Laurens ten Dam, Piotr Havik and Ivar Slik have been among the many seven elite males named to the wild card roster for the Dutch nationwide staff headed to the UCI Gravel World Championships, October 7-8. Riejanne Markus was among the many elite ladies’s choices, with the biking federation of the Netherlands (KNWU) confirming Demi Vollering and Annemiek van Vleuten.
KNWU named a complete of 14 riders for wild card entries forward of the UEC Gravel European Championships on October 1, the place 9 of those riders will likely be on the beginning strains to take part. The entire Dutch roster for Worlds was anticipated till after the European Championships this Sunday in Belgium.
Ten Dam, who was second at Unbound Gravel 200 in 2021 and fourth within the subsequent two outings, is the one one of many seven males not headed the UEC Gravel race this weekend. Slik, the 2022 Unbound Gravel 200 champion, and Havik, who was third at Gravel One Fifty within the Netherlands in July, will likely be joined by Jasper Ockeloen, Niki Terpstra, Sebastian van Oranje and Lars Loohuis.
Ockeloen had a robust gravel season in 2023, scoring second on the Belgian Waffle Experience in California, third at Gravel Grit ‘n Grind in Sweden, and tenth at Unbound. Terpstra gained the Swedish spherical of the UCI Gravel World Sequence. Loohuis gained the elite males’s gravel title at Dutch nationals in early September, with Van Oranje taking the bronze. Of the seven males on the wild card roster, all however Van Oranje and Loohuis have retired from professional street racing.
Earlier this week, two-time street World Champion Van Vleuten and reigning Tour de France Femmes winner Vollering revealed via Dutch media reviews with AD and Wielerflits that they’d participate within the season-ending gravel race for rainbow stripes.
Becoming a member of the 2 WorldTour stars will likely be one other top-tier street rider Riejanne Markus (Jumbo-Visma), who was the highest finisher amongst a two-rider Dutch ladies’s staff finally yr’s Gravel World Championships, ending tenth total. She’ll be joined by WorldTour professional Femke Markus, who rides on Staff SD Worx with Vollering, and Yara Kastelijn of Alpecin-Deceuninck, who has thrice completed fifth for elite ladies on the Cyclocross World Championships.
Noa Jansen and Tessa Neefjes have expertise on the street, and the duo have essentially the most expertise on gravel. Neefjes was the bronze medalist for elite ladies at this yr’s gravel nationals and had seven prime 10s at UCI Gravel World Sequence occasions, together with wins at 3RIDES in Germany and Gravel Problem Blaavands in Denmark. Jansen was third at Gravel Problem Blaavands and Gravel Journey in Poland. They may race on the UEC Gravel Championships with Kastelijn.
Different notable Dutch ladies competing Sunday within the European Gravel Championships are Fem van Empel, the Dutch nationwide gravel champion and the bronze medalist on the 2023 Cyclocross World Champion for elite ladies, and Pauliena Rooijakers, who completed second at gravel nationals and gained two rounds of the Gravel World Sequence in 2023 at Houffa Gravel and Gravel One Fifty.
Athletes certified for the Gravel World Championships all through the season at 16 UCI Gravel World Sequence occasions in elite classes and age group divisions. Taking part nations are additionally allowed to pick as much as 20 further athletes as wild playing cards within the elite classes.
The elite ladies’s race on the Gravel World Championships takes place on a 140km route on Saturday, October 7, the day earlier than Van Vleuten’s forty first birthday. The elite males’s race follows on Sunday throughout 169km.
Dutch wild card roster – elite males
- Laurens ten Dam
- Niki Terpstra
- Ivar Slik
- Jasper Ockeloen
- Piotr Havik
- Sebastiaan van Oranje
- Lars Loohuis
Dutch wild card roster – elite ladies
- Annemiek van Vleuten
- Demi Vollering
- Tessa Neefjes
- Yara Kastelijn
- Noa Jansen
- Femke Markus
- Riejanne Markus