"I'm going to participate and have a nice photo with Alejandro Valverde" - Annemiek van Vleuten will roll out to the Gravel World Championships in 'tourist mode'
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Annemiek van Vleuten, despite the fact that she has already stopped cycling, will still participate in the World Championships at the beginning of October. The Movistar rider will compete in the Gravel World Championships in Veneto, Italy, on Saturday, October 7, the day before her 41st birthday.
"In a crazy mood I said 'yes' to that," laughs Van Vleuten in corvesation on the AD podcast In Het Wiel.
"The team liked it, the sponsors liked it and I also found it funny to participate," said Van Vleuten, who recently ended her road career in the Simac Ladies Tour. A new career in clay is out of the question. "I have no ambitions in a clay court career, so I think I will end it here."
Van Vleuten will also not return from her 'cycling retirement' for the Gravel World Championships. "I'm going to ride this in my retirement. I'm not prepared for it and I'm not going to train for it. I'm going to participate and have a nice photo with Alejandro Valverde," she jokes about her former teammate at Movistar. "It's a bit part of my farewell tour. I threw the ball up myself and it was immediately headed in by the team. Before I knew it I was registered. Especially if it is in Italy, I am open to that."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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