Van der Poel describes Gravel Worlds as "Roubaix-esque effort"

The Gravel World Championships were a new experience for many road riders, who had the chance to fight for a world title in an interesting event to wrap off the season. Mathieu van der Poel has shared his thoughts regarding the event on his return to competition.

“It is actually a mix between cyclo-cross and road cycling. In terms of effort, it's more of a Roubaix-esque effort. So yes, it is extremely difficult. You can see that at the end: you can make a difference there," the Dutchman said at the finish. His teammate Gianni Vermeersch rode into the title, making it a successful day for Alpecin-Deceuninck - although the race was held with a national team format.

“Obviously I am very happy for Gianni. I would have liked to win myself, but it became a bit of a tactical joust, also from the Italians. You have to be at peace with that," he said of the race. With Vermeersch and Daniel Oss gone early in the day, the rest could only fight for the medals.

Van der Poel was the best of the rest, beating Greg van Avermaet in a sprint for the bronze medal, which saw the Dutch rider return to the podium. It was a successful return for van der Poel, who looked to extend his season beyond the road World Championships where an altercation with two minors derailed his chances of doing something meaningful.

“But I would have preferred to ride with the form before the World championships in Australia, because I gave up today. I certainly wasn't doing what I'm used to," he said.

"But all in all it was a lot of fun, especially because Gianni is still world champion. It is unique. It is a piece of history that we have experienced," van der Poel concluded.