Final yr Nathan Haas had a particular inexperienced and gold paint Colnago to match his Australian jersey as he spearheaded the nation’s hopes on the first version of the UCI Gravel World Championships. After the race it went straight to a museum afterwards, by no means to be ridden once more … or a minimum of that’s what Haas thought on the time.
It now has saved the day, boomeranging again to the rider after this yr’s multi colored mannequin, with pink tones morphing to blue, was misplaced in transit on the best way to Sunday’s 169km Italian race.
“Gravel Worlds virtually did not occur for me. Bike misplaced someplace in airports, nonetheless not discovered,” stated Haas in and Instagram story. “Final minute SOS to my Colnago household for assist.”
The result of that SOS was that as an alternative of celebrating Tadej Pogačar’s victory at Il Lombardia, a member of the Colnago group made a rapid sprint to the museum in an effort to get final yr’s bike, with filth nonetheless in place. Haas within the meanting dashed off to get quite a few objects resembling new tyres, bidons and equipment which have been additionally lacking from his provides, as they have been packed in with the misplaced bike.
The previous skilled highway rider grew to become a gravel privateer in 2022 and since then has focussed on a mixture of UCI Gravel World Collection, high European gravel occasions and US standouts resembling Unbound. He has solely as soon as been out of the highest seven spots within the UCI qualifying sequence this yr and got here second at The Traka 200 in April.
He was additionally Australia’s high finisher on the Gravel World Championships final yr, coming sixteenth on a course the place many really opted to journey their highway bikes. Nonetheless 2023 delivers a extra technical route to skew the tools selections, regardless of having an virtually 50/50 break up of paved and unpaved roads. The course accommodates some difficult massive gravel sections, technical descents and 1900m of elevation achieve with quite a few difficult steep climbs.
The sphere contains quite a few high gravel names, together with the US powerhouse of the self-discipline Keegan Swenson, together with defending champion Gianni Vermeersch (Belgium) and his compatriot Wout van Aert (Belgium). Haas is as soon as once more more likely to be Australia’s high contender within the elite males’s race, along with his place on the beginning checklist indicating he’s more likely to line up within the second row of the beginning grid.
“I’ve solely ever ridden this bike twice, one in coaching and as soon as finally yr’s worlds,” stated Haas. “I believe this bikes soul was destined to be ridden as soon as extra at a World Championships so let’s do that.”