GRAVEL EPIC MULTI-DAY IN SWITZERLAND WAS TOP EVENT

While the road world championships were underway in Belgium at the time, gravel riders gave their best in Switzerland. The event ended afterwards with a big party.

Among the men, it was an exciting battle with less than 3 minutes difference between first and third place. The Italian ex-pro on the road, Mattia de Marchi took first place in the final classification.

Kenyan John Kariuki won the stage on Saturday and took third place on the GC Men’s Epic podium.

Among the women, Pauliena Rooijakkers rode home the opposition with an impressive performance. She finished first in the overall women’s classification with more than an hour ahead of second place. Pauliena is a road cyclist from the Netherlands, currently riding for UCI Women’s WorldTeam Liv Racing.

There was also a nice performance by Team Amani who won the team race (mixed).

Bad conditions on stage 2 forced the organizers to change the course to ensure the safety of the riders: all riders followed the discovery route.

Despite rainy conditions on the second day, all participants were delighted with this first multi-day gravel race.

That the atmosphere at a gravel event is different from a road event is clear when you walk around the base camp. The buffets and campfires show that gravel races are more of an adventure and exploration and this over and over again. Despite the high level of competition, the convivial atmosphere among the participants is wonderful to observe.