Winners Announced at The Gralloch UCI Gravel Race: Petr Vakoč and Tessa Neefjes Take the victory
Grinding Through the Scottish Gravel:
Despite a mid-race puncture, Petr Vakoč of Canyon Isadore edged out the competition in the men's category of the Gralloch UCI Gravel World Series. A four-rider breakaway sprinted to the finish line, and Vakoč crossed first, clinching a photo-finish victory.
Tessa Neefjes from Liv Racing mirrored Vakoč's performance in the women's race, also leading a quartet of riders to the line.
Live broadcasting made its debut at the event, streaming racing action on the Gralloch website and in the event village. Riders traversed an challenging lumpy 111km course in Galloway Forest, with a whopping 1,761m of climbing.
Early on, Vakoč and Ben Thomas (Ribble Outliers) established a lead, but Vakoč's puncture allowed Matt Holmes (OGT Racing) and Benjamin Perry (independent) to catch up.
The women's elite race podium featured British riders Ffion Gilbert (Wold Top Pactimo) and Sophie Wright (Ribble Outliers), a former WorldTour rider and national cyclocross champion.
Vakoč shared his exhilarating race experience on social media: "Yesterday was a day filled with emotion. With 40km to go, our gap was over 90 seconds, and I felt great. I waited for the right moment to attack and try to go solo to finish. Things looked promising, but then I had a puncture... I managed to stay calm, maintain my pace, and focus on the sprint — with not-so-perfect execution, I narrowly clinched the win."
In a statement, Max Wussler of Gralloch organiser Red On Sports described the success of the live coverage: "This was our first live coverage experience, and we're really pleased with the enhancement it brought to the event. From aerial views to ATV footage, it gave spectators on site a front-row seat, and streaming it gave viewers at home a great glimpse into the racing."
Next year's event aims for a more comprehensive race-day show and is working with EventScotland to explore possibilities.
As with all UCI World Series races, the top 25% of each race, including age group categories, qualify for the World Championships in Limburg, Netherlands, in October.
This year's Gralloch also offered a wider range of abilities with a sportive event, featuring 111km and 53km options.
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Sports enthusiasts can relish in the competitive nature of the Gralloch UCI Gravel World Series, as both Petr Vakoč and Tessa Neefjes demonstrated dominance in their respective categories. next year's event promises a more comprehensive race-day show, attracting a wider range of sports enthusiasts.
