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Racers to watch at the UCI Gravel World Championships

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This weekend gears up for a thrilling event as the UCI Gravel World Championships rolls out, with the women's race on Saturday and the men's on Sunday. The recently published startlist by UCI showcases a exciting blend of renowned gravel specialists and elites riders from road, mountain biking, and cyclocross.

Revisiting last year's podium finishers on the men’s front, Gianni Vermeersch and Daniel Oss - the first and second-place riders respectively - are back in action. However, Mathieu Van Der Poel, who clinched third, seems to be missing from the lineup. Yet, fans have much to anticipate as Wout Van Aert, a hot favorite in numerous predictions, is set to compete. The women's race, on the other hand, promises fierce competition with last year's champion, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, taking the start amidst a sea of champions from both tarmac and trails.

Data Insight from GravelRank

Switching gears to a more data-centric approach, GravelRank provides intriguing insights into the form of the racers. While the database tracks around 1000 men and women each, not all from the UCI Gravel World Championship roster feature in our database. From those who do, we pulled out the racers displaying an upward trajectory in form since this summer.

Here's who we found and who you should keep an eye on this weekend.

Riders to watch in the women's competition

Women on form

Sofia Gomez Villafane: A force to reckon with, she's notched four victories, a runner-up, and a third-place in this year's Lifetime Grand Prix. Sitting #1 on the GravelRank leaderboard.

Alexis Skarda: Continuously climbing the ranks and one to watch. Currently only one point behind Villafane for #2 on GravelRank.

Carolin Schiff: With accolades including victories at Unbound, Traka, and Rift, she’s on fire this season.

Crystal Anthony and Tiffany Cromwell: Both formidable competitors, with Cromwell recently won the European Gravel Champion (though not eligable for the title).

Riders to watch in the men's competition

Men on form

Keegan Swenson: Already having secured the Lifetime Grand Prix title mathematically, he’s the powerhouse Team USA is rallying behind.

Alexey Vermeulen: While he's channeling his energy to support Swenson, Vermeulen himself is in stellar form this season, taking top honors in the last two races he participated in.

Petr Vakoc: A constant podium threat, he rarely finds himself outside the top 10 in any competition.

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