\n100km to go<\/p>\n
The peloton now bunches up after that descent as they build towards the first majorly hard climb of Brockwell.<\/p>\n
2026-10-10T03:03:30.596Z<\/p>\n
Maddy Nutt (Great Britain) was just off the back after that descent but has made it back in now. She will be relying on her huge engine and stamina to be involved in the final…<\/p>\n
>>> ‘The year where someone who’s primarily a gravel racer would win \u2013 Maddy Nutt representing the specialists at the World Championships<\/a><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Gretchen Powers)<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T03:00:49.791Z<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:59:45.670Z Rosa Kl\u00f6ser (Germany)<\/p>\n One of the big favourites for the race is trying to fix this quickly with her plugs but the sealant taking a while. She is now back riding but a long way out the back now. Similar happened in Unbound earlier this year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:57:38.604Z<\/p>\n The sun is back out now but the gravel is very wet and slippy.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:56:43.305Z<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:55:22.230Z<\/p>\n Bloor is caught by the Dutch led peloton that has been whittled right down on the first climb.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:53:21.627Z<\/p>\n Inside 1km from the top of the Killarney climb as Bloor holds a very slender lead.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:52:07.377Z Gabrielle Fox (Ireland)<\/p>\n Not ideal for the Irish rider who clipped a wheel and came down. She is back riding but is now out of the back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:50:16.461Z<\/p>\n Former Australian national road champion Nicole Frain is keen to see a gravel specialist take the title today…<\/p>\n >>> ‘I would love to see an actual gravel rider winning the jersey’ \u2013 An established gravel incarnation of Nicole Frain lines up as key hope for home-nation at Nannup Gravel World Championships<\/a><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Alex Whitehead\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:47:54.553Z<\/p>\n The peloton has shrunk quite a lot on this first climb with Bloor being reeled back in very soon.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:46:42.839Z<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:46:00.046Z<\/p>\n 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…<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:43:56.338Z<\/p>\n Multiple riders now struggling to hold onto the peloton as Bloor has 1’02” on the pack.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:40:59.277Z<\/p>\n The climb Killarney which is 5.4km of very undulating riding and an average of 3.4% but with some nasty kickers.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:40:16.413Z The gap goes out to a minute for Bloor who will be very happy for the moment but I imagine she would like to have some company. She rides solo for the time being.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:34:24.890Z<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:32:13.456Z<\/p>\n Mud is already caking the backs of the riders as the riders are on the first climb of the day now.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:30:50.436Z<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:28:12.416Z<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:27:29.095Z Bloor leads onto the gravel with a very wet surface and a few puddles. A couple of early twitches from the back wheel for the Australian rider. She now has 34″ on the peloton.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:23:59.024Z<\/p>\n Bloor has a gap of just 12″ on the peloton as the gravel edges closer and closer.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:19:39.051Z<\/p>\n 12 riders down as DNFs including Germany’s Romy Kaspar and the Netherlands’ Riejanne Markus.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:18:02.687Z Ella Bloor (Australia)<\/p>\n The home nation gets the ball rolling with the first attack of the day. No-one keen on following for the time being as we are still on the asphalt with 10km until the gravel begins.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:13:31.873Z<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:10:39.794Z Racing begins for the 2026 Gravel World Championships in Nannup with the Dutch team immediately up to the front.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:08:29.103Z<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:06:45.877Z<\/p>\n This will be the final race in the career of South African WorldTour rider Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio despite having a cold.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T02:04:37.385Z<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T01:58:27.367Z<\/p>\n The riders are beginning to line up on the start line in Nannup with Wendy Oosterwoud of the Netherlands wearing number one.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T01:55:41.531Z<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T01:53:17.453Z<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T01:48:39.542Z<\/p>\n For those who may not be familiar with the gravel scene but knows road will have one name screaming out at them, that being former world gravel champion Marianne Vos. However, there are some star specialists are here with Argentina’s Sofia Gomez Villafa\u00f1e, home rider Nicole Frain and many more all lining up to challenge.<\/p>\n >>> True grit specialists primed to challenge the run of road pro rainbow jerseys \u2013 Analysing the Gravel World Championships contenders<\/a><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Life Time \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T01:39:41.175Z<\/p>\n Racing is due to begin at 10:10 local time in Nannup. Roughly 30 minutes from now.<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T01:35:08.334Z<\/p>\n The women face a challenging but rather short 125.6km of racing on the gravel of Western Australia, what should they be looking out for? Well, we’ve put together what we think will be the three things that could shape the racing…<\/p>\n >>> Three course features that could be make or break at the UCI Gravel World Championships in Nannup<\/a><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Patrick Boer\u00e9 \/ Nannup UCI Gravel World Championships)<\/p>\n 2026-10-10T01:28:18.267Z<\/p>\n Info from our Australia Editor Simone Giuliani on the ground is that the course has had some overnight rain, compacting the pea gravel making the route less slippery.<\/p>\n However, the riders will have to contend with puddles, likely not to the same extent seen at Unbound this year, but still an extra challenge for the riders.<\/p>\n \n![\"Maddy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/FZoaQEEVSp4iYTKQufKEVZ.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\nPuncture<\/p>\n
\nCrash<\/p>\n![\"Nicole](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/xJsCV77NKDRYC4cTznLnsC.jpg\")
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\n110km to go<\/p>\n
\nGravel begins<\/p>\n
\nAttack<\/p>\n
\n125.6km to go<\/p>\n![\"Collage](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/trNo5fgL72aJ22UyY2R2cL.png\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"Riders](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/VCpi4LX6sGpiB4VEJU2HEF.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/LAfMaf5X6LuN2CGWnyDEim.jpg\")
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