2024 GRAVEL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (BE)

[jono]

That's just not correct, though I understand the point you're making. There is a $300,000 purse for the GP, and it pays 10 deep, so most of those riders will have almost certainly gained their final position as a result of how they placed in Unbound. Sure, they can drop 2, and there may well be riders who drop Unbound as one of them, but those that didn't drop will have Unbound points that those who drop have to overcome somewhere else. Sure, it isn't like they are getting paid a massive amount of their income from the GP, but the prestige of being in the GP is clearly also making money for the US riders, several of whom have six figure incomes. Unbound is the most prestegiousl of the races in the GP, and I would argue that it is the most prestigeous gravel race in the world. It's also far harder than the gravel WC last year, just ask Mohorič.

My point is that Unbound in particular has grown apart from and beyond the Lifetime Grand Prix. Only 3 of the top 10 men this year, and only 15% of the entire pro men's field, were Lifetime Grand Prix athletes. The rest saw the value of competing in the race outside of earning GP points or a non-existent winner's cheque.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

My point is that Unbound in particular has grown apart from and beyond the Lifetime Grand Prix. Only 3 of the top 10 men this year, and only 15% of the entire pro men's field, were Lifetime Grand Prix athletes. The rest saw the value of competing in the race outside of earning GP points or a non-existent winner's cheque.

Regardless, their place against other Lifetime athletes is scored for the GP. I do understand your point though.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Dependant on the course and the level of gravel specific riders entered, ii looks like the women's elite worlds will be a mini rerun of Saturdays road words.
Netherlands with Pieterse, Vos and Wiebes (perhaps safer to give her a wide berth) against Kopecky.
Kasia did not look to be on top top form, maybe will need to up her game to retain her title.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I don't think it's going to be technical enough for Puck - and will be like a normal road race.

 

[Barkintheeye]

Dependant on the course and the level of gravel specific riders entered, ii looks like the women's elite worlds will be a mini rerun of Saturdays road words.
Netherlands with Pieterse, Vos and Wiebes (perhaps safer to give her a wide berth) against Kopecky.
Kasia did not look to be on top top form, maybe will need to up her game to retain her title.

The race course looks pretty easy in the sense of technical so not much of an advantage for a rider like Pieterse. A few passages are single trail but would only be hard if really muddy but the weather looks to be dry for Thursday-Saturday.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgMe3rDsJuY&t=1941s

 

[jono]

I don't think it's going to be technical enough for Puck - and will be like a normal road race.

Pieterse is capable of a top result in a 'normal' road race as well. A 5th at Strade Bianche and 6th at RVV are two results that possibly shed some light on her chances Saturday.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Pieterse is capable of a top result in a 'normal' road race as well. A 5th at Strade Bianche and 6th at RVV are two results that possibly shed some light on her chances Saturday.

Yes she is, but I can't see her winning it. It will favour riders with huge engines, rather than more technically proficient riders....
However, I would love to see MvdP burn it up, and repeat PR......

 

[Bolder]

Yes she is, but I can't see her winning it. It will favour riders with huge engines, rather than more technically proficient riders....
However, I would love to see MvdP burn it up, and repeat PR......

I think he really likes the way a WC jersey looks and now that he's only holding one (CX) he wants a backup... he's the favorite but an untimely mechanical will be fatal, I think

 

[Barkintheeye]

After having done some recce at the start in Halle and mid course to Leuven I can confirm that the course is mostly dry and relatively easy (for the CX specialists very easy).

Very early there are some one-optimal line / single trail passages that might determine the race. A rider cannot win the race there but definitely lose it. At worst there will be traffic jams possibly with some riders going down causing breaks in the peloton. First 20K should be very intense. If the race is being broadcast I think it will be a real treat!

Elite women start on Saturday at 12:00 and Elite men on Sunday at 12:00. Buckle Up!

Ps. Full Alpecin team ex MVDP also doing recce today. They looked sharp

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Cam Mason put a short recce video up; looked pretty fast, and not gnarly at all.....

 

[Barkintheeye]

Cam Mason put a short recce video up; looked pretty fast, and not gnarly at all.....

Yes. Alpecin rode more or less the same stretch that we did today but they didn’t do the start and it’s on 2K to 5K where some single trail can make life difficult for the peloton.

I believe the Elite men start field is well over 100 riders and for the first say 20 riders these sections will be okay but for the bunch it will be jams and/or crashes.

Rest of the course is very nice but with speed at least more technical than the WC in Vicenza 2022.

 

[Didinho]

I’ve done the mid part today. (Already done Leuven with the EC/BC) It’s gonna be a really fast race. Even some stretches of 5km on asphalt. The gravel and cobbled parts are more like a fast CX race. In the fields and woods you got some longer climbs, all have 3 good lines to ride. (You can see where everyone did the recon, just follow the tracks). One sketchy descent with some deeper sides and bigger rocks. Not much mud, some puddles at a side if you’re unlucky and can’t take another line. Didn’t even have to wash my bike. The Halle and Leuven lap will have more gravel, but really fast and a lot in straight line.

If Mathieu doesn’t win this, he’s got some bad luck.
I’m gonna watch both races in the Leuven lap.

 

[Barkintheeye]

I’ve done the mid part today. (Already done Leuven with the EC/BC) It’s gonna be a really fast race. Even some stretches of 5km on asphalt. The gravel and cobbled parts are more like a fast CX race. In the fields and woods you got some longer climbs, all have 3 good lines to ride. (You can see where everyone did the recon, just follow the tracks). One sketchy descent with some deeper sides and bigger rocks. Not much mud, some puddles at a side if you’re unlucky and can’t take another line. Didn’t even have to wash my bike. The Halle and Leuven lap will have more gravel, but really fast and a lot in straight line.

If Mathieu doesn’t win this, he’s got some bad luck.
I’m gonna watch both races in the Leuven lap.

It has really dried up. Even the first Ks on the Halle loop were dry today and the organizers had put out gravel to take away the deepest puddles.

 

[Lequack]

So it's not proper gravel race you folks are saying? Is it going to be another one like 2 years ago that can just be ridden on normal road bikes with almost road tires?

 

[Barkintheeye]

So it's not proper gravel race you folks are saying? Is it going to be another one like 2 years ago that can just be ridden on normal road bikes with almost road tires?

Anyone could probably ride the whole course on a regular road bike with 28 mm tyres… but it wouldn’t be fast.

With dry conditions the course is easy but with a little bit of rain it would have been quite another story. The organizers can’t do much about that. To make it harder would probably entail more single trail and MTB like conditions. That would have been a real killer for the majority of the riders. With several hundreds of riders in each category you can imagine the chaos.

 

[Didinho]

So it's not proper gravel race you folks are saying? Is it going to be another one like 2 years ago that can just be ridden on normal road bikes with almost road tires?

I've seen some riders doing the full course recon at 32km/h. (Stuyven had 37,5km/h when he won the EC last year)
You can't do it on a road bike, but they have not much profile on their tyres. More only on the outside for taking corners. Some descents are really tricky even with my MTB at lower speed. And the not gravel or asphalt parts are in the woods (like CX) so not for a road bike.
It will be a fast race but hard enough because you can't benefit from riding in a peloton like on the road.

 

[meat puppet]

Any coverage?

 

[glassmoon]

Any coverage?

eurosport/max, tiz, national broadcasters...

 

[Didinho]

Vos and Kopecky in front.

Wiebes and Paladin G2. Edit: Wiebes solo.

 

[Didinho]

35” on G2
52” on G3 with Paladin, Pieterse etc.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

I'm seeing more asphalt than gravel.

 

[Didinho]

I'm seeing more asphalt than gravel.

And the light gravel looks like asphalt at this speed. Also with the shadows. But it’s really hard gravel, with these tyres it feels like asphalt.

The harder parts are just a fast CX, with skills in the hard “mud”.

 

[Didinho]

Marianne! Strong ride.

 

[meat puppet]

Ha! Kopecky pulled a Wva in the sprint.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

Looking forward to see the rainbow jersey on the road next year.