"For some, 'good' does not even apply anymore" - Thijs Zonneveld reacts to a mad startlist at the Gravel World Championships

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."