The 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships came to a spectacular end, crowning Belgium\u2019s Florian Vermeersch after the Men Elite battle held on the roads, paths and tracks of the Netherlands\u2019 South Limburg region to cap off a thrilling weekend of competition around Beek, Beekdaelen and Maastricht.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Men Elite title was not the only one awarded on Sunday, with rainbow glory also up for grabs in the Men 19-34, 35-39, 40-44 and 45-49 categories. Just like the Women Elite and amateurs from 16 more age categories, they took on a demanding course characterised by three parts, with a paved start from Beek, followed by a 50km loop with most of the gravel sections, and the final stretch to Maastricht.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silver medallist in 2023 and 2024, Vermeersch conquered the rainbow jersey with a solo triumph after 181 kilometres of racing. On home terrain, the Netherlands\u2019 Frits Biesterbos came second and Slovenia\u2019s Matej Mohori\u010d rounded out the podium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like the end of a long comeback I would say,\u201d said Vermeersch, who suffered a broken femur in February 2024. \u201cTo win again after two difficult years is really amazing. To end the season like this\u2026 I have no words. I didn\u2019t see much of the peloton. I was always chasing or in the front. We had very little information so I was focusing on myself and getting to the line.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the 255 starters of the Men Elite race, Vermeersch and Great Britain\u2019s Connor Swift (bronze medallist in 2023) rapidly upped the ante to force early moves. The former eventually made the break with a countryman, Floris Van Tricht, as well as Germany\u2019s Nils Politt and Biesterbos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After Politt was dropped from the front group due to a mechanical with 69km remaining, he was caught by Mohori\u010d (winner in 2023) and Switzerland\u2019s Felix Stehli, making a three-man chase group behind the three leaders. With Mohori\u010d unleashing his power and skills to try to bridge the gap, Politt dropped back to a second chase group while Great Britain\u2019s Tom Pidcock, another supremely versatile star, accelerated in pursuit. Into the last 50 kilometres, Mohori\u010d and Stehli trailed by 35\u2019\u2019, while the Pidcock group was 1\u201910\u2019\u2019 adrift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lead trio became a duo as Van Tricht was dropped on an uphill section through the forest with 41km to go. Vermeersch maintained high pressure and eventually went solo 19 kilometres from the finish line. His Dutch rival Biesterbos tried to resist but the gap steadily increased past the final climb of the day, Bronsdalweg (1km at 7.2%), summited with 14km to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vermeersch eventually triumphed with a margin of 40 seconds over Biesterbos. Behind them, Mohori\u010d distanced everyone to claim the bronze medal (+1\u201923\u2019\u2019) ahead of Van Tricht, Stehli and Pidcock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n