Gravel World Championship 2025 - Men: Pogacar's team-mate Florian Vermeersch rides solo to the world title

At the finish line, the new world champion let out a heart-rending cry as the cameras surrounded him. Florian Vermeersch not only celebrated the title, but also ended a period of suffering with injury problems. The Belgian had previously secured gold with a solo ride over around 20 kilometres. "It wasn't the easiest way, but it was the most beautiful," he said after the award ceremony, adding: "I've had a good year with good results. But for me, this victory was the definitive end to my injury." He hinted at what it was all about as he crossed the finish line: he pointed to his left thigh, which he had broken in the spring of 2024 and was now celebrating his first victory after the injury. Last year, he had already finished second in the Gravel World Championship behind Mathieu van der Poel, who was not at the start this time.

Vermeersch showed just how strong he is again during the decisive attack. "It was one of the steepest climbs on the course. And I wanted to try it for the first time," said the new title winner. The first attempt was successful. His last remaining rival, Dutchman Frits Biesterbos, was unable to follow the energetic attack and then fought his way to the finish in second place with his last ounce of strength.

Tom Pidcock: Tired and disappointed

Tom Pidcock looked very disappointed after crossing the finish line. The Briton would have liked to add the gravel world championship title to his cyclocross and mountain bike titles. However, he was unable to follow the decisive attacks at his first World Championship start in this discipline and crossed the finish line in sixth place - 18 seconds behind bronze medallist Matej Mohoric from Slovenia. "Disappointed? I'm tired," he told TOUR at the finish. He had a long season with starts at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana, where he finished third. The day before, the professional from Team Q36.5 had ridden one of the most important one-day races in road cycling, the Tour of Lombardy, where he also finished sixth after 241 kilometres.

Early on in the season, Pidcock had set his sights on the Gravel World Championships. During the year, however, the World Championship competition was postponed by a week and the venue was moved from Nice to Limburg in the Netherlands. Because he also wanted to take part in the Tour of Lombardy the day before the Gravel World Championships, it became a major logistical project. He got off a private jet in Maastricht at eight o'clock on Saturday evening, which had taken him from Bergamo airport, the destination of the Tour of Lombardy, to the World Championship venue.

Nils Politt in 16th place

The best German on the course in the Limburg hills was Nils Politt. The rider from Hürth helped to shape the race at the start when he was part of a four-man leading group with the eventual world champion Florian Vermeersch and silver medallist Frits Biesterbos. However, the German later ran out of steam and finished 16th in a chasing group. "It was a cool but extremely tough race," he said, his face covered in dust. Like Vermeersch, he earns his money with UAE Team Emirates-XRG around the currently best cyclist Tadej Pogacar. Although Vermeersch and Politt wore national jerseys, it was evident at this Gravel World Championships that alliances were formed on the basis of professional teams rather than between compatriots. "The fact that the German Cycling Federation doesn't provide much support here means that you think a bit more as a team," said Politt, saying that he had thought of himself in the national jersey more as a team-mate of the new Belgian world champion, who is his work colleague for the rest of the year.

Result men elite, 181 kilometres

1 Florian Vermeersch (BEL), 4:39:12 hrs.
2 Frits Biesterbos (NED), +0:40 min.
3 Matej Mohorič (SLO), +1:23
4 Floris Van Tricht (BEL), +1:40
5 Felix Stehli (SUI), +1:41
6 Thomas Pidcock (GBR), gl. time
7 Tim Wellens (BEL), +1:46
8 Rick Ottema (NED), +2:46
9 Timo Kielich (BEL), gl. time
10 Magnus Bak Klaris (DEN), +3:59
...
16th Nils Politt (GER), +4:03