Denmark’s Bak Klaris Stuns Field to Win First Non-European Gravel World Title in Nannup

Key points

• Magnus Bak Klaris (Denmark) won the elite men’s race in 4:09:05, outsprinting Florian Vermeersch (Belgium) and Connor Swift (Great Britain) in a chaotic final kilometer.
• Marianne Vos (Netherlands) won the elite women’s race in 4:30:04, finishing 27 seconds ahead of Rosa Klöser (Germany) and 2:15 ahead of Larissa Hartog (Netherlands).
• The men’s course was 144km with 3,713m of elevation gain and 85% gravel, described by Cyclingnews as the most 'true' gravel world course ever.
• The women’s race was marred by heavy crashes involving Geerike Schreurs and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, with Schreurs suffering a head injury and both riders not finishing.
• Nannup, a town of about 1,000 people, became the first location outside Europe to host the UCI Gravel World Championships, drawing nearly 1,000 competitors and a global audience of up to 130 million.
• Local businesses reported a 700% increase in revenue, and the town relied on tent cities and nearby communities to accommodate the influx of visitors.

Background

The 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships marked the fifth edition of the event, with previous championships held in Italy and Belgium. Marianne Vos had won the title in 2024 and finished second in 2025, making her 2026 victory her second gravel world title and 15th world title across four disciplines. The event highlighted a growing tension between road and gravel disciplines, with dedicated gravel specialists increasingly challenging traditional road pros for world titles. The men’s race featured a field that included road WorldTour stars, but the 'gravel purists' ultimately prevailed on the demanding Nannup course.

How outlets are covering it

Cyclingnews emphasized the 'frantic' nature of the men’s finale, highlighting the chaotic crashes and late attacks that defined the race, and noted that the 'gravel purists finally beat the road WorldTour stars.' ABC News focused on the historic significance of Nannup becoming the first non-European host, highlighting the economic impact on the town and the challenges of accommodating nearly 1,000 competitors. Velo (Outside Magazine) concentrated on the women’s race, detailing the heavy crashes involving Geerike Schreurs and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, and Marianne Vos’s solo victory after a showdown with Rosa Klöser. Cycling Weekly, while not providing race results, highlighted the challenging 'pea gravel' surfaces that made the course particularly difficult for top riders. The outlets generally agreed on the historic nature of the event but differed in their emphasis: Cyclingnews on the men’s race dynamics, ABC News on the local impact, and Velo on the women’s race incidents.

Why it matters

The 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships marked a significant milestone for the discipline, with the first non-European host and a victory by a dedicated gravel specialist over road WorldTour stars. The event highlighted the growing popularity and competitiveness of gravel cycling, with a global audience of up to 130 million and nearly 1,000 competitors. The historic nature of the event, combined with the economic impact on Nannup, underscores the potential for smaller, non-traditional cycling hubs to host major international events. The race also highlighted the increasing tension between road and gravel disciplines, with specialists increasingly challenging traditional road pros for world titles.

What to watch

The UCI Gravel World Championships will likely continue to expand its global reach, with future hosts potentially including other non-European locations. The success of the Nannup event may encourage other small towns and regions to bid for future championships. The growing popularity of gravel cycling may lead to increased investment in the discipline, with more dedicated gravel specialists competing for world titles. The event may also lead to further development of gravel cycling infrastructure and events in Australia and other non-traditional cycling hubs.