The second edition of the Gravel World Championship was in the hands of Katarzyna Niewiadoma. The Pole was proclaimed world champion in the women’s category after covering 140 kilometers of distance starting and finishing in Veneto, Italy.
The 29-year-old Pole, who succeeded the French Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in the list of winners, won the rainbow jersey of the discipline, with the Italian Silvia Persico runner-up and with the Dutch Demi Vollering on the third place on the podium.
In the race, the best Latin American in the competition was the cyclist from Argentina, Sofía Gómez Villafañe, who finished in 34th place, 20’33” behind the winner. While the Brazilian Flávia Oliveira finished in 53rd place, more than 29 minutes behind the winner.
With less than 25 kilometers to go, Niewiadoma launched a devastating attack, to which none of her rivals managed to respond. In the final stretch, the Pole managed the difference with her pursuers and won the gold medal, thus culminating a great season.
In the case of men, this Sunday they will have to face a route of 169 kilometers with a cumulative difference of 1,890 meters, concentrated in a mountainous area that covers a first part between approximately kilometers 30 and 90 in which 5 ascents are linked. .
The number 1 number will be defended by the current champion Gianni Vermeersch who, evidently, will seek to revalidate the title achieved a year ago. His main rival for victory and surely the top favorite if we take into account the level shown this week in the Italian classics at the end of the season is, without a doubt, Wout van Aert, who arrives ready to finish the 2023 campaign with a good taste of mouth after a year in which he has done nothing but accumulate second places.
We will also have to take into account the Slovenian Matej Mohoric who, together with the Movistar cyclist Iván García Cortina and the Total Energies cyclist Daniel Oss, complete the list of active professionals who will take the start in this Gravel World Championship.
Source: Revista Mundo Ciclístico y www.brujulabike.com