Marianne Vos delivered a shocking win for the Dutch group towards dwelling favorite Lotte Kopecky on the UCI Gravel World Championships in Leuven, whereas changing into the primary rider to win a race utilizing revolutionary self-inflating tyres.
The 2 riders rode away from the sphere with a bit of underneath 50km remaining and dramatically outpaced the chase group of pre-race contenders similar to Puck Pieterse and Lorena Wiebes.
After what was broadly thought-about a misfire on the Street World Championships the place the Dutch group discovered itself totally off the rostrum, taking first and third on the UCI’s gravel counterpart shall be a partial comfort.
Surprisingly, although, Vos engaged in some uncommon technical experimentation with the race – equipping her bike with the Gravaa KAPS adjustable tyre system which allowed her to regulate her tyre stress to match the terrain throughout the race.
For a gravel race the place pivotal assaults can come both on off-road and cobbled terrain or easy paved roads, the good thing about customising your tyre stress to both floor is clear.
Talking to Cyclingnews after her victory, she confirmed that she continuously used the system throughout the race, and thought of it to assist her en path to victory.
“It helped with greater stress on the end but in addition with decreasing the stress on rougher monitor,” she mentioned.
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The identical know-how was deployed at Paris-Roubaix in 2023 by Visma-Lease a Bike, however then was used solely by the boys’s group and to no notable profit, with Wout van Aert not utilizing the system himself, and ending in third place.
For the group and model, this shall be a shocking endorsement of the technical benefit that could possibly be on supply. When requested whether or not she would use the know-how in races subsequent 12 months, Vos confirmed that she would proceed utilizing it for this type of racing.
Maintaining with Kopecky
For Vos the method of profitable a World Championship jersey might have grow to be a bit of repetitive, with this representing the fourteenth title on her palmares.
“I did not take into consideration the earlier 13, to be trustworthy. In fact, [Gravel World Championship]’s one thing pretty new, however then it is a world championship so that you attempt to do your greatest,” she mentioned to broadcasters after the race end.
“It was good to be within the entrance with Lotte,” she added. “After which it is gonna be laborious as effectively. She gained [Road Worlds] final week so I knew she’s in fine condition.”
Talking to Cyclingnews after the race, Vos defined that she entered the race with an open thoughts. “I did not have actual expectations, as a result of I did not actually know what to anticipate,” she mentioned. “Midway by the race, we had been nonetheless with such an enormous group that I believed, okay, whoa, that is such a star backfield that it is gonna be laborious to interrupt away right here.”
It was Kopecky’s transfer which shredded that bigger group. “When Lotte Kopecky went, we had been first with the 4 of us,” Vos mentioned. “Then later we had been with the 2 of us, after which it was nonetheless a protracted technique to go. However yeah, in fact, it is a improbable companion you probably have Lotte Kopecky with you.”
Assaults had been traded between the 2 all through the ultimate kilometres, and Vos made a significant transfer on the 300m Ramberg climb with lower than 2km remaining, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to shed her Belgian breakaway companion.
It grew to become apparent that the race would come right down to a dash between two of the game’s most succesful riders. It was hesitation from Kopecky, although, which opened the door for Vos.
“I used to be truly considering, okay, she wasn’t actually going,” Vos advised Cyclingnews. “So I believed: Okay, I must go and simply go all in if I’m going. So with like 175 meters to go, I simply went for it and went all out to the end, after which I nonetheless wasn’t certain, however simply saved going.
“With 15 meters in the past, I believed, Okay, I feel I’ve it.”
For Vos, the Gravel World Championship title represents a wonderful finish to the season, and the Dutch rider is already wanting ahead to a slower tempo. “It is low season, so I will simply get pleasure from a bit of little bit of relaxation,” she mentioned. “Get pleasure from some good household time. And yeah, for certain, I am gonna calm down a bit of and luxuriate in this.”
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