2024 GRAVEL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (BE)

[awavey]

Where did I say you needed an MTB for this race? It was perfectly perfect for a Gravel/CX bike with 40-45 mm tyres. Probably what most of the riders used today. Didn’t see anyone on either a road bike or a MTB.

If you are saying that the Qualifier at Blavaands Huk in Denmark was better with a mountain bike then I think the organizers f@@@@d up and that I’m not going there next year. There’s a place for MTB and there’s a place for gravel.

Ps. Ask anyone that rode this year’s version of the WC if they thought it was an easy day

No I'm asking did you feel you needed a MTB for the course you rode ?

If not, that's why people are saying this course doesn't look like a "gravel" course, right and I'd agree there's a world of discussion about what should be a "gravel" course, we ain't at that point yet sorry.

We're here where the qualifiers for these world's are these often quite insane for "gravel", this isnt unbound level, off road courses, and yet we get to the world championships and the course feels like a beginners course in comparison,when it should be just as hard as the qualifiers at least or even harder, and so a bunch of roadies turn up with very little "gravel" experience or palmares and just whup everyone's behinds on it, because it becomes just a watts game on flat track.

 

[Barkintheeye]

No I'm asking did you feel you needed a MTB for the course you rode ?

If not, that's why people are saying this course doesn't look like a "gravel" course, right and I'd agree there's a world of discussion about what should be a "gravel" course, we ain't at that point yet sorry.

We're here where the qualifiers for these world's are these often quite insane for "gravel", this isnt unbound level, off road courses, and yet we get to the world championships and the course feels like a beginners course in comparison,when it should be just as hard as the qualifiers at least or even harder, and so a bunch of roadies turn up with very little "gravel" experience or palmares and just whup everyone's behinds on it, because it becomes just a watts game on flat track.

Ok I get what you’re saying. No an MTB would have been a bad choice yesterday. Definitely slower. In my opinion that’s good. What’s the point with such a gnarly course that a mountain bike is faster? Then it’s a MTB race.

Obviously you could turn the issue around and say that the course is so easy that a road bike is faster but it’s not. I rode Strade Blanche this spring on a road bike with 32 mm tyres. That was perfect and even 28 mm would be good. On this course? 😉 good luck

We’ll see if UCI and the majority of riders will agree on what a “proper” gravel race course should look like but I guess there will always be different opinions

 

[Barkintheeye]

This is a cool walk through of Vos bike before the race.

View: https://youtu.be/r0uYLx8Mu4Y?si=Rcm1AnZKykwHMrA0


Dugast 33 TLR with a special air pressure technology.

Yet Vos probably weighs around 60 kg and didn’t carry lots of stuff on the bike. Not a setup for the average Joe

 

[Axel Hangleck]

And fine I give Vos kudos as she has off road skills aplenty, but there should be no way a Wiebes or Kopecky just turns up and podiums because they have power!!!

Vos has tended to win CX races through power more than skills; and why MTB was a discipline too far for her. You can't just overpower people to win in XCO, you need some skills - and she was pretty average at World Cup level.

 

[theyoungest]

But she finished somewhere way back in the pack. If that's indicative of her actual current level, she won't be very good in CX either.

Van Empel posts on Instagram that she had three flat tires. So I guess yesterday's result is not really indicative of her actual form, which is somewhat reassuring.

 

[Bolder]

The dry women's race was more like a mixed road ride.

Would love to see a super technical Gravel Worlds in the Western US.

Next 2 are in Nice and western Australia. Should not be too hard to find tough gravel around Nice, but WA seems like a terrible location due to cost of travel.

 

[Barkintheeye]

Vos has tended to win CX races through power more than skills; and why MTB was a discipline too far for her. You can't just overpower people to win in XCO, you need some skills - and she was pretty average at World Cup level.

Yes Vos were never the most skilled CX rider but the same could be said for MTB specialists like Neff and PFP. They have been squarely beaten by CX riders like Sanne Cant and the new generation PP and FvE. It goes to show that the specialists - as expected - have the upper hand.

 

[Barkintheeye]

The dry women's race was more like a mixed road ride.

Would love to see a super technical Gravel Worlds in the Western US.

Next 2 are in Nice and western Australia. Should not be too hard to find tough gravel around Nice, but WA seems like a terrible location due to cost of travel.

Australia will be prohibitively expensive for many…

This year’s WC had over 2600 participants.

 

[Mina.S]

Australia will be prohibitively expensive for many…

This year’s WC had over 2600 participants.

Nice will be full of pros because it’s backyard training for them. Pog was already out with Wellens and Bling on the route this last week…

 

[Didinho]

Mohoric, Van der Poel, Benoot, Stuyven and 2x Vermeersch in front.

120km left.

 

[Didinho]

Mathieu solo. 110km. Pogi would love this.

30” Stuyven and Benoot.
35-40” the others + a small peloton.

 

[Didinho]

Back together at the finish line. 2 laps to go. Little group of around 10 in front now.

 

[glassmoon]

that 180 turn right after the start is straight up comedy gold

 

[Didinho]

that 180 turn right after the start is straight up comedy gold

Indeed but better this slow turn than going straight in the woods at 50km/h.

 

[RedheadDane]

Are all the images of the riders seriously still recorded images?
And where are the graphics?

 

[theyoungest]

Back together at the finish line. 2 laps to go. Little group of around 10 in front now.

Van der Poel decided to give the audience a little more value for money. Pogacar, take note

 

[Didinho]

Are all the images of the riders seriously still recorded images?
And where are the graphics?

Live now. Alpecin with 5-6 in the front group.

 

[RedheadDane]

And now we even got graphics.
87ish Ks to go.

 

[theyoungest]

A veritable Belgian armada in that front group. They did lose Benoot though, together with Stuyven the only one who could maybe offer MVDP some opposition.

 

[RedheadDane]

So, basically the front group is:
A whole bunch of Belgians.
A department of Dutch.
Mohoric and Govekar.
A random Brit.
And a random Dane.

 

[Didinho]

Gianni knows he’s not riding Roubaix for Mathieu here?

 

[Didinho]

Steep part incoming. If nothing happens now, it’s another lap waiting untill here.

Mathieu and Swift following.

 

[ice&fire]

MVDP gets rid of the whole of Belgium. LOL

 

[RedheadDane]

Aaah, okay. The "Random Brit" is Connor Swift. Guess he's not that random.
Not as random as Jonas Lindberg at least.








Who the *** is Jonas Lindberg?

 

[carolina]

Shouldn't it be mandatory to do at least 2 or 3 gravel races to qualify for the WC?

Doesn't seem to fair to have MVdP take this title.