One of the Gravel World Championships' major outsiders is Belgium, has a 'home' advantage and has beaten Wout Van Aert this year
Gravel
The Gravel World Championships will take place this Sunday in Nannup, Western Australia. Amongst the main favourites will be Belgians Florian Vermeersch - the defending World Champion - and Daan Soete, the man who beat Wout Van Aert at the national championships.
Vermeersch mainly will be under the spotlight. In the absence of Mathieu van der Poel, the Belgian will perhaps be the main favourite after finishing on the podium of the past two editions.
"Unfortunately, I've done only one gravel race. The plan was to do one or two more, but due to my calendar, it was not possible," Vermeersch shared with Cyclingnews.
A massive card for the Emirati team and Tadej Pogacar during the spring classics and Tour de France, Vermeersch was indispensable for the team's goals on the road. Now late in the year, he receives his opportunity to fully focus on a goal that is only his.
"I've done a lot of gravel rides at home wearing the jersey, so I've enjoyed that. It was a very nice year, I would say. It's an honour to wear those rainbow colours." He might not do so anymore from this Sunday onwards, but will give it his all in a course that may prove challenging for a rider of his size and weight.
"I think it's going to be on the limit. I'm a big guy, and it's almost 4,000 metres of climbing. But I'm in for a challenge. I really like the course, and we'll see where I end up".
"The good thing is I've already won the jersey once, so this is not an extra stress factor for me. I'm here to just go all-out and race without any regret, I would say. Just leave it all out there."
Rainbow jersey a priority for Vermeersch
The team had road World Champion Tadej Pogacar, and that jersey has now moved onto the shoulders of Brandon McNulty. It's easy to forget that in one of the sport's secondary disciplines, the rainbow jersey is also on the UAE squad - and they intend on keeping it.
"From December last year, when we were speaking about my calendar with my team, I already got the signal that I could defend my title. They gave me the freedom that if I wanted, I could come here," he said.
"I said immediately that I would like to defend it. So it was a bit of a no-brainer. I didn't really have to fight for it with the team; they allowed me to come, so that's very nice of them and I really appreciate that".
Vermeersch is an off-road specialist, finishing second to Matej Mohoric and Mathieu van der Poel before winning the title 12 months ago in the Netherlands.
"The last few weeks, to prepare and train for this race, have been very nice. I've made a lot of hours on the bike, and I think I'm in a good place."
Florian Vermeersch racing in the gravel rainbow jersey
Daan Soete, the ultimate outsider?
One of Vermeersch's main rivals will be racing in the exact same jersey of the Belgian national team.
“My girlfriend is Australian, so that was a nice bonus. Her parents will probably come to watch the race, even though it’s still a four-hour flight for them," Belgian national champion Daan Soete said to Sporza.
At the gravel Worlds - not too dissimilar to cyclocross and mountain biking - there are rarely any team tactics. Riders race individually, even if racing for the same national team. The unusually difficult course might make it less of a tactical ffair as well.
“The World Championships are experienced completely differently in Australia than in Flanders or the Netherlands. Australia is far removed from the traditional cycling nations. There will be fewer riders at the start on Sunday, but the village is already starting to fill up nicely with riders. You can really feel that something is about to happen.”
Soete is a cyclocross specialist and full-time racer, the complete opposite of the road specialist Vermeersch. This Sunday, both go head-to-head with more climbing than they would desire.
"The organizers say there are 3,700 meters of elevation gain. I’ve already scouted almost the entire course, and I think it’s more likely to be around 3,000. So it’s going to be very tough.”
“It’s a beautiful course. Only the first eight kilometers are on asphalt. The rest is almost entirely unpaved. That’s pretty unique. The gravel itself is fairly smooth, which does make it technical. But the views are fantastic.”
“On top of that, my preparation wasn’t ideal. I’ve been struggling with illness and I also took a fall.”
Soete admits that he is not on his very best form, but back in August, Soete beat none other than Wout Van Aert to win the national title in Grobbendonk, making him one of the main men to watch out for in Nannup.
Belgians forced to pay for around-the-world trip
As Vermeersch had previously admitted, the Belgian national federation is not paying for the riders' trips to Australia, rather costly moves that make it difficult to take part in the race. Not even Soete, the federation's national champion, will enjoy that benefit.
“That’s just the way things are in Belgium right now. In other countries, the federations do chip in, but not here yet. So it is an investment. But over the past few years, I’ve really become a true gravel rider. So it’s definitely worth the investment," he believes.
Amongst the main rivals for the Belgians, one clear name has surged: “Mads Würtz Schmidt has been impressive this year. He also has strong teammates at Specialized, so they’re capable of working well as a team. But I also expect a lot from Florian Vermeersch. Those elevation gains are just within his capabilities. He’s got a lot of power, so he’s definitely still among the favorites.”
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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