorldTour riders competing, as well as Carolin Schiff (Germany), Barbara Guarischi (Italy) and Tiffany Cromwell (Australia).
Notable on the men’s side are the 66 Belgian riders on the start line, with Vermeersch leading the charge, as the Sunday races also serve as the Belgian Gravel Championships. Watch for cyclocross stars like Eli Iserbyt and Laurens Sweeck, as well as road warriors Tim Merlier, Greg Van Avermaet, Jasper Stuyven and Philippe Gilbert.
While new organisers, Pedali di Marca, have provided a completely new course across Veneto, the two elite course distances from Lago Le Bandie to Pieve di Soligo. The influx of top-level WorldTour roadies in both the women’s and men’s field could lead to another round of dynamic group racing, but twice as much climbing from a year ago and a 3.9km climb near the finish could put familiar faces from 2023…
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