Florian Vermeersch can’t defend Gravel World Championship title: ‘There’s nothing more to say about that’

"It's a little disappointing, because I think I rode the perfect race right up until the last kilometer. And yes, in the sprint I made a small mistake by being on the wrong side. But all credit to him—he deserved it; he was incredibly strong all day, so there’s nothing more to say about that,” said the sportsmanlike Belgian.

On the climbs, Vermeersch had to give up a few meters every now and then. “But actually, I felt good. I knew I had to keep it up all day, because I knew that with my weight and height, it would be tough against riders who are ten kilos lighter. And I noticed that I could keep pushing all day long and that I just had to make sure not to go beyond my limit.”

"I took a small gamble with twenty kilometers to go by riding at my own pace, so I'd still have something left in the tank for the final stretch. That worked out well in the end. But yeah, it was just a really tough day, and the fact that I was able to sprint for the win means my legs were in great shape,” said the Belgian.

Vermeersch—who won the World Championships in Maastricht last year—funded his trip himself and will be on the starting line of the Tour of Guangi this Tuesday. “Thank you for the invitation. I’m very happy to have been here; I think the trip was worth it, and it was a pleasure to race here,” the UAE rider concluded his account.