"I rode the perfect race right up until the last kilometer" - Vermeersch laments not adding rainbow jersey to UAE tally
Gravel
Florian Vermeersch was the defending champion and this weekend in Nannup, Australia, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG was left disappointed after finishing second for the third time in the space of four years.
Vermeersch conquered the rainbow jersey at last 12 months ago in the Netherlands, and had a specific goal to revalidate it this weekend in Western Australia.
The race saw him go unscathed, but nevertheless he had many of the world's best to contend with.
"I took a small gamble with twenty kilometers to go by riding at my own pace, so I'd still have something left in the tank for the final stretch. That worked out well in the end. But yeah, it was just a really tough day, and the fact that I was able to sprint for the win means my legs were in great shape,” he said in a post-race interview.
“But actually, I felt good. I knew I had to keep it up all day, because I knew that with my weight and height, it would be tough against riders who are ten kilos lighter. And I noticed that I could keep pushing all day long and that I just had to make sure not to go beyond my limit".
Florian Vermeersch raced in the gravel rainbow jersey this year
A perfect race and... One crucial mistake for Vermeersch
But whilst Denmark's Mads Wurtz Schmidt was seen as his biggest potential rival, the victory ended up coming from the other side - literally
"It's a little disappointing, because I think I rode the perfect race right up until the last kilometer. And yes, in the sprint I made a small mistake by being on the wrong side," he explained. And from his left side, Schmidt's compatriot Magnus Bak Klaris sprinted to victory in a four-rider group in Nannup.
"But all credit to him—he deserved it; he was incredibly strong all day, so there’s nothing more to say about that".
Vermeersch adds one more second place to his palmarès, further cementing him into the race's history, but unable to retain a rainbow jersey that has marked his career. This Tuesday, Vermeersch will be at the start of the Tour of Guangxi for UAE Team Emirates - XRG.
“Thank you for the invitation. I’m very happy to have been here; I think the trip was worth it, and it was a pleasure to race here".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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