Marianne Vos (Netherlands) beat Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky in a cagey, two-up dash on the Gravel World Championships to seal an unbelievable 14th rainbow jersey throughout all surfaces and her first within the self-discipline.
Vos’ compatriot Lorena Wiebes took the bronze medal, distancing one other Dutchwoman, Puck Pieterse, and Germany’s Romy Kasper within the closing kilometre of the ending circuit.
Vos and Kopecky escaped as a part of a four-strong breakaway midway by way of the race, dropping Wiebes and Soraya Paladin (Italy) with 50km left to experience and constructing an unassailable benefit within the ending loop.
The Dutchwoman attacked on the steep, cobbled Ramberg climb 1.7km earlier than the end however could not drop the Belgian, organising a cat-and-mouse dash for glory in entrance of packed crowds in Leuven.
Kopecky led them into the ending straight as each slowed nearly to a observe stand, however as Vos opened up her dash with 200m to go the world street champion couldn’t match her kick, sitting up and conceding defeat, giving Vos time to punch the air in celebration.
With each inaugural champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and final 12 months’s winner Kasia Niewiadoma not contesting this version, a first-time champion was assured in Leuven and it was Vos who got here out on prime within the battle of previous and present world champions.
“I didn’t take into consideration the earlier 13 [rainbow jerseys] to be sincere,” Vos stated on the end. “[Gravel is] one thing pretty new but it surely’s a World Championships so that you attempt to do your greatest. It was after all good to be within the entrance with Lotte, you realize it’s going to be onerous as effectively [with her]. After all once you’re using with such a category rider, final week she acquired the [road] world title so I knew she’s in good condition.
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“It was actually nice to race collectively right here, particularly with these crowds. I wasn’t assured for the dash for positive! I knew it was onerous to flee [on the final climb] so once I noticed I wasn’t going to make it I made a decision to attend.”
HOW IT UNFOLDED
Whereas designed like a Belgian traditional, with only some brief, punchy climbs, at this time’s race had not one of the dismal climate sometimes related to one-day races on this a part of the world. The riders loved superb sunshine as they rolled out on the streets of Halle for a brief beginning loop earlier than starting the 80km run to Leuven.
The 135km parcours criss-crossed the Forests of Brabant en path to town centre end, rolling by way of 4 woodland sections and twisting and turning alongside technical gravel, grime and cobbled roads. Made up of round 60% unpaved surfaces, the brief distance and great amount of standard street within the course design meant this was all the time more likely to favour the street execs over the gravel specialists, regardless of the Championships’ identify.
Kopecky – competing in simply her first-ever gravel race – and the Dutch contingent had been energetic from the beginning, with the street world champion and Vos, Wiebes and Lucinda Model amongst an 11-strong group to drift off the entrance of the bunch after round 40km of racing. The bunch re-formed a number of kilometres later, and it took till almost half the race was ridden earlier than a breakaway lastly fashioned.
With 70km achieved an elite quartet of Kopecky, Vos, Wiebes and Paladin jumped clear, establishing a slender 20-second lead over a chasing trio of Pieterse, Kasper, and Nicole Frain (Australia), and an additional half a minute’s benefit over the primary bunch.
Vos and Kopecky attacked once more, driving forward on a particularly slender, single-file grime observe part. The surge in tempo was sufficient to drop Wiebes and Paladin, with the Dutchwoman in flip using away from the Italian on a farm observe.
Vos and Kopecky had been first up the slender, cobbled Ramberg climb into the sweeping expanse of the ending straight, whereas behind them the quartet had Wiebes of their sights and reeled her in on the tarmac earlier than the ultimate incursion into the Forest of Brabant. The peloton crossed the end line some 4 minutes down on the leaders, already out of the competitors with 47km left to race. The main duo labored effectively to nick a pair extra seconds right here and there on their pursuers and inside only some kilometres of the circuit it grew to become clear this was a two-horse race for the rainbow jersey.
BATTLE FOR THE PODIUM
Kopecky accelerated because the pair got here out of the woods into open fields, with Vos digging deep to carry her wheel on the tough, uneven terrain. Three minutes down the street Pieterse made an an identical transfer to attempt to distance her companions within the combat for the bronze medal. Kasper – the main presence within the chasing quartet – fought again on, dragging the remaining three along with her, however Frain was distanced on the cobbles quickly after.
As the ultimate 20km started the assaults began in earnest. Pieterse turned the screw once more and as Paladin refused to work it was Kasper once more who was compelled to offer chase. Up forward Vos accelerated in one other flat wooded part – however whereas Kopecky seemed to be caught off guard, she sensed the hazard rapidly and jumped again on.
Behind them 4 grew to become three because it grew to become clear Paladin wasn’t sandbagging however in actual fact was struggling to cling on, whereas an try by Wiebes to energy clear on a steep wooded climb was reeled in by Kasper.
The main duo, safely 4 minutes forward of the chasers, continued to skirmish however appeared content material to attend for a deciding dash, till Vos attacked on the ultimate ascent of the Ramberg climb. Kopecky clung on and Vos swiftly sat up, and it was the Belgian who led them into the ultimate 500m, a broad, large ending straight.
Kopecky hugged the right-hand barrier, frequently checking over her shoulder, however as Vos charged away within the closing 200m she had no response, unable to double up on world titles after profitable the street race in Zurich final week. It was Vos as an alternative who added one other rainbow jersey to her already overflowing wardrobe of them.
Almost 4 minutes behind, Wiebes had the freshest legs and went unchallenged as she attacked on the final climb, whereas Kasper’s efforts in marshalling the chase group in the end instructed as Pieterse rode away from the fading German to take fourth place. After final week’s disappointing consequence for the Dutch girls’s staff in Zurich this was an emphatic victory: gold for Vos, bronze for Wiebes, and 6 orange jerseys within the prime ten.
RESULTS: GRAVEL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ELITE WOMEN’S RACE 2024, HALLE > LEUVEN (135km)
1. Marianne Vos (Ned), in 4:01:08
2. Lotte Kopecky (Bel), +1s
3. Lorena Wiebes (Ned), +3:57
4. Puck Pieterse (Ned), +4:09
5. Romy Kasper (Ger), +4:15
6. Soraya Paladin (Ita), +6:00
7. Riejanne Markus (Ned), +6:04
8. Femke Markus (Ned), +8:52
9. Emma Norsgaard (Den), +8:52
10. Lucinda Model (Ned), +8:53
