Van der Poel takes world gravel cycling title ahead of Belgium's Vermeersch

Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands has won the men’s race in the Gravel World Championships in Leuven. Belgian rider Florien Vermeersch finished second, 1 minute behind.

Vermeersch kept pace with Van der Poel for much of the race but the Dutchman made his decisive move 13km from the finish.

Three more Belgian riders were involved in a cagey five-way sprint for third place, with Quinten Hermans finishing ahead of Jasper Stuyven in fourth and Gianni Vermeersch in fifth. Defending champion Matej Mohoric of Slovenia finished seventh.

The race covered a 181km route from Halle to Leuven. In the women’s race on Saturday, Dutch rider Marianne Vos beat Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky to first place in a tightly contested final sprint.

'Unique experience'

Earlier on Sunday, the European Cycling Union announced it was awarding the 2026 European Gravel Championships to Houffalize in Luxembourg province.

“Houffalize is a benchmark in off-road cycling and has already hosted many major international competitions,” said union president Enrico Della Casa in a press release. “With this tradition and a natural setting, athletes and gravel enthusiasts will undoubtedly enjoy a unique experience in 2026.”

 

#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO DAVID PINTENS


Related news

Website preview
Peerless Mathieu van der Poel wins second Paris-Roubaix in a row
Mathieu van der Poel won Paris-Roubaix for the second year in a row on Sunday. The Dutchman broke away from his rivals with 63km to go, setting a...
belganewsagency.eu

Get updates in your mailbox

By clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy.

About belganewsagency.eu

Belga News Agency delivers dependable, rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media. The information covers all sectors, from politics, economics and finance to social affairs, sports and culture, not to mention entertainment and lifestyle.

Every day, our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories, dozens of online information items, plus audio and video bulletins, all in both national languages. Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language.

For public institutions, businesses and various organisations that need reliable information, Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs.

Contact

Arduinkaai 29 1000 Brussels

www.belganewsagency.eu