{"id":877488,"date":"2026-10-10T13:38:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T13:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/877488\/"},"modified":"2026-10-10T13:38:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T13:38:22","slug":"as-it-happened-late-crash-sees-dutch-dominance-continue-in-womens-uci-gravel-world-championships-on-muddy-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/877488\/","title":{"rendered":"As it happened: Late crash sees Dutch dominance continue in women’s UCI Gravel World Championships on muddy course"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026-10-10T07:12:03.259Z<\/p>\n

The final podium sees Vos take another rainbow jersey with Kl\u00f6ser in second and Hartog in third.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Picture\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: SWPix)<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:59:07.107Z<\/p>\n

It wasn’t to be for Rosa Kl\u00f6ser as Marianne Vos had the power and technical skills in the important moment to get clear to take her 15 career world title across so many disciplines.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Picture\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: SWPix)<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:49:18.332Z<\/p>\n

Magnaldi took fifth ahead of Villafa\u00f1e, L\u00fctzelschwab, Cromwell, Serne and Haley Smith rounding out the top 10.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:43:00.504Z<\/p>\n

Larissa Hartog beats Nele Laing to take the bronze medal in a day dominated by the Netherlands and Germany.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:41:13.789Z<\/p>\n

Rosa Kl\u00f6ser takes an exceptional second place but the crash at the top of Tank 7 climb was one setback too much.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:40:30.060Z<\/p>\n

Marianne Vos wins the Gravel World Championships title 2026!<\/p>\n

\n

\"Picture\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: SWPix)<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:39:55.547Z<\/p>\n

1km to go for Vos as the Dutch look like they will continue their dominance in the gravel worlds as she looks like she is going to be the first rider to get a second gravel world title.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:38:04.488Z<\/p>\n

3km to go for Vos.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:37:42.239Z<\/p>\n

The pea gravel has dried out and we are seeing how chaotic it can be when dry. Vos is now riding away to the victory.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:36:42.557Z<\/p>\n

Kl\u00f6ser is back riding but Vos is now clear with it all downhill to the finish.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:36:11.789Z
\nCrash!<\/p>\n

Rosa Kl\u00f6ser (Germany)<\/p>\n

The German loses her front wheel as she tried to scramble onto the wheel of Vos as she attacks over the top of the final ascent.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:35:30.772Z
\nAttack<\/p>\n

Marianne Vos (Netherlands)<\/p>\n

Rosa Kl\u00f6ser (Germany) can follow the Dutch star.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:34:24.273Z<\/p>\n

Kl\u00f6ser is just riding Vos to the finish. You would think that Vos would easily win in a sprint but it has been a very long day out today.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:32:19.455Z
\n5km to go<\/p>\n

Kl\u00f6ser continues to push the pace but Vos still looks good with Hartog and Laing at 1’13” back.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:30:18.059Z<\/p>\n

6km to go and they are on some very rutted section. This is the last kicker before the finish with Kl\u00f6ser on the front again trying to break the legs of Vos.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:27:29.166Z<\/p>\n

It is easy to forget that Kl\u00f6ser has had a puncture on the first climb of the day, got back on then had a stick in the rear mech and got back on again. Whereas, Vos has been active but largely in the wheels always very close to the front.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:25:52.308Z<\/p>\n

8km to go and the gap back to Laing and Hartog is 52″.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:25:05.691Z<\/p>\n

It is now almost all downhill to Nannup with an average speed up around 27kph today. This has been a brutal day out.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:21:10.171Z
\n10km to go<\/p>\n

Into the final 10km and the leading duo are settled into working together with it looking unlikely that anyone will re-join them.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:17:56.926Z<\/p>\n

Kl\u00f6ser and Vos working together well since they crested the previous climb with around 35″ to the chasers.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Picture\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: SW Pix)<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:14:18.824Z<\/p>\n

They have taken on a short asphalt section before heading onto the final part of gravel today with the second part of the Folly climb to come. Kl\u00f6ser looked the strongest on the climb but Vos was able to match her.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:10:43.994Z<\/p>\n

Out front it is a Dutch rider and a German rider with the chasing duo being a Dutch rider and a German rider. The two nations have certainly dominated this race with Kl\u00f6ser and Vos holding 32″ on Laing and Hartog.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:07:45.868Z<\/p>\n

The sunshine has come out again after much of the race spent in the driving rain.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:07:18.436Z<\/p>\n

Kl\u00f6ser dropped Vos at Sea Otter Europe back in late September, but this is has been a very different race and the rainbow jersey is on the line.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T06:03:46.382Z<\/p>\n

Hartog makes it to Laing in the chase at 27″ back from Kl\u00f6ser and Vos.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:59:53.647Z
\n20km to go<\/p>\n

It appears to be down to Vos and Kl\u00f6ser for this race into the final 20km.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Picture\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: SWPix)<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:56:23.307Z<\/p>\n

Laing invested a lot to try and get to the leaders but Kl\u00f6ser and Vos now properly push clear.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:55:18.231Z<\/p>\n

Laing is riding hard to get back to her teammate of Kl\u00f6ser along with Vos as they negotiate riding around the age groupers.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:54:35.719Z<\/p>\n

Kl\u00f6ser, Vos and Villafa\u00f1e closing but now Kl\u00f6ser and Vos go clear of the rest.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:53:19.532Z<\/p>\n

Cromwell heads back onto the gravel and onto the final climb of Folly Farm.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:52:04.218Z
\nAttack<\/p>\n

Tiffany Cromwell (Australia)<\/p>\n

She is back and on the attack yet again. Just 900m to the final climb of the day.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:48:53.766Z<\/p>\n

Serne, Frain and Laing get back in after the pace lulls again.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:48:01.668Z<\/p>\n

Frain, Laing and Serne are struggling to follow the wheels but Villafa\u00f1e is still there with a brand new wheel on her bike.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:47:12.963Z<\/p>\n

Somehow Sof\u00eda G\u00f3mez Villafa\u00f1e (Argentina) has chased all the way back to the front of the race again after being over 2 minutes down.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:39:39.503Z<\/p>\n

Laing is trying to get clear but Vos is closing her down again.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:38:50.612Z<\/p>\n

Magnaldi has done a bit acceleration and has dragged the leaders back again.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:38:09.475Z
\nAttack<\/p>\n

Nicole Frain (Australia)<\/p>\n

That splits the group with Vos and Kl\u00f6ser being the only ones to follow. Magnaldi left to do all the chasing.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:35:42.239Z<\/p>\n

Hartog is brought back as they take some fresh bottles and gels on a rare bit of asphalt.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:33:05.187Z<\/p>\n

Hartog now uses her pace and gaps the rest of the group as her teammates look towards the others to chase her down.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:31:15.847Z<\/p>\n

The leaders are now descending down towards Nannup for the first time since the start before they start one final loop with two more climbs to come.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:29:51.973Z<\/p>\n

Hartog is now setting a hard tempo likely for Vos who is clearly one of, if not the, strongest in the race today.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:26:24.968Z<\/p>\n

Abandon<\/p>\n

Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Shame to see that the South African ends her career with a DNF.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:23:06.867Z<\/p>\n

Bit of an issue for Magnaldi who had to unclip and stop on a hairpin. She has got going again but will need to spend a bit of energy.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:21:39.384Z
\n40km to go<\/p>\n

On the Glacier climb with Frain, Serne and L\u00fctzelschwab making it back to the leaders after an amazing chase.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:18:10.482Z<\/p>\n

Cromwell just being distanced from the chase group led by fellow Australian Frain.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:17:47.784Z<\/p>\n

Cromwell, Frain, L\u00fctzelschwab and Serne are getting closer to the leaders again. This could actually come together again after all that selection on the Ellis Creek climb.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:15:31.908Z<\/p>\n

The leaders are going much faster than the camera bikes on this descent and have left the bike behind. Cromwell pass them as well as she is still chasing now with teammate Frain.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:10:52.309Z<\/p>\n

Laing has two World Series wins to her name with both German races going her way. Vos just seems to win almost everything she races. Kl\u00f6ser has had a mixed gravel year with disappointing mechanical filled Leadville 100 and Unbound but she has been superb on the road. Hartog also had a great season that started long ago in cyclocross.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T05:00:36.515Z
\n50km to go<\/p>\n

Vos, Hartog, Magnaldi, Kl\u00f6ser and Laing leading the way and working well together with the rain pouring down on the riders.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:59:38.906Z<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the age groupers have been dropped by the elite women here.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:59:00.504Z<\/p>\n

Kl\u00f6ser just clipped the back wheel of Hartog but both stay upright.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:57:40.847Z<\/p>\n

Some of the age group men and women are sitting in at the back of the lead group. This isn’t what the pros want at all as it is distracting and can be very dangerous.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:53:43.807Z<\/p>\n

The five lead riders are riding well together but they are coming up against some of the age groupers. Fortunately the tracks are wide and there’s plenty of space for the pros.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:45:17.457Z<\/p>\n

Hartog and Magnaldi make it back to Kl\u00f6ser, Laing and Vos.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:44:15.848Z<\/p>\n

Abandon<\/p>\n

Geerike Schreurs (Netherlands)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:41:59.668Z<\/p>\n

Leaders:<\/p>\n

Marianne Vos (Netherlands)
Rosa Kl\u00f6ser (Germany)
Nele Laing (Germany)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:41:51.339Z<\/p>\n

Cromwell is caught and immediately dropped with Hartog and Magnaldi.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:40:30.242Z<\/p>\n

Cromwell caught making it a lead group of six riders with 58km to go.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:39:13.310Z<\/p>\n

The chasing group of five have closed in on Cromwell rapidly on the Ellis Creek climb, the longest and hardest of the day.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:37:20.475Z<\/p>\n

Five riders break clear of the chase group as it splits up on this latest climb. Laing, Vos, Kl\u00f6ser, Magnaldi and Hartog.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:35:41.506Z<\/p>\n

Interestingly, Villafa\u00f1e is out of the back of the chase group alongside Britain’s Johnson. Something must have happened as she looked so strong on the climbs.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:33:02.189Z
\n60km to go<\/p>\n

Cromwell now has 1’32” on the peloton as the rain pours in Western Australia.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Picture\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: SWPix)<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:28:28.956Z<\/p>\n

Laing and Vos have gapped the rest in the chase showing their descending skills but Cromwell has used the terrain to get her gap back to 1’17” after it dropped to 52″ on the climb.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:27:17.427Z<\/p>\n

Now on a very steep and technical descent on this extremely slippery pea gravel. Cromwell just overshot a hairpin and may have lost a couple of seconds.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:25:01.087Z<\/p>\n

Now that Kl\u00f6ser is back in the group the Germans return to the front of the chase group with Oosterwoud struggling again.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:22:39.818Z<\/p>\n

Cromwell is riding really well and has 1’21” on the chasers with Magnaldi leading the chase group yet again. Kl\u00f6ser gets back in as well.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:19:55.806Z
\nMechanical<\/p>\n

Rosa Kl\u00f6ser (Germany)<\/p>\n

A stick has got into her rear mech. She is back riding but another issue for the German after an earlier puncture.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:18:53.516Z<\/p>\n

Now time for the Lewana climb, 1.5km at 5.3%.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:16:50.545Z<\/p>\n

The Dutch have numbers but are not chasing with the Germans taking the responsibility through a very rocky and puddle filled section as Cromwell opens her gap to 1’17”.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:11:45.954Z
\n70km to go<\/p>\n

A brief section of asphalt heads back onto the gravel and Cromwell has 48″ on the chasers.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:08:17.587Z<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Cromwell has 27″ gap on the chase group.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:07:39.585Z<\/p>\n

There was a very nasty rut that they hit and it just pushed Schreurs and Moolman-Pasio out with the former kicked to the side and into the rocks. Both look to be out of the race.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:06:05.678Z
\nCrash<\/p>\n

Geerike Schreurs (Netherlands)
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa)<\/p>\n

The latter gets back on her feet but isn’t in a rush to get going while Schreurs stays on the ground with the medics tending to both.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T04:00:16.015Z<\/p>\n

Cromwell drags her advantage out to 19″ and is now out of sight from the chase group as the Aussie goes solo in the Worlds, on home soil, in her final race.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:59:14.595Z<\/p>\n

Vos came into this race with an eye on the gravel specialists as the superstar hopes to become the first rider to take a second gravel world title…<\/p>\n

>>> ‘They are going to be hard to beat for sure’ \u2013 Marianne Vos toes the line against a field packed with discipline specialists at the UCI Gravel World Championships<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Picture\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: SW Pix)<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:55:25.372Z<\/p>\n

Cromwell heads onto the descent, probably the longest downhill of the entire race.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:54:50.948Z
\nAttack<\/p>\n

Marianne Vos (Netherlands)<\/p>\n

The former world champion launches for a second time to try and close Cromwell down. She is marked but it has got the rest of the group interested in chasing again.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:53:35.994Z
\n80km to go<\/p>\n

Cromwell expands her lead to 10″ as the chase stalls.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:52:58.755Z<\/p>\n

Magnaldi is investing a lot of energy on the front of the favourites group without dropping anyone but they stall again and allow Cromwell a bit more gap.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:50:36.085Z<\/p>\n

Vos tried a move but she was heavily marked. Cromwell continues to press on as the chase group starts to sit up a bit more.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:47:17.151Z
\nAttack<\/p>\n

Tiffany Cromwell (Australia)<\/p>\n

The Australian champion launches as soon as she re-joined the leaders to try and get clear but she is solo and the chase is on.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Picture\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: SWPix)<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:45:38.573Z<\/p>\n

Cromwell is leading the chasing group back to the front group as the leader’s pace lulls. That was a big effort from the chasers with Oosterwoud still struggling to hold the wheel but we now have a lead group of around 16 riders.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:43:38.529Z<\/p>\n

And the gap is closing. 15″ between the leaders and chasers as riders like Cromwell, Oosterwoud and Flora Johnson (Great Britain) may get back in.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:42:49.704Z<\/p>\n

The Shale climb appears to have favoured the chase group as the gap drops to 22″, but this will be based on the motorbikes so we take that gap with a pinch of salt.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:37:29.173Z<\/p>\n

Onto Shale climb of 800m at 6.8% which is being done very swiftly as Villafa\u00f1e and Magnaldi lead the way for now.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:35:58.251Z<\/p>\n

The gap between the lead group including Vos, Villafa\u00f1e, Kl\u00f6ser, Moolman-Pasio and the rest have a minute on the group including Cromwell, Wright and Oosterwoud.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:30:52.147Z
\nPuncture<\/p>\n

Holly Harris (Australia)<\/p>\n

She has a front flat but she seems to have got it fixed pretty fast.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:27:45.733Z<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:24:54.512Z<\/p>\n

On the Adina climb now, 1.1km long at 4% average.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:24:26.256Z<\/p>\n

Great crowds around the feed area after a period on private land.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:23:40.558Z<\/p>\n

Through the feed zone now as multiple riders take on fresh bottles, bars and gels.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:22:51.821Z<\/p>\n

Cromwell, Wright, Oosterwoud are now around 45″ down on the leaders.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:21:44.140Z<\/p>\n

Wright did all that work on the toughest gradients but has not made the group.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:21:17.266Z<\/p>\n

Sof\u00eda G\u00f3mez Villafa\u00f1e (Argentina)
Nicole Frain (Australia)
Marianne Vos (Netherlands)
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (South Africa)
Nele Laing (Germany)
Erica Magnaldi (Italy)
Elisa Sern\u00e9 (Netherlands)
Rosa Kl\u00f6ser (Germany)
Geerike Schreurs (Netherlands)
Larissa Hartog (Netherlanda)
Irina L\u00fctzelschwab (Switzerland)
Haley Smith (Canada)<\/p>\n

And a few others now lead.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:17:21.171Z<\/p>\n

The Dutch still just about have four riders in this select group with Hartog and Geerike Schreurs just holding on.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:16:21.977Z<\/p>\n

Cromwell also out of the back with Denmark’s Janni Spangsberg Schori losing tough as well.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:15:37.304Z<\/p>\n

Wendy Oosterwoud (Netherlands), Gravel World Series leader, has been gapped just before the hardest section. That is a big surprise.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:14:36.647Z<\/p>\n

Kl\u00f6ser 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.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:13:42.949Z<\/p>\n

Wright is ripping this peloton to bits on this climb but Kl\u00f6ser is about to make it back on.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:11:05.049Z<\/p>\n

Kl\u00f6ser has fought very well and is about 10″ off the back of the lead group and is picking up riders who are losing touch.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Picture\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:10:20.311Z<\/p>\n

The climb is 2.5km at 8% with kicks well over 15%.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:09:54.318Z<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:05:52.872Z<\/p>\n

Wright, Hartog, Cromwell and Erica Magnaldi (Italy) lead the peloton on this rolling terrain.<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T03:05:07.630Z
\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

\"Maddy\n<\/p>\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
\nPuncture<\/p>\n

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
\nCrash<\/p>\n

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

\"Nicole\n<\/p>\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

\n

\"Picture\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Zac Williams\/SWpix.com)<\/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
\n110km to go<\/p>\n

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

\n

\"Picture\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/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
\nGravel begins<\/p>\n

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
\nAttack<\/p>\n

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
\n125.6km to go<\/p>\n

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

\"Collage\n<\/p>\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

\"Riders\n<\/p>\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

\"The\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Daniela Tommasi \/ SEVEN Gravel Race)<\/p>\n

2026-10-10T01:24:36.437Z<\/p>\n

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews’ live updates of the women’s UCI World Gravel Championships 2026 from Nannup, Western Australia.<\/p>\n

The temperatures have been high for much of the week but it is a cool and fresh 16\u00b0C, unusually low for spring time in the area.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"2026-10-10T07:12:03.259Z The final podium sees Vos take another rainbow jersey with Kl\u00f6ser in second and Hartog in third.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":877489,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[99],"class_list":["post-877488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/877488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=877488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/877488\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/877489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=877488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=877488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=877488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}