"I was in pain, but it gave me a boost" - Jasper Stuyven thanks Belgian supporters after taking European Gravel Championships glory

Jasper Stuyven has been crowned the European Gravel Champion in Oud-Heverlee, taking his first victory since the 2021 Milano Sanremo in the process.

“It was a painfully long wait, which was not always fun. It also brought some frustrations. But this is a nice title," said the Lidl-Trek rider in his post-race interview. The fact the race was in his homeland made this victory even sweeter for Stuyven as well. “It was a really nice atmosphere in certain parts, I heard my name a lot. In my own region that is extra nice, because even the lapped riders encouraged me. I was in pain, but it gave me a boost.”

There was an all-star field at the startline including the likes of Jan Bakelants, Laurens ten Dam, Gianni and Florian Vermeersch, Thibau Nys, Tim Merlier and even Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas but none could match Stuyven.

“You can feel that right from the start. It was one of those days where you can keep pushing. I noticed that everyone started to look at each other, and that many riders were getting a bit tired. So I thought it was a good idea to go solo," Stuyven recaps. "Then you also have to take fewer risks on the technical sections, while you can make a difference on the straights.”