"For some, 'good' does not even apply anymore" - Thijs Zonneveld reacts to a mad startlist at the Gravel World Championships
Gravel
At 44 years of age, Thijs Zonneveld will be among the more experienced men at the start of gravel World Championships in Belgium. Despite his rather recent return to competitive sport, he picked up the pace quite fast and even secured a more than respectable 31st place at the Unbound Gravel. The Dutchman who's perhaps even more known from beach races and as a journalist will attempt to improve on his 38th place from Veneto last year.
Despite a successful campaign this year, Zonneveld isn't sure whether he'll continue for another round in 2025. "A lot of people say I should go back to Unbound, because I was so good there this year, but I don't know... I have the feeling that the conditions were perfect this year," he admitted at WielerRevue.
There is a good chance that he will call it a day after two years with BEAT Cycling. "I don't know if I could create those circumstances again. This year was my chance. I don't really see myself doing it again, but maybe I will think differently about that. We'll see."
First up is the World Championships in Leuven, which he has made a big goal of. Although he says in the podcast In het Wiel that he is not exactly looking forward to the start. "For the men, we will be at the start with 350 good riders on Sunday. And for some, good does not even apply anymore. Those are guys like Van der Poel, Stuyven, Benoot, Florian Vermeersch, Isaac del Toro..."
"After three hundred meters you drive into a trap to a gravel road along a canal. I drove there and tried to imagine what that would be like on Sunday. There they go into the canal... And by 'they' I hope it's not me."
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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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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