Vermeersch is the first-ever Gravel World Champion
Gianni Vermeersch won the inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships, which took place in Veneto.
The Belgian ridercrossed first the finish line in Cittadella (Padova) after 194 km in 5 hours, 10 minutes and 40 seconds, ahead of the Italian Daniel Oss and the Alpecin-Deceuninck team captain Mathieu Van Der Poel.
It really was an outstandingrace for Vermeersch since the departure from Campo Marzo in Vicenza. After just 50 kilometers and with 144 km to go, he attacked the head of the race together with Oss. . The duo led gravel race. Van der Poel, followed by Greg Van Avermaet and Alessandro De Marchi, tried to reduce the gap without success. Verrmeersch dropped Oss in the closing kilometres, using his cyclocross skills to his advantage on the trickier terrain. The Belgian crossed the line solo in what he described as the best win of his career.
“It’s unbelievable,”said Vermeersch . “It was one of the biggest opportunities for me to ever become a world champion. I can’t believe I get to take the rainbow jersey home.”.
Vermeersch was considered an outsider with only three professional road races victories in his career.
A great result for the Alpecin-Decueninck riders who, beside the coveted rainbow jersey, also took , the third place with Van der Poel.
Congratulation to Vermeersch and Van der Poel!
