Many former road pros lined up at the Gravel World Championships in South Limburg. Both in the elite race and the Age Groups, several illustrious names from the past appeared in the results. Cyclingflash highlights the most notable performances.
Greg Van Avermaet, Johnny Hoogerland, Ramon Sinkeldam, Jan Bakelants, and Niki Terpstra all chose to race “just” in the pro category on Sunday. Of these, Van Avermaet performed best. The former Olympic road champion crossed the line nineteenth, just over five minutes behind winner Florian Vermeersch. Hoogerland (29th) and Jan Bakelants (52nd) followed about five minutes later. Ramon Sinkeldam (94th) and Niki Terpstra (156th) were further back.
Philippe Gilbert fifth
On Sunday, several Age Groups also took part. In the men’s 40-44 category, we saw a familiar winner. Nicolas Roche, who was still a WorldTour pro with Team DSM in 2021, took victory after a three-man sprint. Not long after, former world champion Philippe Gilbert crossed fifth. Bert De Backer finished eleventh in this category. Further down the results, the name Enrico Franzoi appears. The Italian, once eighth in Paris-Roubaix, now placed 54th. In the men’s 45-49 group, Bram Tankink recorded a DNF.
On Saturday, several other age categories raced as well, including men 55-59. Here, we see German Udo Bölts — former domestique for Jan Ullrich and winner of races like Clásica San Sebastian and the Critérium du Dauphiné — finishing fifth in the results.
