"I knew the final corner before the top of the climb was tricky": Marianne Vos conquers treacherous course to become first two-time Gravel World Champion
Gravel
Marianne Vos claimed her second elite women’s Gravel World Championship in Nannup, Australia, after a late attack and a crash by Rosa Klöser decided a fiercely contested finale. On a muddy course with more than 3,000 meters of climbing, the Dutch rider proved strongest when the title came down to a duel between two of the race’s outstanding performers.
Vos completed the 125.6-kilometer course ahead of Germany’s Klöser and Dutch rider Larissa Hartog, who finished third. The victory makes Vos the first woman to win the elite women’s gravel world title twice, following her first triumph in 2024.
The Western Australian course presented a demanding combination of climbing, technical gravel and slippery conditions. Approximately 84 percent of the route was unpaved, while the loose local “pea gravel” made cornering and maintaining traction particularly difficult. Rain added mud to an already challenging course, increasing the cost of even a small mistake.
With less than 20 kilometers remaining, Australian Tiffany Cromwell launched another attack in what was her final race as a professional. Her move was eventually neutralized when Klöser accelerated on Folly Road, and only Vos could follow the German’s pace. The two emerged as the leading contenders for the rainbow jersey.
Klöser continued to test Vos on the climbs, but the Dutch rider refused to let her rival go clear. Vos instead waited for the final technical section, attacking with fewer than four kilometers remaining to try to force a decisive gap.
Marianne Vos at the 2026 Paris-Roubaix Femmes
A crash decides the World Championship in the final kilometres
Vos’s acceleration put Klöser under pressure on the technical terrain. The German managed to remain close before losing control of her bike in a rut and crashing. The incident gave Vos the opportunity she needed, allowing her to ride the remaining kilometers alone and finish 27 seconds ahead of her rival.
Hartog secured third place, 2 minutes and 15 seconds behind Vos, after coming out on top in the battle with Nele Laing. Erica Magnaldi finished fifth, followed by Sofía Gómez and Irina Lützelschwab. Cromwell completed her professional career in eighth after playing an active role in the race’s decisive moves.
Vos acknowledged that the weather had made the race more difficult than expected, particularly through the slippery sections. “Rosa was really strong, so I had to give everything I had to stay with her,” Vos said. “I knew the final corner before the top of the climb was tricky, so I wanted to be in front and be able to choose my own line. It's a shame Rosa crashed there.”
Read also
Another rainbow jersey for one of cycling’s most versatile champions
The victory adds another major achievement to Vos’s extraordinary career. At 39, she has continued to compete at the highest level across road cycling, cyclocross, track and gravel, collecting world titles in multiple disciplines.
Her second gravel crown comes after a difficult period that included a broken collarbone and the death of her father, Henk Vos. Asked what winning the title meant to her, she gave a brief but heartfelt answer: “A lot, so much.”
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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