Take6 days ago
Gravel Worlds splits riders into sponsored and self-funded
Gravel professionals have largely had to pay their own way to Nannup, and many riders picked by their national federations get no support at all despite racing in national colours. Defending men's champion Florian Vermeersch is paying for his own flights, with equipment coming only from his trade team UAE Team Emirates-XRG — the Belgian federation gives him nothing. Geerike Schreurs, by contrast, travels with her Specialized Off-Road trade team and calls it "actually just like normal travel to a race."
What this means
The gap in support has already cost the field depth: Cobe Freeburn is not racing at all, and only three US men are making the trip.
Gravel's status as a non-Olympic discipline shapes who pays. Both the Belgian and British federations give less support to non-Olympic disciplines, and it shows: British riders must buy their own national kit, £60 for a jersey or £120 for a race suit. Sophie Wright, Britain's national champion, has covered much of her own trip on top of that kit cost: «it would be nice for BC to offer some level of support.» Maddy Nutt, racing as a privateer, funds her trip from her own sponsorship money and still has to buy GB kit to avoid showing up in the wrong colours. USA champion Cobe Freeburn is skipping Nannup entirely, citing cost and no backing from USA Cycling or Trek alongside a clash with the Life Time Grand Prix final. The dividing line is trade-team backing, not national honour — riders with sponsors like UAE Team Emirates-XRG or Specialized Off-Road travel supported, while national jerseys often travel alone.
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