Racing for his Belgian national team, meanwhile, Florian Vermeersch produced an exceptional performance to win the UCI Gravel World Championships. The victory is Vermeersch’s first at the event, having finished second in the first two instalments of the UCI’s premier gravel event.
For Vermeersch, the victory is particularly special, coming as his first since suffering a debilitating broken femur in early 2024. Showing an incredible test of resolve in bouncing back from such an injury, the Belgian has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and now takes the rainbow jersey as the gravel world champion.
Almost speechless at times, Vermeersch was full of emotion after the finish, as he reflected on one of the most special moments of his career to date.
Vermeersch: “It is unbelievable, I don’t realise fully yet. It is incredible.
“It is not only this race. It is like the end of a long comeback, I would say. To win again after two difficult years is really amazing. To end the season like this, I have no words really.
“It was a really hectic start and after 10km, I had a puncture. Luckily, 20km later I could get back to the peloton, and I saw a good moment and I went for it. So I didn’t see much of the peloton, I was always chasing or in the front.
“Once we got away with three and then ultimately four, I knew it was only one way to the finish. To be honest, we had very little information. Sometimes we had some people saying the gap but I never knew who was behind. It was always by looking or seeing them in the back, so for me it was always about concentrating on myself and getting to the line.”
Vermeersch’s victory was made all the more remarkable by its nature, with the 26-year-old spending 125km off the front of the bike race in a breakaway. Overcoming an early puncture, Vermeersch attacked and found himself in a four-man group just 55km into the race. It would be the last time that the peloton ever saw the Belgian’s back wheel.
Joined in this breakaway by his Belgian compatriot Floris Van Tricht and the Netherlands’ Frits Biesterbos, Vermeersch was also accompanied by his trade team teammate Nils Politt, who was representing Germany. Together, the four riders ploughed on and developed a handy advantage over those behind.
Politt was eventually cast aside and so too, Van Tricht, with the 24-year-old shelled when Vermeersch made a stinging acceleration with 41km to ride. The race, then, was down to the UAE Team Emirates-XRG man and Biesterbos of the Netherlands.
Together, the pair rode through-and-off, ensuring that those behind – including the likes of Matej Mohorič (Slovenia) and Tom Pidcock (Great Britain) – would not make the catch. This worked in Biesterbos’ favour until Vermeersch, with 19km to ride, produced another vicious attack, this time dropping the Dutchman.
Refusing to lie down easily, Biesterbos did his best to limit the damage and reel Vermeersch back in, but the damage had been done. From here to the finish, Vermeersch did not relent, with the Belgian soaring to the line alone and picking up the biggest win of his career.
After finishing second to Mohorič in 2023 and to Mathieu van der Poel in 2024, the result was a long time coming for the 26-year-old, who became the third rider to win the UCI Gravel World Championships. The Belgian celebrated with his friends, family and even his very own fan club beyond the line, having lifted his Colnago G4-X PIGR to the air in celebration.
It was a fitting way to end a magnificent Sunday for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, who now hold the rainbow bands on the road through Tadej Pogačar and on the gravel tracks through the triumphant Vermeersch.
UCI Gravel World Championships results:
- Florian Vermeersch (Belgium) 3:58:49
- Frits Biesterbos (Netherlands) +11″
- Matej Mohorič (Slovenia) +1:23
- Tim Wellens (Belgium) +1:46
