The first gravel world championship takes place this weekend in Veneto, Italy. An appointment that will be the first in history to award a rainbow jersey in this discipline. A thick name is added to the men's starting list, namely Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman comes from the disaster in the last Road World Championship, where he retired after a night in the barracks.
"I go mainly for fun. But if everything goes well on Sunday, I'll try to do my best, of course".
The route provides a first technical and rather demanding part, with the steep climb to Monte Berico immediately after the start. The rest of the route is mostly flat. Before reaching the finish line, the runners will walk along a stretch of the moat located at the foot of the centuries-old defensive walls of Cittadella.
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WHERE TO SEE LIVE
Participating in the Gravel World Championship was an option that Mathieu van der Poel already had in mind at the start of the season. It has now been confirmed. The Dutchman comes to the appointment without having previously competed in any other competition of this discipline.
Over 550 cyclists of various categories and of numerous nationalities have sent their membership. Competitors in the category Elite men they will compete on Sunday over the distance of 192 kilometers, covering the same route between Vicenza, Padua and Cittadella, with the addition of two laps in a final circuit.
Among the riders who announced their presence, the three-time world champion on the road Peter Sagan, the 2016 Olympic champion greg van avermaet, it's still Zdenek Stybar, Alexey Lutsenko, Nathan Haas, Gianni Wermeersch, Lawrence Naesen, Magnus Cort Nielsen, Davide Ballerini, Lilian Calmejane, Nicholas Roche, Daniel Oss, Carlos Verona, Alessandro De Marchi, the new Under 23 world champion Yevgeny Fedorov e Alban Lakata, three times world champion of Mtb Marathon. They were joined by an ace of the road and off-road that everyone hopes to see in action at the gravel world championship: Mathieu van der Poel.
CALLED ITALY
LIST OF ENROLLMENTS
WOMEN RACE
Between the Elite Women, who will compete on Saturday over the distance of 140 kilometers, the name of the Frenchwoman shines Pauline Ferrand Prevot, a multidisciplinary superstar, on the hunt for his XNUMXth world title.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will attempt to win her fourth world title this season after confirming she will line up to compete at the UCI Gravel World Championships.
"Yes, the last few weeks have gone well. No races scheduled for this weekend, but in a week I'll be on the pitch chasing the fourth world championship jersey of the season. #gravellife #dreambigorgohome".
Ferrand-Prévot currently holds the world titles in elite women's XCC short track, in cross-country XCO, won in late August in Les Gets, France, and in the XCM marathon won in Haderslev, Denmark, in mid-September. She is the first to win all three titles in the same season.
More information at Official site.
