Cyclist
The best photos from the UCI Gravel World Championships 2024
The third edition of the UCI Gravel World Championships took place in Belgium over the weekend. In its unconventional nature, the race sees elite pros, gravel specialists and a Finnish F1 driver all line up for glory in a tough race that takes the riders on gravel, cobbles and forest tracks.
In the men’s race, Mathieu van der Poel took the rainbow jersey. This makes him a world champion in three disciplines: road, cyclocross and now gravel. He soloed to victory ahead of Belgians Florian Vermeersch and Quinten Hermans. For the women, it was another box-ticking exercise for Marianne Vos, who added a gravel world title to her bumper list of accolades that includes track, cyclocross and road rainbow jerseys – just MTB left. She defeated the defending UCI Road World Champion Lotte Kopecky in a two-up sprint. The bronze medal was won by Kopecky’s road teammate Lorena Wiebes.
Photographer James York was there over the weekend to capture the event in all its glory, behind trees in the Brabant Forest and at the finishing line in university city Leuven. Here are some of his best snaps from the races for the UCI’s freshest rainbow jersey.
Women’s race
The route for all races started in Halle with a finish in Leuven. The opening phase of the race dabbled in gravel and forest around Flemish Brabant, not too far away from Brussels.
Only a week ago Lotte Kopecky was triumphant on the wet roads of Zürich in the UCI Road World Championships. She came to Leuven having never raced on gravel before.
One of the more unorthodox cycling arenas out there.
Alison Jackson, former winner of Paris-Roubaix, leads the chase.
Gravel is all about the adventure.
Lotte Kopecky and Marianne Vos soon emerged as the two strongest riders in the women’s race.
MTB XCO World Champion Puck Pieterse was one of the cross-discipline stars in attendance.
How many victory salutes does Marianne Vos have left in her?
Kapow. Marianne Vos is truly the GOAT of women’s cycling.
It wouldn’t be gravel racing without some splatterings of mud.
Marianne Vos is pretty comfortable in the post-race mixzone. She’s taken over 250 victories in a career that has spanned three decades.
Here’s the final podium. Two Dutch and a solitary Belgian.
No discipline is safe, what’s next: mountain bike, BMX, artistic cycling, cycle ball?
Men’s race
The 2024 UCI World Gravel Championships were raced under sunshine. No puddles in view.
Supporting Denmark and Belgium? Pick a side.
Slovenia were the reigning champions courtesy of Matej Mohorič. He finished in seventh place while recent Tour of Britain stage winner Matevž Govekar finished in 13th.
In the UK, this could pass for a tarmac road.
A family day out in the forest.
Quinten Hermans looks a bit scuffed up by the mud.
British gravel champion Connor Swift was flying the flag at the front end of the race this weekend. He finished in sixth place.
Mathieu van der Poel was always going to be a marked man. Florian Vermeersch was the only one to hold his wheel for a while.
But it wasn’t long until the Dutchman launched one of his seismic attacks.
Everyone wants a ‘bike in the air shot’ these days.
The bronze medal came down to a reduced sprint between Quinten Hermans, Jasper Stuyven, Gianni Vermeersch, Matej Mohorič and Connor Swift.
Some well-earned sit-down time.
Connor Swift was the highest-placing Brit in the men’s road race. Matthew Holmes finished in 40th, Zak Coleman 48th, Tom Martin 58th and Cameron Mason finished in 68th.
The #spiritofgravel (and a World Cup 1990-inspired German jersey)
Blood, sweat and gears.
A medal is essentially a glorified necklace, right?
‘Please rise for the national anthem of the Netherlands.’
Mathieu van der Poel continues his rainbow streak with his eighth elite world title and his seventh in the last five years.
‘Yeah, maybe I’ll do Unbound next year. We’ll wait and see.’
The post The best photos from the UCI Gravel World Championships 2024 appeared first on Cyclist.