The first Gravel World Championship saw the bikers reign supreme, despite the fast and not very technical route: 140 km and 700 meters in altitude, these are the characteristics of the Veneto route which has taken the appearance of a very fast cyclocross favoring those who have a lot of leg and who comes from the street.
About forty athletes from 16 nations lined up in via Campo Marzo in Vicenza. Very tight race right from the start. For Prevot, it's her XNUMXth career world championship, her fourth this season. The thirty-year-old French woman in Cittadella Pauline Ferrand Prevot provided yet another superlative proof of his long and bright career: unbeatable even in Gravel. Along the 140 kilometers of the route that connected Vicenza to Cittadella, with the only elevation changes immediately after the start, the transalpina did not do anything wrong.
The first relevant selection counted about 20 athletes with: Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, Sina Frei, Chiara Teocchi and Sofía Gómez. Joining them were road racers Jade Treffeisen and Lauren Stephens.
In the end it proved to be a tactical race with 5 leading athletes, namely Chiara Teocchi, Pauline Ferrand Prevot, Sina Frei, Lauren Stephens and Jade Treffeisen.
On the final climb, Treffeisen, Stephens and Teocchi yield and Sina Frei and Pauline Ferrand Prevot benefit from the sprint victory. Prevot launches a long sprint and easily wins over Frei. Flawless also in the two-man sprint, which saw her prevail over the Swiss biker Sina Free, short track world champion 2021 and silver in cross country at the Beijing Olympics, one that knows its stuff on dirt roads. Slightly distanced, she obtained the bronze medal from Bergamo Clare Teocchi, another dirt road specialist, also third in the Italian Gravel Championship.
A podium therefore, that of Cittadella, occupied entirely by off-road athletes. Behind, meanwhile, the Italian champion Barbara Guarischi approaches with a comeback race and will be fifth.
STATEMENTS
Pauline Ferrand Prevot"For me it was the first gravel race ever, at the start I didn't know what I was going to face; however, I did not do any specific training before the race. I tried to run with intelligence, forcing in the more technical sections. I remained calm, I was aware that a possible sprint finish would have favored me. This success makes me happy, I also enjoyed myself during the race. It was not easy to control the Italian girls, they were all very aggressive. In the last two kilometers I realized that I could do it, I was fine".
Sina Free"I gave it my all, I can't be disappointed with this second place. I was expecting a final sprint, so I tried to attack. It did not go, patience. I am holding on to this medal. I particularly enjoyed the first part of the route, with some tears. In many situations it was not easy to steer the bike, the corners were unexpectedly slippery".
Clare Teocchi"I finished the season well, this is one of the best days of my life. From the first kilometers I threw myself into the fray; at minus 10 I started to have cramps, I gritted my teeth. We kept a very high pace. I come from mountain biking, I'm not used to these speeds: on flat stretches of road the odometer has even marked 42 times. A special thanks goes to my teammates ”.
FEMALE ELITE RANKING
| 1 | FERRAND-PREVOT Pauline | FRA | 4:09:06.51 |
| 2 | FREI Sina | SUI | +41 |
| 3 | TEOCCHI Clare | ITA | +10.88 |
| 4 | TREFFEISEN Jade | GER | +11.43 |
| 5 | HEALING Barbara | ITA | +26.56 |
| 6 | Cromwell Tiffany | AUS | +39.94 |
| 7 | BLOOD Ilaria | ITA | + 1: 01.99 |
| 8 | BOURGEOIS Gladness | ITA | + 3: 07.96 |
| 9 | LELEIVYTE Rasa | LTU | + 3: 11.06 |
| 10 | MARKUS Riejanne | NED | + 3: 13.74 |
