Annemiek van Vleuten will take on the Transcordilleras - 985km long gravel stage race in Colombian Andes: "I’ll see many nice roads I have never seen from a road bike"
Gravel
Annemiek van Vleuten is not an irregular visitor in Colombia. However it's not every day you see her participate in near-thousand kilometers long gravel ride. Yet exactly that will be the case at Transcordilleras. The eight day long adventure, as Van Vleuten calls it, will be her opportunity to 'just enjoy riding a bike' after a successful road career.
The former World champion has no competitive ambitions whatsover. "I’m not racing for a result, just for the adventure, and just to finish it, or maybe not," she told Cyclingnews. "If I feel like finishing, I will finish. So I like the concept."
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"I also want to participate here because people think for sure I will be competitive. People say, 'Why are you not racing there?' But that part, I am done with racing. I had the pressure to perform and I had to go for results. Been there, done that," Van Vleuten made clear.
"Iris Slappendel was keen for a gravel adventure and I think it’s more fun to do this nice adventure together. So I see this as a way to see Colombia by bike," Van Vleuten said. "I’ll see many nice roads I have never seen before because I was only training on my road bike. It’s a place I know already, but gravel is new for me."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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