Dust, Drama, and Dutch Domination
By Charlie Blaze McRae | Unbound Velo Queen
Strap in, Unbound Velo fam — here’s my gravel-powered, sass-dripping recap of the 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships — women and men. Let’s ride the story, chew some grit, and pull out what we, your Unbound Velo crew, should steal for our own war chest.
🏁 Women’s Race: Dutch Domination & a Final Sprint Showdown
The women’s pack lined up for 131 km of gravel, narrow Dutch roads, punchy hills, and tactical warfare through Zuid-Limburg. About 80 % of it was unpaved and 100 % savage.
From the opening pedal stroke, the Dutch squad made it clear: this was their turf. Six riders in orange powered themselves into the final lead group of eight — a wall of tulip-powered muscle and brains.
At around 12 km to go, Shirin van Anrooij lit it up and went solo. It was a move of pure heart — the kind that makes fans scream and legs scream louder. For a hot minute, it looked like she might just pull it off. But with 500 m to go, the Dutch machine reeled her in. Ruthless. Clinical. Textbook team play.
The finish? A sprint explosion. Lorena Wiebes ripped the tarmac to shreds, holding off Marianne Vos to grab gold. Silvia Persico came in for bronze. Van Anrooij, cooked but courageous, faded to fifth.
Dutch excellence at its finest — four of the top five riders wearing orange. Tactical. Brutal. Beautiful.
🚴 Men’s Race: Solo Glory & Gravel Grit
The men faced a longer battlefield — about 180 km of relentless Limburg terrain. Rolling climbs, gravel paths, and false flats that break your will piece by piece.
As the dust cleared and the legs cracked, one man took his chance. Florian Vermeersch launched a late-race solo attack on the final climbs and never looked back. Every corner, every rise — he dug in, chewed pain, and turned it into power.
Behind him, the chasers fought, but the gap held. Vermeersch claimed the rainbow jersey in full warrior style. Frits Biesterbos chased home for silver, Matej Mohorič for bronze.
It wasn’t luck. It was timing, guts, and knowing when to suffer harder than the rest.
🧠 Unbound Takeaways (So You Ride Stronger)
- Team depth wins races. Even the strongest solo attack can’t survive against a unified crew. Every rider counts — build your pack, ride as one.
- Timing is everything. Van Anrooij’s move was bold, but bold needs backup. Know your effort window — when to pull, when to breathe.
- Climbs don’t need to be huge to hurt. The little rollers and punchy gravel climbs stacked up to break legs. Train your recovery and repeat power.
- Solo moves demand conviction. Vermeersch proved it — if you’re going alone, commit. No second-guessing. All in or nothing.
- Keep a sprint in your pocket. Wiebes had the snap that won it. Gravel or not, those last 200 m can change everything. Save some watts for the finish.
- Gravel is chess on dirt. It’s not just power — it’s reading the game, setting traps, and knowing when to bluff. Ride smart. Play smarter.
🔥 Charlie Blaze’s Final Word
That’s Gravel Worlds 2025 in a nutshell — Dutch precision, Belgian bravado, heartbreak and brilliance rolled into one dirt-covered masterpiece.
Unbound Velo, hear this: I want our crew attacking smart, riding as units, timing like killers, and punching into sprint zones with legs that whisper “you messed with the wrong bunch.”
Now grab your bike, lube your chain, charge your batteries, and let’s make our own Worlds out there. Ride hard. Ride free. And always leave ’em looking over their shoulders.
— Charlie Blaze McRae
Editor, FTSIGR Friday Drop
Unbound Velo | Café Racer Alliance