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![\"Matt](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/FUbYDmC86uaoy5Y4gzPDBK.jpg\")
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(Image credit: Michal Cerveny\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T03:09:06.605Z<\/p>\n Daan Soete (Belgium) is another big name who is out of the back. He is even further off the back than Vermeersch, Beers and Avancini.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T03:08:37.916Z<\/p>\n Now onto the Adina climb for the leaders.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T03:07:02.211Z<\/p>\n Defending champion Florian Vermeersch (Belgium) is out of the back with other big names Matt Beers (South Africa) and Henrique Avancini (Brazil). They’re a minute out of the back of the peloton.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T03:05:50.528Z<\/p>\n The gap updates on the timings and the peloton are now just 1’02” down with Connor Swift (Great Britain), Mads W\u00fcrtz Schmidt (Denmark), Keegan Swenson (USA) and Paul Voss (Germany) leading the way.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: SWPix)<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T03:03:37.956Z<\/p>\n The tempo in the peloton has seen 30″ chipped off the advantage of the three leaders with 2’00” the new gap.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T03:02:51.178Z<\/p>\n Piotr Havik (Netherlands) losing touch at the back of the peloton as well as multiple Danish riders but they still have numbers at the front with Mads W\u00fcrtz Schmidt, Magnus Bak Klaris and Andreas Stokbro.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T03:00:13.607Z<\/p>\n Pirotte is finally caught by the peloton with the Danish causing some damage here as the bunch is starting to split further.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:58:44.035Z<\/p>\n These three out front are riding very well together as we get to see Pirotte for the first time in a while as he is still very much in no-mans-land.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: James Raison\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:57:29.786Z<\/p>\n Back in the peloton it is Denmark who have taken up the chasing for their leader and European champion Mads W\u00fcrtz Schmidt.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:56:31.663Z<\/p>\n The first major climb of the day, it is the climb of Brockman, 1.7km with a hellish average of 12%. This really split things up in the women’s race but it was not decisive.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:52:40.890Z<\/p>\n One of the Australian riders just having a spill on the hairpin on the bottom of the descent. The peloton had split with a few riders now getting back in including Freddy Ovett (Australia).<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:49:00.780Z Young, Schulting and P\u00f6stlberger have 2’30” on the pack now.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:48:01.977Z<\/p>\n Few more riders out the back of the peloton including a couple from Canada as well as Rick Nobel (Netherlands). It is a real war of attrition out there.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:46:56.184Z<\/p>\n The first descent is on now as they go down Killarney. All the riders out front are giving plenty of space to each other and making sure they get down this slightly damp and skittish descent.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:41:06.173Z<\/p>\n Two riders have kicked out of the peloton. Another Dutch rider as well as one from Belgium.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:36:35.997Z<\/p>\n They are now on the first climb of the day, the Killarney climb. P\u00f6stlberger, Young and Schulting have 2’09” now on the bunch. This could be very dangerous as all three leaders are very capable with P\u00f6stlberger and Young both winners of World Series races this year.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:31:52.446Z The leading trio have 1’40” on the peloton now as there’s a couple of riders already struggling at the back of the pack.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:29:47.650Z<\/p>\n P\u00f6stlberger and Young went up against each other earlier in the year with the Austrian taking the win at The Gralloch in Gatehouse-of-Fleet and the Forest of Galloway up in Scotland.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:26:12.740Z This is very typical racing to the European scene. They are absolutely flying. Usually in Europe the race goes out fast due to narrow tracks whereas in the US it tends to be a slower start due to the wide tracks, which we do have here, but the racing is rapid.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:24:54.778Z<\/p>\n After briefly losing pictures we go back to the break and see that Pirotte is no longer in the break who have 58″ on the peloton. Maybe a mechanical or just dropping back.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:18:35.599Z<\/p>\n P\u00f6stlberger and Young are joined Peter Schulting (Netherlands) and Jo Pirotte (Belgium).<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:17:20.997Z<\/p>\n A few more counter attacks coming out of the peloton trying to get ahead before the gravel even starts.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:16:52.140Z<\/p>\n One of the Danish riders is trying to bridge but is struggling to get to the four leaders who have 46″ on the peloton.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:14:46.832Z<\/p>\n One of the Lithuanian riders tried to be involved but has already been distanced. Two riders from Lithuania racing today, they are Martynas Tomkus and Valdemar Volodko.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:13:15.949Z Lukas P\u00f6stlberger (Austria) Plus four others go clear early.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:11:37.859Z<\/p>\n They have 9km of asphalt to begin before the gravel. The route is 85% gravel and hardly ever flat.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:10:37.082Z Racing begins for the World Gravel Championships 2026 in Nannup, Western Australia as the sun makes a rare appearance at these championships.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:08:21.749Z<\/p>\n The route is 143.7km but an absolutely brutal 3713 metres of elevation.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T02:07:01.427Z<\/p>\n There are a few road riders at the race, it is not just Vermeersch. Stan Dewulf (Belgium), Connor Swift (Great Britain), Andreas Stokbro (Denmark), Anton Stensby (Norway), Cameron Scott (Australia) and Ole Theiler (Germany).<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T01:56:26.682Z<\/p>\n Around 15 minutes until the race gets underway.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: SWPix)<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T01:56:05.441Z<\/p>\n There’s also former mountain bike world champion Henrique Avancini (Brazil) riding. He has had a superb road season winning the GC at the Tour of the Gila as well as finishing in the top 10 at the Tour du Rwanda. He also won the Brazil gravel and has looked strong on the tracks. One to watch.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T01:53:22.628Z<\/p>\n The gravel specialists will be hoping they can take the win this time, though. The likes of Mads W\u00fcrtz Schmidt (Denmark), Jenson Young (Great Britain), Daan Soete (Belgium), Matthew Beers (South Africa), Keegan Swenson (USA) and others will all hope to better the ‘roadies’ today.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T01:50:53.264Z<\/p>\n Much like in the women’s side of the sport, the worlds have been dominated by road riders with Vermeersch being the current holder of the rainbow bands after Gianni Vermeersch, Matej Mohoric and Mathieu van der Poel.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T01:47:14.922Z<\/p>\n Unfortunately, after travelling to Australia for the race Czech rider Petr Vako\u010d has had to pull out of the race due to illness. He is one of eight riders down as a DNS so far today.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T01:33:53.795Z<\/p>\n It was extremely muddy yesterday for the women but it did help on the unique pea gravel that is on most of the course here. When dry it is like riding on ice. Very slippery and unpredictable. When wet it compacts down and is far more manageable.<\/p>\n 2026-10-11T01:29:01.515Z<\/p>\n First things first, let’s relive the action from yesterday and that absolutely brutal women’s race won by the great Marianne Vos. Her 15th world title across four disciplines won with one of the most impressive rides from the Dutch star in some time…<\/p>\n >>> Gravel World Championships: Marianne Vos solos to another rainbow jersey after Rosa Kl\u00f6ser crashes in finale of elite women’s race<\/a><\/p>\n \n![\"Picture](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/BHhESdXRnQdhBVXKdCBq6d.jpg\")
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\n120km to go<\/p>\n
\n130km to go<\/p>\n
\nGravel starts<\/p>\n
\nAttack<\/p>\n
Jenson Young (Great Britain)<\/p>\n
\n143.7km to go<\/p>\n![\"Picture](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/qQ9qm23AGrFTQziND6xnfH.jpg\")
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