Wiebes wins World gravel title after controversial late catch of Van Anrooij
Lorena Wiebes added the Gravel World Championship title to her phenomenal 2025 season on Saturday, outsprinting Marianne Vos and Silvia Persico, who joined her on the podium in that order.
It was a controversial finale, however, as fellow Dutch rider Shirin van Anrooij was still leading solo going into the last kilometre. The Gravel Worlds are often raced slightly differently compared to, say, the road Worlds, in that, it's every rider for themself, a dynamic that didn't stop Yara Kastelijn, Wiebes, et al. from crushing the hopes of Van Anrooij with just a few hundred metres to go.
"[I understand Van Anrooij's disappointment] one hundred percent," Wiebes said at the finish, after paying tribute to trade teammate Julia Kopecký (Czechia) who'd helped her out in the run-in to the finish. "I hope I can give something back to Shirin someday at a world or European road championship."
However, she also said, "You're not going to give away the world title."
Brief results:
- Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands)
- Marianne Vos (Netherlands)
- Silvia Persico (Italy)
- Yara Kastelijn (Netherlands)
- Shirin van Anrooij (Netherlands)
