Anton Albrecht of Chemnitz (Fit4stein-Bikes) claimed the elite men’s title at the 2026 UCI GravelKing Gravel World Series event in Poland on Saturday, crossing the finish line of the 120km granfondo in 03:49:14 on the gravel roads of the Izerskie Mountains. It was a return to familiar territory for Albrecht, who finished second at this race in its inaugural 2022 edition. Four years later, he finally stood on the top step of the podium.
Hot on his wheel in second was Petr Vakoč (Factor Racing), finishing 1 minute 10 seconds back. The former Omega Pharma-Quick-Step and Alpecin-Fenix WorldTour professional was also chasing a personal milestone. Vakoč won this race in 2023 in Świeradów-Zdrój, finishing in 03:19:25. This time, however, he had to settle for the runner-up spot. Fellow Czech rider Filip Adel (Superior Team) completed the podium just 3 seconds later, while Daan Grosemans (Ridley Racing Crew) and Matyáš Fiala (ČEZ Cyklo Team Tábor) shared fourth place in 03:50:50.
In the women’s 120km event, Wendy Oosterwoud (Pas Racing) claimed victory in 04:29:56. The 30-year-old Dutch rider has successfully transitioned from road cycling to gravel, with results arriving quickly—including a UCI age-group world title—and 2026 marking the first season in which she has earned a full salary from the sport. She also opened her 2026 campaign with victory at the inaugural Flanders Legacy Gravel in Leuven, making this her second Gravel World Series win of the season.
Irina Lützelschwab (Bullsbikes) finished 2 minutes 21 seconds behind, while Kasper Romy (also Pas Racing) took third in 04:36:01, completing a notable one-two finish for the Pas Racing squad.
The 66km mediofondo was won by Tomasz Misjan (Esd Sport) in 02:42:56, with Harry Kühnelt (Bauaut-Lawi-Cor) finishing 57 seconds behind and Sergei Medvedev a further second back.
Magdalena Chmielewska (Zośka Warszawa) won the women’s 66km race in 03:04:06.
The fifth edition of the UCI Gravel World Championships will be held in Nannup, Western Australia, on 10-11 October 2026, with today’s top finishers securing qualification places.
Photo Credit: Gravel Adventure Poland
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