Former champion reflects on Gravel World Championships: “I think Mathieu was by far the strongest today”

Gianni Vermeersch, 32, from Belgium, and the reigning Belgian National Gravel Champion, finished 5th in the Gravel World Championships held in Leuven, Belgium, on Sunday. The former 2022 World Champion was unable to defend his title as his Alpecin–Deceuninck teammate Mathieu van der Poel proved unstoppable, storming to another rainbow jersey.

Vermeersch, speaking to Wielerflits, admitted he was caught off guard by the decisive move. "I was a bit surprised by the winning attack. I had just done a little acceleration, but I think I would have had the legs to go along otherwise."

Reflecting on the race, Vermeersch mentioned his slow start but noted his improvement as the race progressed. "I didn't have a great feeling at the beginning of the race, but I had to get into it a bit. Towards the end I felt good."

The moment that shaped the race came when both Florian Vermeersch and Mathieu van der Poel launched their attack, catching Gianni Vermeersch by surprise. “I had just accelerated a bit when Florian and Mathieu attacked from behind, so I was a bit surprised. Because I had just accelerated, I couldn’t react right away, but I think I would have had the legs to go along, initially of course. I think Mathieu was by far the strongest today,” he said.

Racing on home soil in front of a passionate Belgian crowd, Vermeersch tried to make the most of the occasion despite the physical demands of the race. “I tried to enjoy it as much as possible to a limited extent, because it was mainly suffering. But absolutely, there was a lot of public. Certainly here at the finish on the Ladeuzeplein, with a mass of people. It was beautiful.”

Vermeersch's 5th place finish adds to his strong season, but his focus remains on building towards future success after a tough, yet memorable, home World Championships.