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UCI Gravel World Championships 2022, October 8-9, Italy

Page 3 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Interesting. Don't know much about this stuff but looking at the maps, I'm surprised by the variation of surface compared to the local routes I see people posting on strava (and especially that not far off half seems to be on solid roads of one sort or another.) Of course still a bigger range of off-road challenges than Roubaix or Strade Bianchi, or even Tro Bro Léon for sure.

How much does this get decided by the fights to be first onto the farm tracks or the narrow bike paths, or are the secteurs just too long and tough for that to even be a factor? Once MvdP leads us onto the first off-road bit do we still have a race?
 
Interesting. Don't know much about this stuff but looking at the maps, I'm surprised by the variation of surface compared to the local routes I see people posting on strava (and especially that not far off half seems to be on solid roads of one sort or another.) Of course still a bigger range of off-road challenges than Roubaix or Strade Bianchi, or even Tro Bro Léon for sure.

How much does this get decided by the fights to be first onto the farm tracks or the narrow bike paths, or are the secteurs just too long and tough for that to even be a factor? Once MvdP leads us onto the first off-road bit do we still have a race?

Watch this, I'm guessing a lot of people will already be dropped on the first part with the climb.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGnxnOdZGk&feature=emb_title
 
I saw XC Marathon described as 'proper' MTB-ing; long days in the saddle riding forest trails, single track, natural obstacles, etc In fact, the old school XC World Cup was like this; there are some videos on YouTube of the Grundig World Cup....

If MvdP races on what is a road bike (Endurace) then it's not really a gravel race is it?




It surely can't be any worse?
Yeah, my father for example is pretty old school in that regard and dislikes modern XC circuits because of it's rather artificial nature.
One more thing about Marathon's with lots of climbing, the tempo is high already on the first climb, but pretty constant for most of the race. All day power and endurance is probably more of a factor than your Vo2max.
 
Watch this, I'm guessing a lot of people will already be dropped on the first part with the climb.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGnxnOdZGk&feature=emb_title
Thank you, I think that confirms a lot of what streetview suggests about the variation in surface. They've cut plenty of tarmac from that film, but they still show 'urban gravel' (like an equivalent of Espace Charles Crupelandt maybe), a bit of real gravel, bumpy rocky descents, full-on grass, and some sedate bike paths where you'd maybe take your kids to learn to ride. Certainly not the long drags up loose dusty fire trails I see on Strava.

For sure that first climb looks hard. Will be interesting to see the approaches people take and where it ends up sitting in the spectrum between a Roubaix slow-burn and a CycloX sprint start. And especially if there's a noticeable difference between how our road guys approach it compared to the specialists.
 
Peter Sagan: ‘Winning UCI Gravel Worlds would be an immense honor and privilege’
'Van der Poel is a very strong rider but, in my view, you should never underestimate anyone, especially in a world championship,' Sagan tells VeloNews.

 
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So apparently this was just the training bike (or the one from Vermeersch ) and he'll be racing on Grizl. Here it is:

MVDP-Canyon-gravel-worlds-hero.jpg
 
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XC Marathon is just sooo much more appealing than XC to me. I've also competed before. Seeing all the guys with the single ring in the front look perplex when I rode past them like it was nothing on an old triple chainring when we were on a long 2% false flat downhill was priceless.
Just because you passed the weekend ride from the nursing home doesn't mean that you've 'competed'! :p
 
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Reactions: Sandisfan
Yeah, my father for example is pretty old school in that regard and dislikes modern XC circuits because of it's rather artificial nature.
One more thing about Marathon's with lots of climbing, the tempo is high already on the first climb, but pretty constant for most of the race. All day power and endurance is probably more of a factor than your Vo2max.
I'm very much with your father on this.
 
These famous riders participate in the very first World Championship Gravel
 
Looks like there is a bit of anger over the gridding for the race, with road riders at the front, while the 'gravel' riders are behind them. It seems that UCI points scored on the road gets you a decent start position.
One of the main Twitter complainers is Nico Roche, which seemed strange until I looked at the startlist and saw he is riding, as is his younger brother Alexis.

And then I was amazed and delighted to see that Davide Rebellin is riding.
 

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