The Marly Grav gravel race enjoyed the most celebrated victors in its short history, with Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) winning the men’s and women’s races respectively.
He said he was simply there to have fun, but Van Aert‘s win was taken in impressive style – on the end of a 20km solo escapade. For Wiebes, who defended the title she took here last year and was wearing her world champion’s jersey, her victory was won in a sprint from a small group.
(Image credit: Marly Grav)
Van Aert was there “without any specific expectations and mainly to enjoy himself” his team said afterwards. However, it became clear that the new Paris-Roubaix champion had good legs and after finding himself a select front group some way past the halfway mark, he opted to try a solo move.
Vermeersch attempted in vain to follow and Van Aert crossed the line with a 44-second advantage.
“It was a really tough race, but at the same time I enjoyed it,” he said afterwards. “It was fun racing here. It’s a completely different kind of race to what I’m used to. It’s great to be able to compete in such a fair race and put my off-road skills to good use. I’ll definitely be taking part more often.”
In a similar fashion, the women’s race saw a select group of seven riders – later becoming five – form as the race went on. Beyond just her supreme sprinting ability, Wiebes was strong enough to cover numerous attacks and the race looked to be hers to lose. She won the eventual sprint with some ease, bettering second-placed Larissa Hartog (Canyon X DT Swiss All Terrain) by a clear bike length.
She said afterwards: “We had a strong group at the front and had to make our way through the field past riders from the other categories.
“It’s fantastic to win in the rainbow jersey in my own backyard. It was a tough race, but I really enjoyed the route and the atmosphere along the way,”
The UCI Gravel World Series continues this weekend with a double-header: Seven in Australia and The Gralloch in Scotland, both held on Saturday.
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