Gravel World Championship: different technical choices

The Gravel World Championships took place on October 8 and 9 in Veneto (Italy), with victories for Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France) in the women's category and Gianni Vermeersch (Belgium) in the men's category in the Elite categories. This first edition showed that the discipline in competition mode was still finding its feet, on a course that was certainly dotted with many dirt roads, but with little elevation gain and on surfaces that were still rolling. A format quite far removed from the original Gravel, with a men's race completed at an average of 37,6 km/h over 194 km, and a women's race at 33,5 km/h over 139 km for the two winners. This is why the participants opted for very different choices of equipment.

By Guillaume Peephole – Photos: specialized/DR

Many professional riders who took part in this first Gravel World Championship used a bike from route – by choosing a model specific to rough courses – with the only adaptation being 32 mm section tires. We are very far from the Gravel bikes sold in stores, those used for gravel enthusiasts bikepacking, or even those used in "historical" competitions (even if the discipline is still very young) such as the Unbound in the United States with its long sandy sections. Some Gravel courses are closer to mountain biking, such as on the Roc d'Azur with the Roc Gravel, where an average of 26 km/h is already exceptional. For this last event, 42 or 45 mm section tires are strongly recommended, as well as a minimum development with a ratio of 1:1.

One of the main reasons why professional riders started using road bikes is route on the Gravel World Championships concerns the developments exactly. Mathieu van der Poel had predicted an average of 38 km/h for the winner (we are not far from it) and he wanted for example to be able to keep a combination of 53 and 39 tooth chainrings, which is not possible on many Gravel bikes offered by the different manufacturers.

In the women's race, Sina Frei (Switzerland) and Chiara Teocci (Italy) finished second and third respectively behind Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. They are both equipped by Specialized, and made radically different choices regarding their equipmentThe Frenchwoman, who also won her fourth world title in less than a month and a half (after the mountain bike titles in the Short Track, XCO and Marathon) was equipped with the latest BMC Kaius, a Gravel bike specifically developed for the competition.

Frei and Teocci chose the Specialized Pathfinder Pro tire, which has already distinguished itself on the famous Unbound, but with the new 32 mm section, knowing that the course would be very rollingThe Italian, third in the end, had opted for the Diverge model, a real Gravel bike, while the Swiss, second, had chosen the Roubaix, in a configuration very close to that which she could have chosen for Paris-Roubaix, with a geometry of route more traditional and the aerodynamic performance of a pure aero racing bike. Teocci stuck to a more usual Gravel setup, using the Swat system, as well as a saddle bag and sealant/inflator to prepare for any crash.

The two competitors also made different choices regarding the wheels.. Teocci opted for the Roval Terra CLX, while Frei went further in her search for aerodynamic performance, using the Roval Rapide CLX II. She also chose the S-Works Evade III helmet, while the Italian preferred the Prevail III.

As for common choices, they both opted for an S-Works Power Mirror saddle and S-Works shoes. Recon (for MTB and Gravel), but It should be noted that some competitors had chosen shoes and pedals of route, as the winner of the men's race, Gianni Vermeersch. Another common point for Frei and Teocci is the use of suspension system Future Shock 2.0 in the steering column, which is found on both the Roubaix and the Diverge. A plus for shock absorption and steering.tagand according to the two champions.

It remains to be seen whether this type of competition will find its ideal format in the future., which will allow it to attract road cyclists as well as mountain bikers and adventure enthusiasts, all avoiding confusing the message that the manufacturers want to give, with bikes supposed to enter a new category in addition to the route, cyclo-cross and mountain biking.

=> SEE AS ​​WELL : All our MAG articles