Mads Würtz Schmidt delivered quite the ride on Friday. It’s definitely one that will stick for a while on the gravel scene. The former WorldTour pro won Traka 360 after a long-range move in the hills around Girona. The Dane attacked with around 100 km still to race and never looked back, stopping the clock in 9 hrs 57 minutes to become the first rider to break the ten-hour mark at the event.
Perry shines in Spain
Behind him, France’s Hugo Drechou limited his losses but still finished several minutes down, while Matt Beers rounded out the podium. Canada’s Ben Perry put in a strong ride to take fourth, mixing it with some of the biggest names in gravel–including multiple Tour de France stage winner Romain Bardet, who finished in 5th.
Klöser vs. Dubau-Prévot
The women’s race was a WorldTour square off. It saw Rosa Klöser (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) come out on top after distancing Axelle Dubau-Prévot (EF Education-Oatly) in the closing kilometres. The pair had gone clear together earlier, but Klöser proved strongest late. Dubau-Prévot, half-sister of PFP, is the reigning French gravel champion and finished 10th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège back on Sunday.
For complete results for all the categories, visit thetraka.com, and be sure to check back tomorrow for a follow-up story.