Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck), winner of the first UCI Gravel World Championship occasion in 2022, will head again to the self-discipline after a busy spring street season, racing the primary German UCI Gravel race, 3RIDES in Aachen on Might 13.
The Belgian can be a part of a 1,100-rider begin record together with retired professional André Greipel, Unbound winner Ivar Slik, high cyclo-cross riders Eli Iserbyt and Michael Vanthourenhout, Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) – the #2 ranked ladies’s street racer – and former German champion Mieke Kröger.
The occasion’s Managing Director, Björn Müller, introduced the beginning record for the race, which takes place on an 18.5-kilometre circuit with a mixture of amateurs {and professional} riders from varied disciplines.
“What’s notably cool concerning the Gravel self-discipline is that high stars from all elements of biking are competing in a race with non-professional riders,” Müller mentioned.
The race is a part of the UCI Gravel World Collection and a qualifying occasion for the UCI Gravel World Championships, which is able to happen once more in Italy this fall.
Marcel Meisen, a seven-time German cyclocross champion, says the course will favour riders of that self-discipline.
“Technically, the cyclocrossers could have a bonus. The clear favorite is unquestionably Gianni Vermeersch, who brings the whole lot you have to have right here – he is an efficient crosser and powerful on the street,” says Meisen. “It will likely be fascinating to see how the totally different disciplines carry out right here.”
The UCI Gravel World Collection began in Berja, Spain, in April. 3RIDES is the fifth of 16 occasions after the Swartberg 100 in South Africa, the Gran Fondo Limburg within the Netherlands and Gravel Problem Blaavands Huk in Denmark.
Additionally on Saturday is the Seven gravel race in Nannup, Australia. The collection consists of occasions in Scotland, Canada, the USA, France, Poland, Sweden and Belgium earlier than the ultimate qualifier in Italy.
The UCI Gravel World Championships happen on September 7-8, 2023, in Veneto, Italy.
