2026-10-10T03:30:52.147Z
Puncture
2026-10-10T03:27:45.733Z
Bit of grass racing turns into mud and then some more traditional looking gravel for a very short period before returning back to the pea gravel very soon.
2026-10-10T03:24:54.512Z
On the Adina climb now, 1.1km long at 4% average.
2026-10-10T03:24:26.256Z
Great crowds around the feed area after a period on private land.
2026-10-10T03:23:40.558Z
Through the feed zone now as multiple riders take on fresh bottles, bars and gels.
2026-10-10T03:22:51.821Z
Cromwell, Wright, Oosterwoud are now around 45″ down on the leaders.
2026-10-10T03:21:44.140Z
Wright did all that work on the toughest gradients but has not made the group.
2026-10-10T03:21:17.266Z
2026-10-10T03:17:21.171Z
The Dutch still just about have four riders in this select group with Hartog and Geerike Schreurs just holding on.
2026-10-10T03:16:21.977Z
Cromwell also out of the back with Denmark’s Janni Spangsberg Schori losing tough as well.
2026-10-10T03:15:37.304Z
Wendy Oosterwoud (Netherlands), Gravel World Series leader, has been gapped just before the hardest section. That is a big surprise.
2026-10-10T03:14:36.647Z
Klöser flies pass British duo of Nutt and Hermolle as they have to negotiate their way around one of the camera bikes that has got stuck in the mud on the gradients of Brockman.
2026-10-10T03:13:42.949Z
Wright is ripping this peloton to bits on this climb but Klöser is about to make it back on.
2026-10-10T03:11:05.049Z
Klöser has fought very well and is about 10″ off the back of the lead group and is picking up riders who are losing touch.
2026-10-10T03:10:20.311Z
The climb is 2.5km at 8% with kicks well over 15%.
2026-10-10T03:09:54.318Z
Onto the Brockman climb with Wright and Magnaldi upping the tempo with the rain starting yet again. You won’t win the race here but you can certainly lose it.
2026-10-10T03:05:52.872Z
Wright, Hartog, Cromwell and Erica Magnaldi (Italy) lead the peloton on this rolling terrain.
2026-10-10T03:05:07.630Z
100km to go
2026-10-10T03:03:30.596Z
(Image credit: Gretchen Powers)
2026-10-10T03:00:49.791Z
Some info coming from the start… The age groupers are heading out in waves now. Some were so keen to ensure a good spot in the start line that they were sitting in the ground with their bikes in their start box well over an hour before their start time.
2026-10-10T02:59:45.670Z
Puncture
2026-10-10T02:57:38.604Z
The sun is back out now but the gravel is very wet and slippy.
2026-10-10T02:56:43.305Z
Onto the first descent of the day now and the pace shot up to make sure they were in a good position with Vos, Sophie Wright (Great Britain) and Larissa Hartog (Netherlands) leading the way.
2026-10-10T02:55:22.230Z
Bloor is caught by the Dutch led peloton that has been whittled right down on the first climb.
2026-10-10T02:53:21.627Z
Inside 1km from the top of the Killarney climb as Bloor holds a very slender lead.
2026-10-10T02:52:07.377Z
Crash
2026-10-10T02:50:16.461Z
(Image credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
2026-10-10T02:47:54.553Z
The peloton has shrunk quite a lot on this first climb with Bloor being reeled back in very soon.
2026-10-10T02:46:42.839Z
Bloor’s gap has now reduced significantly as she continues to tap out a rhythm that suits her but she now just has 30″ on the chasers.
2026-10-10T02:46:00.046Z
One unexpected rider on the startlist for the elite women was Peta Mullens (Australia) who was expecting to ride the age group of 35-39 but received an email a few days ago saying she will have to race the elite due to rule changes coming into force…
2026-10-10T02:43:56.338Z
Multiple riders now struggling to hold onto the peloton as Bloor has 1’02” on the pack.
2026-10-10T02:40:59.277Z
The climb Killarney which is 5.4km of very undulating riding and an average of 3.4% but with some nasty kickers.
2026-10-10T02:40:16.413Z
110km to go
2026-10-10T02:34:24.890Z
Mutsumi Hara (Japan) and Elizabeth Hermolle (Great Britain) early off the back but it is a tough start and there’s a long way to go as the rain begins to fall again.
2026-10-10T02:32:13.456Z
Mud is already caking the backs of the riders as the riders are on the first climb of the day now.
2026-10-10T02:30:50.436Z
Bloor’s wheel skipping and skidding all over the place forcing her to freewheel. All the riders have only been able to recon some of the route due to some of the sections being on private property including the first climb of the day.
2026-10-10T02:28:12.416Z
The peloton hit the gravel and immediately things change as the pace shoots up with the Dutch crowding the front still. 5km to the first climb of the day.
2026-10-10T02:27:29.095Z
Gravel begins
2026-10-10T02:23:59.024Z
Bloor has a gap of just 12″ on the peloton as the gravel edges closer and closer.
2026-10-10T02:19:39.051Z
12 riders down as DNFs including Germany’s Romy Kaspar and the Netherlands’ Riejanne Markus.
2026-10-10T02:18:02.687Z
Attack
2026-10-10T02:13:31.873Z
It is a fast start on the asphalt to begin with the tiny peloton bunched together for the moment but when they hit the gravel it’ll likely immediately split up.
2026-10-10T02:10:39.794Z
125.6km to go
2026-10-10T02:08:29.103Z
Australian gravel champion and winner here for the SEVEN Gravel race in Nannup earlier in the year, Tiffany Cromwell, is another rider who will be hanging up the wheels after this race.
2026-10-10T02:06:45.877Z
This will be the final race in the career of South African WorldTour rider Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio despite having a cold.
2026-10-10T02:04:37.385Z
It is being said that this is a ‘true’ gravel course with 85% of the course on gravel with intense gradients and a huge amount of climbing. The chance for the specialists to finally have a pure gravel rider in the rainbow bands after road stars have dominated the first four editions.
2026-10-10T01:58:27.367Z
The riders are beginning to line up on the start line in Nannup with Wendy Oosterwoud of the Netherlands wearing number one.
2026-10-10T01:55:41.531Z
The gravel is like nothing seen in European gravel racing and is unique to the area in Australia. Pea gravel is what it says on the tin, gravel that is shaped like peas. It can been incredibly slippery when dry but when wet it can be compacted down and become less notable with tyre choice being crucial.
2026-10-10T01:53:17.453Z
The course itself is extremely challenging. While it is rather short, in the 125.6km of racing there are 3180 metres of elevation gain with the climbs not allow immediate rest after the summits are they tend to plateau for a while afterwards.
2026-10-10T01:48:39.542Z
(Image credit: Life Time / Getty Images)
2026-10-10T01:39:41.175Z
Racing is due to begin at 10:10 local time in Nannup. Roughly 30 minutes from now.
2026-10-10T01:35:08.334Z
(Image credit: Patrick Boeré / Nannup UCI Gravel World Championships)
2026-10-10T01:28:18.267Z
(Image credit: Daniela Tommasi / SEVEN Gravel Race)
2026-10-10T01:24:36.437Z
Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews’ live updates of the women’s UCI World Gravel Championships 2026 from Nannup, Western Australia.
The temperatures have been high for much of the week but it is a cool and fresh 16°C, unusually low for spring time in the area.