As sprinkles of rain dispersed to reveal blue skies and Autumn sunshine the lead group then reduced to about 15, as riders like Roche put the pressure on with their digs at the front while others, like Connor Sens (St George), drove an unrelenting pace on the climbs.
The lead group was down to about 30 riders early, with a second group just behind including many of the key players in the women’s category.
#SEVEN RACE GEAR SERIES#
The field of more than 1200 riders, the largest yet for a 2023 Gravel World Series race, was quickly split as it began to work its way through the 12 categorised climbs, with ascents ranging in length from 1.2km to 4.5km and with gradients frequently touching, or even exceeding, 20%. The race, which started and finished in the small town of Nannup in the south of Western Australia, set off onto the extensive network of gravel roads in the Blackwood Valley early in the morning as low clouds shrouded the race in mist. Roche held on for third and, like the two riders ahead of him, took to his first Gravel World Series podium. Nicolas Roche (NR GRVL), had initially been in hot pursuit and looked well on track to come second in the men's category, however, University of Western Australia student Mark Chong overtook the former road professional. He came over the line with a speedy finishing time of 4:16:44. In the men's category, Nankervis shook off his rivals by first using his mountain bike skills to stretch the elastic on the tricky descents and then took off solo from a select lead group on a climb in the second half of the race.
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