Nicole Frain (Factor Racing) returned to the top step of the UCI Gravel World Series at Gravel Tour Hlinsko, claiming her fourth series win of the season as she crossed the line solo in the women's elite race. In the men's competition, it was another repeat victor with 3Rides winner Jonas Lindberg (Willing Able Racing) also claiming victory in Czechia.
Lindberg crossed the line of the 131km race with a gap of +2:06 to Joel Suter (Tudor Pro Cycling) while home nation racer Petr Vakoč (Factor Racing) snared the final spot on the podium at the first UCI Gravel World Series race ever held in Czechia.
"The course was perfectly organised and proved to be more demanding than I originally thought," said Vakoč in a post on social media. "Just up and down all day, some smooth gravel, some rougher parts and forest roads and barely any asphalt.
"Left there absolutely everything, together with Joel Suter rode away from big chase group with 40km to go to chase back super strong [Jonas Lindberg] ahead who attacked just after the halfway point of the race. We managed to bring the gap down to thirty seconds inside the last 20km but could not get any closer."
Frain took the women's win at the race in Hlinsko, set on the edge of the Pardubice region, with a gap of 3:28 to Kristýna Zemanová (VIF Cycling) while current series leader, Wendy Oosterwoud (PAS Racing), was third at 6:23 back.
The event in Hlinsko was one of three UCI Gravel World Series races run across the weekend, with Around the Pot in South Africa won by Lisa Bone and Matt Beers while Simon Pellaud and Natalia Franco claimed victory at the high-elevation Bogotá Gravel.
Position |
Rider |
Time |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Nicole Frain |
4:28:25 |
2 |
Kristýna Zemanová |
4:31:53 |
3 |
Wendy Oosterwoud |
4:34:48 |
4 |
Irina Lützelschwab |
4:34:48 |
5 |
Maaike Coljé |
4:35:23 |
Position |
Rider |
Time |
|---|---|---|
1 |
Jonas Lindberg |
3:48:37 |
2 |
Joel Suter |
3:50:43 |
3 |
Petr Vakoč |
3:51:07 |
4 |
Matyáš Fiala |
3:53:37 |
5 |
Lars Sommer |
3:54:12 |
