The Dutch will paint the city of Leuven orange after a weekend sweep of rainbow jerseys for his or her elite riders on the UCI Gravel World Championships. Marianne Vos received in a two-up dash towards Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) on Saturday and Mathieu van der Poel powered to a solo victory on Sunday.
Van der Poel raced one week in the past on the Highway World Championships however misplaced the highway race title he earned in 2023 to Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) and headed dwelling with a bronze medal. The Dutch nationwide group didn’t know if the powerhouse multi-discipline rider can be in Belgium for a second try on the new-breed Worlds.
“With the ladies we had 11 or 12 wildcards. With the boys’s group I gave away just one wildcard, and it is to Mathieu. And that is the one you wish to give it to. Mathieu signed up on the final minute and I used to be very completely happy,” Laurens ten Dam, the nationwide gravel coach for the Netherlands informed Cyclingnews.
After ending the Highway Worlds, Van der Poel confirmed to his coach that he did intend to swap rainbow jerseys, going from highway to gravel.
“Yeah, it was a giant purpose for me. It is actually tough to complete it off as a favorite. The tempo was excessive all day,” Van der Poel informed Cyclingnews and a German media outlet within the combined zone late Sunday afternoon in Leuven.
“I imply, it was a giant purpose for me, but additionally for the group, and Canyon. So I am actually completely happy that that I received as we speak.”
Becoming a member of him on the rostrum was Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Quinten Hermans (Belgium), who secured the bronze medal by outsprinting a bunch 4 different riders, which included 2022 gravel champion Gianni Vermeersch (Belgium) and 2023 gravel champion Matej Mohorič (Slovena).
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“It is tremendous good so as to add one other rainbow to the gathering in one other self-discipline as effectively, so I am tremendous pleased with this one,” mentioned Van der Poel, who additionally has a complete of eight cyclocross world titles, two as a junior and 6 with elites, plus the one highway race title from a 12 months in the past.
“I simply wished to make the race as onerous as attainable, as a result of I knew on the native lap, with a giant group, it could possibly be a tough state of affairs for me so I attempted to place everyone on the restrict. It was an excellent onerous race, however I loved it.”
Van der Poel was lively all day on the 173km course from Halle to Leuven. He launched an assault on the ultimate Leuven circuit on a steep part within the woods, matched by Connor Swift (Nice Britain). Then 5 others made the catch for a time. Van der Poel then launched a transfer and gapped 5 riders with 21km to go, this time Florian Vermeersch (Belgium) tagging alongside.
The large Dutchman then dropped breakaway companion Florian Vermeesch on one other brief climb with underneath 13km remaining and kicked up the mud for his solo experience to the end on Martelarenplein, one of many metropolis’s largest open squares now full of hundreds of followers. Many of the followers have been Belgian, however they cheered for the favored Dutch rider as he crossed the road and stopped to hoist his bike skyward.
Whereas Van der Poel labored his highway craft in Zurich final week, rain soaked the gravel course for a number of days. Nevertheless, all of the grime paths and diversified terrain had nearly dried out for a sunny, heat October day for the Gravel World Championships. There was no want for Van der Poel to make any tools changes.
“Truly, there was nothing particular with my setup. I at all times experience at dwelling as effectively for gravel. The one factor I modify is the tyres when it is muddy, however as we speak was dry. So, I simply rode the tyres I at all times experience at dwelling. It is Vittoria, Terreno Dry, measurement 38.”
What he did discover particular was the victory by Vos on Saturday. The developments within the elite ladies’s race on Saturday was of curiosity to Van der Poel, and he confirmed he did watch the stay broadcast.
“Sure, I watched it yesterday. It was very nice to observe with Lotte and Marianne in entrance. It was a pleasant dash with the 2 of them. So, yeah, was cool to observe.”
And with a pair of elite victories for the Dutch on the Gravel World Championships, coach Ten Dam can benefit from the after celebration.
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