He won Paris-Roubaix but never turned pro: this is the new gravel world champion

Klaris never made it to the WorldTour or became a professional road cyclist, although he did ride for two years on SEG’s development team and won the 2014 Paris-Roubaix junior race. That season, he also finished fifth at the Junior World Championships, but his road racing career ultimately stalled afterward.

In 2019, he even took a sabbatical, only to truly discover the joy of gravel riding a few years later. He combined this with his work as an entrepreneur; after studying Human Physiology at the University of Copenhagen, he founded the Danish performance company Palmarés with fellow cyclist Rasmus Bøgh Wallin. Through their company, Klaris and Wallin coach cyclists and endurance athletes of all levels.

The fact that he is now the world's best in the clay-court discipline comes as a surprise even to him. “I can’t believe it right now; it feels unreal,” the Dane stammered in the post-match flash interview.

"The conditions weren't that bad, but there were a few tricky moments," said Klaris, who saw Schmidt fall after an attack four kilometers from the finish. "I think we were all pretty tired at that point; we saw that yesterday, too. That's when you start making mistakes."

"I don't have a very good sprint anyway, so I just tried to find a wheel," he said, explaining the strategy he didn't really have. "I think I was very lucky with how Connor Swift rode the final stretch, so I was able to stay on his wheel for the last kilometer and make one last push."

And just like that, he was suddenly the world champion. “How am I going to celebrate this? I haven’t made any plans yet, but I’m going to celebrate with my wife and close friends who are here, and then I’ll take some time off here in Australia.”

"It was amazing to cross the finish line and see happy faces—people who were happy for me that I was standing there. It means so much to have all that support and to see my friends on the podium, happy for me. It was pure nostalgia, with all those emotions,” said the overjoyed rider, who nevertheless started out with doubts.

"I caught myself wondering several times this week whether I was spending my time and money wisely. And then, when everything turns out this way, it's actually pretty amazing," he concludes. "I'll never forget this day."