As it happened: Lone survivor of early break wins elite men’s race at UCI Gravel World Championships

2025-10-12T14:24:32.938Z

Now he starts to celebrate! He blows a kiss to the camera of the TV moto riding alongside him.

2025-10-12T14:23:09.044Z

40 seconds for Vermeersch with 1.5km left to ride. He isn’t affording himself a celebration just yet, however.

2025-10-12T14:21:14.641Z

Just 3km left to ride for Vermeersch to the finish.

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Here’s Vermeersch leading the race.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T14:18:08.164Z

Biesterbos is losing any more time, but neither is he gaining any. With 5km to go he’s 33 seconds behind Vermeersch.

2025-10-12T14:17:28.088Z

Given their strength in numbers, and the choice of their riders not to commit to a chase, it was pretty essential for Belgium that Vermeersch did succeed in defeating Biesterbos.

2025-10-12T14:15:30.330Z

Victory will taste especially sweet for Vermeersch considering that he has finished runner-up in both the previous two editions.

2025-10-12T14:14:44.081Z

Biesterbos’s silver medal should at least be safe. He’s over a minute ahead of Mohorič.

2025-10-12T14:14:00.320Z

Vermeersch is flying away from Biesterbos. He’s 30 seconds ahead now.

2025-10-12T14:10:32.589Z

And now it’s 20 seconds. Mohorič is 1:25 back in third, while the other chasers are a long way back.

2025-10-12T14:09:50.412Z

Still the lead grows, now up to 18 seconds.

2025-10-12T14:07:25.409Z

13 seconds now for Vermeersch. This is slipping away for Biesterbos.

2025-10-12T14:06:48.738Z

The pendulum is swinging towards Vermeersch. His lead has grown to about ten seconds.

2025-10-12T14:05:55.105Z

Meanwhile Mohorič has dropped Stehli on the same climb. That could seal the Slovenian the bronze medal.

2025-10-12T14:04:57.246Z

They’ve reached the top, and though Biesterbos hasn’t closed the gap, he’s still in contention, remaining about five seconds behind.

2025-10-12T14:04:12.545Z

The two are climbing the Bronsdalweg climb. This could be a pivotal moment in the race – Biesterbos will surely feel he needs to close that gap on it.

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The gap is only about 4 or 5 seconds.

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This is agonising for Biesterbos. He can see Vermeersch just ahead of him, but can’t quite close the gap.

2025-10-12T13:59:43.694Z

This isn’t over yet! Biesterbos can still see Vermeersch up the road and is only a few seconds behind.

2025-10-12T13:58:19.079Z

Behind Mohorič briefly looked as though he was about to drop Stehli, but the Swiss rider just about managed to hang on.

2025-10-12T13:57:45.147Z

Vermeersch has over five seconds aleady, and 19km left to ride to the finish.

2025-10-12T13:57:01.104Z

Florian Vermeersch makes his big move on an uphill gravel section – and has gone clear!

2025-10-12T13:54:22.796Z

Pidcock attacks on an uphill section, and has succeeded in dropping everyone – apart from Wellens, who remains glued to his wheel.

2025-10-12T13:53:36.629Z

The leaders are maintaining their advantage, which remains 1 minute over the two chasers, and 1:50 over the Pidcock group.

2025-10-12T13:49:14.745Z

Van Tricht has crashed, going round a technical corner – he’s back up, but faces a challenge to rejoin Mohorič and Stehli.

2025-10-12T13:48:21.680Z

Hermans has been dropped, seemingly with a mechanical.

2025-10-12T13:45:22.655Z

Vermeersch and Biesterbos have grown their lead to over a minute. Surely this is their race to lose.

2025-10-12T13:40:32.007Z

The Belgians do look like they’re working with Pidcock, but the gap of 1:50 is going to be very hard to bridge.

2025-10-12T13:39:57.323Z

For now, the advantage remains firmly in Vermeersch and Biesterbos. They’ve increased their lead on the first chase group to 50 seconds, and 1:50 to the Pidcock group.

2025-10-12T13:38:15.013Z

This feels like an important moment in the race – will the Belgians work with Pidcock and therefore potentially bring themselves into contention for the win, or will the presence of Vermeersch at the front mean they won’t collaborate?

2025-10-12T13:36:53.259Z

Success for Pidcock – he’s bridged up to Wellens, Hermans and Ottema, albeit with Kielich on his wheel still.

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The two remaining riders at the front.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T13:31:40.704Z

Kielich isn’t taking any turns for Pidcock, and behind them is the ominous sight of three Belgian chasing them. Pidcock is being marked out of this race.

2025-10-12T13:29:27.645Z

Pidcock hasn’t given up, and has managed to attack out of the group, bringing Timo Kielich with him.

2025-10-12T13:27:27.434Z

Mohorič and Stehli have caught Van Tricht.

2025-10-12T13:26:38.199Z

Florian Vermeersch made a name for himself four years ago when he got into an early break to finish second at Paris–Roubaix. Is he poised to do something similar today – and perhaps go one better?

2025-10-12T13:24:58.269Z

Biesterbos and Vermeersch still have a lead of 40 seconds on Mohorič and Stehli, who, for all their efforts, can’t seem to make any inroads.

2025-10-12T13:22:23.447Z

Van Tricht has been dropped on the uphill – that leaves just Vermeersch and Biesterbos at the front.

2025-10-12T13:21:35.078Z

Wellens and Ottema have made it up to Hermans. Behind, the group is in bits, having been broken up into small groups.

2025-10-12T13:15:16.353Z

There’s no organisation in the chasing ‘peloton,’ the Belgians happy to sit back with so many men up the road.

2025-10-12T13:12:30.341Z

Hermans has managed to build a lead over the group, and is clear by just over 20 seconds.

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The three riders out fron, who still lead by 35 seconds.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T13:08:54.325Z

Behind, a small group has just bridged up to the Pidcock group. It might be a stretch to call it the ‘peloton’, but it’s still quite big, with about 15 riders in it.

2025-10-12T13:07:55.458Z

Hermans has attacked out of the Pidcock group.

2025-10-12T13:06:59.539Z

Despite all the action taking pace behind them, the leading quartet are holding strong. They still maintain a lead of 35 seconds on the chasing duo, and 1:10 on the Pidcock/Wellens group.

2025-10-12T13:02:46.746Z

Pidcock again tries to go clear, but is being watched like a hawk by the Belgians.

2025-10-12T12:59:41.397Z

The Pidcock / Belgian group has caught Ottema and Bak Klaris.

2025-10-12T12:58:25.140Z

Politt has been dropped again, this time from Mohorič and Stehli.

2025-10-12T12:56:54.675Z

Make that five Belgians – Wout Alleman has joined them too.

2025-10-12T12:55:42.129Z

Pidcock and Hermans have been joined by Aerts, Wellens and Gianni Vermeersch – that’s four Belgians against one Brit.

2025-10-12T12:54:53.437Z

The four leaders still have 30 seconds on the Mohorič chasing trio. The Bak Klaris / Ottema duo are a further 15 seconds adrift, and the peloton another 15 seconds behind them.

2025-10-12T12:53:30.978Z

Hermans is quick to respons to Pidcock and has grabbed onto his wheel.

2025-10-12T12:52:28.993Z

Pidcock’s attacked out the peloton.

2025-10-12T12:51:34.772Z

There are still only about 15 riders in the peloton, about half of whom are Belgian.

2025-10-12T12:49:20.369Z

Here was the scene at the finish line earlier today.

2025-10-12T12:33:34.848Z

The peloton is swelling again, as riders who were dropped return to it.

2025-10-12T12:31:21.538Z

Christen and Hermans have managed to go clear.

2025-10-12T12:31:04.995Z

The race is very much on. Multiple attacks are being made out of the peloton.

2025-10-12T12:29:19.891Z

Pidcock and Mohoric are still righ up towards the front.

2025-10-12T12:28:57.815Z

Wellens work has caused more damage, and the peloton is down to about 20 riders.

2025-10-12T12:28:20.680Z

Tim Wellens has accelerated at the front of the peloton

2025-10-12T12:27:48.921Z

Mohoric’s work has brought the chasers back.

2025-10-12T12:26:42.866Z

There are only about 25 riders left in the peloton, which is being strung out as Mohoric ups the pace.

2025-10-12T12:25:29.313Z

A couple more riders have joined the chase group, which is only a handful of seconds ahead of the peloton.

2025-10-12T12:23:19.715Z

The four leaders are 50 seconds ahead of the chasers, and 1:20 ahead of the peloton.

2025-10-12T12:16:37.891Z

The Belgian duo of Gianni Vermeersch and Quinten Hermans have attacked from the peloton, and joined the two chasers, Magnus Bak Klaris and Fabio Christen.

2025-10-12T12:13:10.577Z

The attritional nature of this route continues to take its toll. The peloton is down to about 50 riders.

2025-10-12T12:07:00.785Z

Bak Klaris and Christen are making some inroads, but still have over a minute to make up to make it to the leaders. Meanwhile the pace is up in the peloton, which is still less than 20 seconds behind the chasing duo.

2025-10-12T12:02:29.504Z

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T11:55:58.068Z

Fabio Christen and Magnus Bak Klaris have jumped out of the peloton and have set off in pursuit of the leaders

2025-10-12T11:53:56.644Z

The quartet’s lead continues to grow, now up to 1:50.

2025-10-12T11:50:06.744Z

It seems Floris Van Tricht wasn’t dropped after all – here he is with the other three leaders in the front group.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T11:44:51.010Z

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T11:42:36.518Z

The three leaders are in a strong position, their advantage over the peloton having grown to almost a minute and a half.

2025-10-12T11:41:32.811Z

The four leaders at the front, before Van Tricht was dropped.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T11:37:58.195Z

Vermeersch is with them, but Van Tricht has been distanced.

2025-10-12T11:36:30.634Z

Politt and Biesterbos have attacked the two Belgians and managed to go clear.

2025-10-12T11:31:40.710Z

A throwback to the past – Greg Van Avermaet riding in the peloton.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T11:27:03.175Z

Meanwhile Rick Ottema of the Netherlands is trying to bridge up to the four leaders, but still has over 20 seconds to make up.

2025-10-12T11:26:18.987Z

Politt has managed to join Vermeersch, Van Tricht and Biesterbos, and they have a 40 second lead over the peloton.

2025-10-12T11:17:55.860Z

The leading trio are about 10 seconds ahead of Politt, and 40 seconds ahead of the peloton.

2025-10-12T11:15:52.720Z

Nils Politt is also out of the peloton and in pursuit of the leading trio.

2025-10-12T11:13:05.257Z

Another group of three has formed off the front of the race, this time consisting of Florian Vermeersch, Floris Van Tricht and Frits Biesterbos.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T11:04:26.448Z

The peloton has been significantly reduced, down to about 60 riders. The course is taking its toll.

2025-10-12T11:02:37.929Z

Hermans, Swift and Reinderink, before they were brought back.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T10:59:22.661Z

The trio has been caught and the peloton is together again.

2025-10-12T10:56:14.095Z

Here’s an idea of the kind of road surfaces the riders are tackling on the course.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T10:53:35.979Z

A group of three has managed to slip clear of the peloton – Quinten Hermans, Connor Swift and Pepijn Reinderink.

2025-10-12T10:49:36.836Z

One of the riders dropped from the peloton is Romain Bardet. Despite impressing on the gravel circuit since his retirement from the road earlier this year, including a few wins, the Frenchman won’t be competing for a high finish at his Worlds debut.

2025-10-12T10:43:33.521Z

The Belgian contingent towards the front, with Tim Wellens among them.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T10:38:06.603Z

The punchy course is claiming its victims, with the peloton reduced to about 100 riders already, with 150km still to ride.

2025-10-12T10:31:58.286Z

The peloton is still together, and the favourites up towards the front.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Here is Politt, pulling at the front of the peloton.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T10:23:19.482Z

As well as Belgium, Germany are also getting involved, with Roger Kluge riding at the front. They have Nils Politt in their roster today.

2025-10-12T10:21:25.603Z

The startlist today is notable for a number of retired veterans of road cycling – including Greg van Avermaet, one of the top classics specialists of the 2010s, who has been on the gravel scene these past two years.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T10:17:42.821Z

The Belgians are utilising their strength in numbers and riding at the front of the race.

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A first glimpse of the riders out on the course today.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2025-10-12T10:04:18.901Z

One of the most anticipated names today, Tim Melier, has pulled out of the race before it began. But the Belgian line-up is still stacked with talent, with the likes of Tim Wellens, Florian Vermeersch and Gianni Vermeersch all riding.

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Here was Laurens Sweeck, a gravel specialist riding for Belgium, at the start today.

(Image credit: Future)

2025-10-12T09:56:35.730Z

The skies are blue and the temperature pleasant in Limburg today.

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Pidcock might be the headline name starting today, but he’s also coming into this race as a novice of the format – as he admitted before the start.

2025-10-12T09:49:03.928Z

Here was Mads Würtz Schmidt before the start, one of the gravel specialists hoping to be in the mix today.

(Image credit: Future)

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And they’re off!

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The race is set to get underway in just five minutes.

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Here’s the bike Pidcock will be riding today – one he’s only used a few times.

(Image credit: Future)

2025-10-12T09:34:23.576Z

Tom Pidcock is perhaps the biggest name competing today. In theory he has everything it takes to excel here, but is coming into these championships with little experience of riding gravel races.