Saturday was a busy day for the UCI Gravel World Series, with 1500 pros and amateurs in both the northern and southern hemisphere trying to qualify for the 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships, if they finished in the top 25% of their age/gender category at the 3RIDES or SEVEN races.

Down under in Western Australia at SEVEN, Tasman Nankervis (BMC Shimano) and Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM) earned overall victory in the 125km gravel race with 3200m of climbing. They each punched their ticket to the world championships by winning solo with over a nine minute lead – Nankervis stopping the clock at 4:16:44 and Cromwell at 4:58:25.

A world away in Aachen, Germany, Tessa Neefjes (LIV Racing) and Paul Voß (AUTˈSAID) also qualified by winning the 3RIDES gravel race, but only by the slimmest of margins on a multi-lap circuit totaling 120km. In races that came down to the final meters, Neefjes out-sprinted Carolin Schiff in 4:07:00 to claim the women’s title and UCI rainbow accented jersey, while Voß accomplished the same, winning the men’s race in 3:37:13 with a one second gap over Joris Nieuwenhuis and Daan Soete.

Two of the biggest stars at 3RIDES, 2022 UCI Gravel World Champion Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and multiple UCI Cyclocross World Champion Erwin Vervecken, who manages the UCI Gran Fondo and Gravel World Series, did not finish.

Complete SEVEN worlds qualifying and race results HERE.

Complete 3RIDES worlds qualifying and race results HERE.

Photo Credit: 3RIDES

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