After the French anthem in honor of Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, the notes of Belgium resound within the centuries-old walls of Cittadella. The second day of the Gravel World Championship, organized by PP Sport Events, turned into the best day of Gianni Veermersch, 29, born in Roeselare, teammate of Mathieu Van der Poel at Alpecin Deceuninck.
Source: press release
He ran 130 kilometers on the attack paired with the blue Daniel Oss, he left him on the pedals when a two-man sprint seemed inevitable. The Trentino rider consoles himself with the silver medal, not bad for a long distance runner who is much less accustomed to dirt roads than Vermeesch, who has always haunted the cross circuits.
The pursuit of the favorites, Van der Poel above all, was late. The Dutch ace remained on the third step of the podium.
140 runners on the start list. Many laurels grouped since the start in Campo Marzo in Vicenza, just think of the three world road titles of Peter Sagan, the four in the Elite cyclocross of Mathieu Van der Poel, the three of Zdenek Stibar, the Olympic road title of Greg Van Avermaet . To say good luck to the starters there was also the greatest world authority in cycling, the president of the UCI David Lappartient.
In the race program 194 kilometers, three-quarters on embankments and country roads.
RACE PHOTO-GALLERY
From the group, actually a very long snake that seems to fly over the dust, at kilometer 40 Daniel Oss and Gianni Vermeersch, a rider who divides his activity between road and cyclocross, take advantage. About fifty runners follow them, among them Van der Poel, Lopez Moreno, Van Avermaet, Lakata, the Italian champion Zoccarato, Stybar, Sagan, Cort-Nielsen, Calmejane, Verona and Ballerini. Along the paths that go up the course of the Brenta river, the advantage of Oss and Veermesch grows, on the first passage to Cittadella it is over 5 ′.
You enter the 27-kilometer circuit to be repeated twice and the margin of the fugitives stabilizes at 4'30 ”. Meanwhile, in the finish area, a special guest has come to greet the first professional Gravel World Championship: it is Tadej Pogačar, fresh winner of his second Giro di Lombardia.
At the sound of the bell the race ignites, Van Der Poel, Van Avermaet and De Marchi lead the chase, but now the rainbow jersey is out of their reach. Gianni Vermeersch puts heart and technique into his latest rides, for Oss it is the coup de grace. Vand der Poel beats Van Avernmaet for bronze.
The new world champions Vermeersch has announced that he will show off his new world jersey on Friday 14 October at the second edition of Serenissima Gravel, a race organized by PP Sport Events, which will start in the Po Delta Park and arrive in Piazzola sul Brenta. With him there will also be Mathieu Van der Poel.
STATEMENTS
Gianni Veermersch: "It was a very tough race, we went at full throttle all day. When they told me we had five minutes ahead, I realized that a medal was sure and that I would have to give everything in the final kilometers to break Daniel. I knew that in the single tracks of the finale I would be the favorite, so I was confident of doing it, also because the last half kilometer seemed made for me. I'm so happy, I can't believe I'll take home a rainbow jersey".
Daniel Oss: "For me the Gravel was all a discovery, and not just for me. We came here to discover a new way of cycling, and kilometer after kilometer we discovered it. I am in shape, I have prepared well for the last races of the season, I thought the best way to find out how gravel runs was to attack, and I did. the longest escape of my life was born. Eventually I had cramps, fatigue took over. Vermeersch was stronger, he deserved it".
Mathieu Van der Poel: "I'm happy for Gianni, he's a friend and my teammate, he's the first Gravel World Champion and in a certain sense he made history. Nobody took the initiative to chase the two fugitives, when I learned they had five minutes I realized that I could only aim for the bronze medal. I don't have the form I had a while ago, I can be satisfied with my run. It was the first real experience with Gravel, I think it's an interesting specialty, it's new and fun, it certainly has a lot of room for growth.". '
MEN'S RANKING
1st Gianni Vermeersch (Belgium), 194 km in 5'10 ”41
2nd Daniel Oss (Italy) at 44 "
3rd Mathieu Van der Poel (Holland) at 1'29 "
4th Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium) at 1'30 "
5th Yevgeniy Fedorov (Kazakhstan) at 1'39 "
6th Magnus Cort-Nielsen (Denmark) at 1'40 "
7th Alessandro De Marchi (Italy) at 1'41 "
8th Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) at 1'47 "
9th Davide Ballerini (Italy) 1'54 "
10th Andreas Stokbro Nielsen (Denmark) at 2'43 "
COMPLETE RANKING
RACE PHOTO-GALLERY
