Gravel racing is something however regular, and full of drawback fixing on several types of surfaces and terrain. This appears to go well with Karolina Migoń nicely. In 2024, she strains up for her second UCI Gravel World Championships as one of many choose specialists within the rising off-road self-discipline and is a medal hope for Poland.
Even earlier than elite ladies’s defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma pulled off the beginning record for Poland, Migoń was the highest rider from that nation primarily based on gravel outcomes this yr, with wins at The Traka 360 in addition to two wins on the UCI Gravel World Sequence calendar, La Indomable and Gravel Suisse, which earned her qualification to Belgium for the world championships.
“I’m way more ready bodily and mentally this yr. UCI races are identified for being quick and quick, and this one is not any completely different. It’s flat, quick, with some punchy quick hills,” Migoń informed Cyclingnews. “The course isn’t best for me. Nevertheless, you by no means know except you attempt, so will probably be like driving on the street.
“I need to see the place I stand, and I imagine gravel racing has turn into way more aggressive. Gravel riders can compete with World Tour riders, as we’ve confirmed in some races this yr, particularly in direction of the top of the season when many roadies be part of gravel occasions. It makes it extra enjoyable and difficult.”
Migoń earned her first win of the 2024 season at La Indomable, the Spanish UCI Gravel World Sequence race in Berja-Almeria protecting a 96km observe fitted for pure climbers. She defeated final yr’s champion, Carolin Schiff (Germany) by practically two minutes. And earlier than she defeated Schiff once more on the 102km Gravel Suisse occasion, she captured a signature consequence at a career-defining endurance check in Spain.
“My favorite race this yr was positively the Traka 360. It was my first large gravel race, and I had by no means ridden such an extended distance, even on the street. It was an enormous unknown for me, and I didn’t know what to anticipate,” she admitted.
“Nevertheless, I actually preferred the course and felt assured that I may compete for the highest spot. The individuals have been wonderful, and the ambiance in Girona, taken over by cyclists for the entire week, was unbelievable.”
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The 28-year-old appeared dialed in for a full racing season that had few issues she could not resolve, including second place finishes at The Rift in Iceland, Monsterrando in Italy and Gravel Worlds in Nebraska. She additionally completed fourth at SBT GRVL on the 200km black course and fifth at Santa Vall gravel stage race in Spain.
Till 2020 Migoń rode for a Polish newbie street staff, Maton Atom Deweloper, and likewise competed in mountain biking, and after the worldwide pandemic relocated to Switzerland. Now 28 years previous, she is a full-time software program engineer and was imagined to be a part-time bike owner. She dedicated to the PAS Racing staff final yr and shifted a few of her priorities.
“I actually take pleasure in my skilled job; it’s by no means boring, and I get to resolve completely different issues than these I face on the bike. I work with a staff of proficient engineers, which is a really completely different setting in comparison with biking. Having this steadiness helps me lots,” she defined.
“It’s not straightforward to juggle work, my sport profession, and my private life, however I deal with the highs. Perhaps in some unspecified time in the future, I’ll determine to go full-time in biking or follow my profession. It’s good to have choices.”
A month after her win at The Traka, she accomplished her first Unbound Gravel 200 with twenty first within the elite ladies’s race however needed to have a good time podiums for her PAS Racing teammates as a substitute, USA’s Chad Haga in second and Tobias Mørch Köngstad of Denmark in third. And like Migoń, Köngstad can also be has a full-time profession off the bike.
“I used to be actually comfortable and impressed once I noticed their outcomes on the end line. We share the whole lot as a staff, so whereas I used to be dissatisfied with my very own consequence, I used to be thrilled for my teammates’ success in such an enormous race.”
PAS Racing helps 18 riders for gravel pursuits, which isn’t the conventional path for many riders, who usually change from professional street or mountain bike squads and delve into self-supported programmes.
“I began with mountain biking and street biking, so shifting to gravel felt like a pure development. It was fairly an natural transition,” she mentioned.
“I moved to Switzerland and started driving my bike to discover the nation and meet new individuals. I began driving a gravel bike a few yr in the past, and by the top of the yr, with some good outcomes beneath my belt, I used to be supplied a spot on the PAS Racing staff. Initially, I didn’t understand it could flip right into a full yr of racing. The staff had nice outcomes, so we adjusted our calendars to incorporate extra races.
“Within the gravel scene, most riders are privateers who handle the whole lot on their very own. I’m actually lucky to be a part of a staff the place quite a lot of the stress and logistics are taken care of for us. I’m by no means alone at races.”
Different PAS Racing teammates shall be in Belgium for Worlds, however no different riders shall be a part of Group Poland.
“Final yr, I wasn’t actually racing or coaching, so my choice to take part in Worlds was fairly spontaneous, particularly because it wasn’t removed from the place I reside. It was unbelievable to be a part of such a prestigious occasion and to see Kasia’s unbelievable victory firsthand. Her win was nicely deserved and gave me an enormous inspiration for gravel racing,” she informed Cyclingnews about her inaugural season on gravel final yr.
“The race [last year] felt extra like a street race by way of pace and dynamics. Gravel racing isn’t supported by a nationwide federation, so I didn’t even know who else was collaborating from Poland. We needed to determine the whole lot out on our personal, and there was no nationwide staff tactic as a result of we hadn’t mentioned something earlier than the race. So, in that sense, it was like a typical gravel race the place everybody rides for themselves.”
No Niewiadoma this yr is not any drawback, since final yr she did not know her compatriot was on the beginning line prematurely. She suggestions Lotte Kopecky as this yr’s race favorite, because the Belgian rider enters contemporary off a second consecutive street world title. Nevertheless, Migoń reiterated that gravel is actually a person setup with the nationwide groups and restricted assets for in-race help as nicely. It is a broad open guess for a winner.
“Lotte [Kopecky] shall be at house, and he or she has confirmed that she will be able to win in any situations this weekend. It is going to be a extremely fascinating race; the whole lot is feasible in case you are by yourself with no staff automobile behind you.”
