Florian Vermeersch overcame more than the opposition and the winding, narrow tracks, trails and paths of south-western Netherlands to win the UCI Gravel World Championships in Maastricht on Sunday.
Not only did the win come on the back of consecutive second places in the two previous editions, it’s only just over 18 months since the 26-year-old Belgian broke his left femur in a horror crash at last year’s Vuelta Murcia.
Then riding for Lotto Dstny, Vermeersch had shown good form heading into the Spanish race, but crashed on a descent, the consequent injury putting him out of action for almost six months, in what was a contract year.
He returned with a mid-pack finish at the Belgian nationals before last season’s second place at the gravel worlds.
A classics rider, most of Vermeersch’s best results come in flatter races, and in both silver medal finishes in the gravel worlds he was dropped on a climb. In 2023 it was Matej Mohorič who rode clear on the vertiginous trails through the Veneto vineyards, last year it was Mathieu van der Poel who did for the Belgian, again on a short climb through the Flemish woodlands. So rather than putting himself in the same position again, he chose to head up the road.
Instigating the day’s breakaway, he attacked with just over 120km to go, riding clear with Nils Politt (Germany) and Frits Biesterbos (Netherlands), before being joined by Belgian compatriot Floris Van Tricht. The four riders built a lead which approached two minutes, though for much of the race it was much less, but it wasn’t so much the time advantage that counted in their favour, rather their ability to avoid the fight going on behind.
“It was a really hectic start,” Vermeersch explained. “After 10km I had a puncture but luckily 20km later I could get back to the peloton, and I saw a good moment and I went for it. I didn’t see much of the peloton I was always chasing or in the front and then once we got away with three and then ultimately four, I knew it was only one way to the finish.”
While the leaders managed their effort, the narrow, winding route made organising a concerted chase difficult. However, it was perhaps the disparate tactics of gravel racing which handed the advantage to Vermeersch and his fellow escapees, with drafting having less effect and some riders happy to chase team mates and others sitting resolutely in the wheel. This made for a stop start pursuit Vermeersch was able to exploit.
Despite the loss of both Politt to a mechanical and Van Tricht from the leading group, Vermeersch and Biesterbos were almost comfortable at the front, even holding off a concerted chase by Mohorič and Swiss rider, Félix Stehli.
“To be honest we had very little information, sometimes we had some people saying the gap, but I never knew who was behind, it was always by looking or by seeing them in the back so for meat was focusing on myself and getting to the line.”
Now riding on the road for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 2025 has been a good year for Vermeersch, with fifth at Paris-Roubaix the stand-out result, and surely Sunday’s gravel victory will give him confidence.
“It’s like the end of a long come back, and to win again after two difficult years is it’s really amazing to end the season like this. I have no words,” he said.
