Here is the first one gravel world championshipWe can't wait to see the great champions of the road and off-road challenge each other in the dust. How will they approach the race, both tactically and technically? What bikes will Van de Poel, Van Avermaet, and even Sagan and the others use?
Let's discover the bikes of the favorites and the outsiders. We'll tell you right away that there are some significant differences, and that's because there are loopholes in the rules.UCI, more or less voluntarily, has not established unequivocal rules on the choice of bicycles. Bottom line: the World Championships are gravel, but not everyone starts on gravel bikes.
VdP thinks again…
Between Thursday and Friday, the riders did some tests on the track (194 kilometres). which leads from Cittadella to Vincenza.
Mathieu van der Poel He's starting as the clear favorite. We all know his feel for dirt and power, which will likely be as decisive as his technical choices.
The rider of Alpecin-Deceuninck It seemed like he was aiming for the Canyon Grizl but after the tests the day before he decided to completely change course. The Dutch ace will in fact use the new Canyon Ultimate Cfr, a road bike. This bike made its debut at the Dauphiné this year.
VdP chose this bike. And he chose it in all respects with a road set-up, starting from the group that will be the Shimano Dura-Ace R9200. As for gear ratios, here is a double chainring 52-36 and an 11-34 at the rear. The wheels will be Shimano Dura Ace with a 36mm profile. Wheels which also have a 21mm internal channel. And this allows the Dutchman to better take advantage of wider tires such as the Vittoria 33mm soil. This is the real element that changes compared to a total road bike.
And the pedals are also road-oriented. This means you won't have to put your foot down, but you'll have to put a lot of watts through the cranks, and in this case, road pedals are the best.
Greg the gravel one
greg van avermaet is perhaps the number two favorite. The rider of theAg2R-Citroen will run on a BMC kasius.
«Everything was done a bit at the last minute – he says Stefano Cattai by BMC – also due to a less than clear regulation, which also allows the use of road bikes. However, Greg will race with a BMC Kaius.
«Our idea is to ultimately go on a real gravel bike. Greg will use the group Campagnolo EkarWe had also considered the Record EPS, which would be electromechanical, but given that jolts and bumps could send it into crash mode, we opted for a robust mechanical groupset."
Therefore Van Avermaet will use a 44-tooth single chainring with a 9-32 rear derailleur. And the tires that will be the ones are also very gravelistic. Pirelli Belted 40mm.
But even for Van Avermaet, the setup isn't all gravel. There are some road-oriented elements, like the handlebars. "Greg," Cattai continues, " He chose an integrated carbon aero handlebar, which he feels very comfortable with, but the stem will be a centimetre shorter." In order to maintain the position unchanged, he had to do so given the different geometries of the Kaius compared to his teammachine.
Sagan on Roubaix
And we come to the riders supported by SpecializedWe all know how the Californian brand studies the routes thoroughly before choosing a bike, but at the same time we know how much they believe in gravel. And yet, and this is the surprise, History, Oss e Dancers they will run with the Specialized Roubaix. While alone Stybar should ride a gravel bike, Crux.
«The first part of the journey – he explains Giampaolo Mondini by Specialized – could have led one to think of using wider tyres too, but there is the central part which is very smooth and fast, it is very very long. For us too, many decisions were made at the last minute, there was a rush of information."
«The Roubaix can accommodate tires up to 33 millimeters, so we immediately focused on this bike. The only doubt until the test on Friday afternoon was about the use of wheels: the Alpinist or the higher-profile Rapid? The latter weigh 200 grams more, but let's get back to the long central section, which is very fast. Maybe they can be used more." And in fact, Peter should start with the Rapids.
"We also had a third option: Terra wheels. These have a wider channel that helps those with less skill." But that's certainly not the case with Sagan!
“Bad” Outsiders
And there are many outsiders who are ready to fight. One who might even win is Nathan Hass. The Australian, who has always had a passion for off-road, was in the ranks of the Cofidis, now he is fully part of a gravel team. He rides on Colnago. He will be using a G3-X, probably with faster tyres than its American racing standards.
Then there is Lachlan Morton of EF Education Easy Post. Morton, like Haas, is a gravel expert, although he has more of a traveller's calling. For him, there is the Cannondale Topstone. While the teammate, Magnus Court who on this occasion wears the colours of Denmark, has opted for the Supersix Evo Se.
They must not be forgotten Alban Lakata, five times world champion in MTB marathon, and the two of theAstana Qazaqstan: the U23 world champion Fedorov e Miguel Angel Lopez, who although small, is a true off-road lover. Both have chosen a Wilier Rave Slr with 33mm tires.
And let's not forget our kids starting from Samuel ZoccaratoThis time the Italian champion will be riding his Cipollini but the new one Aug«The leg is there but we will have to push hard – said Zoccarato – As for the tires, I chose 36mm tubeless tires with "sausages" for punctures. However, there is no shortage of steps and stones."
