MAASTRICHT (Netherlands) – Motivation probably made the difference and today Florian Vermeersch had more than the others. Much more than the others. After two silver medals, the Belgian finally managed to win the world gold in the UCI Gravel World Championships. But he also had a lot of legs. Imagine that it started with almost 130 kilometers to go.
In these races, so tense yet so fast and technical, getting ahead is always a winning solution. We must not believe that all this energy is saved at the back, especially when following closely behind. We don't want to say that there is stress from Tour de France, but having good visibility contributes to a smoother, more relaxed, and safer ride. Not to mention that, if someone moves, climbing back up isn't easy given the narrow and often unpaved roads.
Eyes on Pidcock
And speaking of dirt and fast roads, this morning the person in charge of the route also spoke, perhaps to clear up a few concerns about the excessive smoothness. He is the former pro Bram Tankink.
«The process is also fast – said Tankink – but since February, since we learned about this World Championship, I've tried to study it as best as possible. There are so many different types of terrain, and this forces everyone to be careful. I wouldn't underestimate it that much.».
And indeed, the men's race, though tactically more orderly than the women's, was extremely tough. It heated up early, and by the end, almost all the riders were stuck in their stride. Vermeersch aside, everyone was proceeding at more or less the same pace: Matej Mohoric he did not gain on the "half surprise" Frits Biesterbos and did not lose on the chasing group of tom pidcock.
By the way, Tom was the big one, especially after the Tour of Lombardy He finished sixth yesterday (as he did today). Everyone asked him how he could tackle two such challenging events within a few hours of each other.
"It's part of the contract," he told Sporza, somewhat anonymously. "It was decided at the beginning of the season that I would compete in this race. It's just that it wasn't here at the time... (it was in Nice, ed.). I took a private flight and here I am. What do I think of the route? The team showed me a four-minute video.».
Despite everything, Tom tried. But more than his legs, he seemed to miss the moment... as often happens to him even on the road.
Mohoric, on the other hand, said he was confident but without pressure. «The road season wasn't great, let's try to redeem ourselves here"And somehow he tried. From what I saw, after Vermeersch he was the most motivated. And in fact he finished third. Matej put on a show: he drove incredibly, but his legs weren't at their best.
Tough race
As we explained, the race heats up early. The first 40-45 kilometers pass without any apparent changes. Although the riders later told us they went fast right away. At the end of the first lap the skirmishes begin and in the midst of them there are immediately some big names.
It's not raining and it's even warmer than yesterday. During the race, a timid sun comes out. In these wide open spaces, when they leave the villages, the group is stretched out and each group sees the one ahead of it. They look like images of the Paris-Roubaix.
Vermeersch, Biesterbos, Politt (Vermeersch's companion at the UAE Emirates) and Van Tricht gain a handful of seconds. And they stay there for a long time. Only Mohoric's "training" reignites the race for a while. Up front, however, Vermeersch is a joy to ride, taking them all off his back.
Politt officially has a mechanical problem, but in reality he will later say he is done for. Only the young Dutchman remains in his wake. But he's no ordinary rider: He's the Dutch national gravel champion. He's a specialist. He was also a biker. He races in the Dutch continental championship. Beat Cycling And today he really showed off. Born in 2002, maybe he'll be able to find a better contract. The Dutch press has been swarming him to get to know him better... just saying.
Well done Florian
Vermeersch enjoys the final kilometer. He gets all the applause in Maastricht. He had been chasing this title for years. He runs a finger over his helmet to indicate his head, then shows off the great leg he had and finally raises his ColnagoImmediately afterward he gives himself over to the embrace of the staff and his partner, who is almost more excited than him.
“It’s incredible,” Florian says with a trembling voice. “I still can’t believe it. The emotions I feel don't just come from this race, but from a pursuit that has lasted years. It's fantastic to finally win again after two difficult years.
«How did it go? It was a hectic start and I got a flat tire after just ten kilometers and it took me 20 to get backThen I saw a good opportunity to attack and I took it. Honestly, I don't know what happened behind. I ran my race: first behind to close, and then in front to break away. But once we were away, I realized it was a good move.
«I didn't have much information, only some fans occasionally gave us gaps. I, in the widest spaces, I turned and saw that there was no one there. The important thing was to focus on myself, and that's what I did."
A note of "color". Before closing the article, while we scroll through the various rankings in the 40-44 age category (the world championship was also open to amateurs) we discover that a certain one won it Nicholas Roche and fifth Philip Gilbert. Poor fans of that age group!
