Dutchwoman Marianne Vos won her first gravel world title in Leuven, bringing the number of world titles in the elite category in her career to fourteen. She won in the sprint against Lotte Kopecky, whom she greeted after the race: “It’s incredible to run in the lead with such a strong runner, especially here in Belgium.”
After three world titles on the road, eight in cyclo-cross and two in track cycling, Vos won his fourteenth rainbow jersey in Leuven. “It’s really special, of course. A world title is always something exceptional,” reacted the 37-year-old runner. “But I wasn’t thinking about the previous thirteen at all. Not for a single second. I was just focusing on today’s race. It was a new experience, but it was a world championship, so we give the best self.”
Vos ran the entire final in the lead with Kopecky. “It was great to be in the lead with her, but we also know that it can be difficult: a classics rider, in great shape… It was fantastic to ride together in the lead, but it wasn’t an ideal situation, because Lotte is also very fast. I wasn’t sure of myself for the sprint, I knew it would be difficult to escape.
The Dutchwoman now has a well-rounded track record at world championship level across four cycling disciplines. Frenchwoman Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is the only rider, still active, who holds more world titles with a total of 15 across four cycling disciplines (road, mountainbike, cyclocross and gravel).
