With only a handful of 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships qualifying events remaining, Belgium’s Lukas Malezsewski won Estonia’s 123-kilometre Tartu Rattamaraton gravel race in 03:23:39 on Saturday 19 September, sprinting to victory from a tight bunch. It was the event’s first season as part of the UCI Gravel World Series.
Malezsewski won UCI Gravel World Series rounds in Portugal and Kenya last season and finished second at Graean Cymru in Wales two weeks ago.
Over the Otepää-to-Elva course, he was chased home by Estonian gravel champion Kirill Tarassov, 1 second behind. Latvia’s Maris Bogdanovics and Germany’s Anton Albrecht, a pre-race favourite after winning in Poland in June, finished third and fourth, followed by Germany’s Albert Gathemann, Latvia’s Gusts Lapins and Estonia’s Peeter Tarvis — all within 6 seconds of the winner.
Australia’s Tiffany Cromwell won the women’s race in 03:53:41. Defending champion Karolina Leinonen of Finland was second, 3 minutes 23 seconds behind. Estonian gravel champion Aidi Gerde Tuisk took third, 7 minutes 32 seconds back.
Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas, who has already secured a Gravel Worlds start in his age group, finished 88th in 03:57:41.
The 83-kilometre race, a Worlds qualifier for older age groups, was won by Estonian Risto Raid (Palmako AS) in 02:31:35 in the men’s race, while Marie Kristine Laos won the women’s race in 02:55:00.
Riders finishing in the top 25 percent of their age and gender category earn places at the UCI Gravel World Championships in Nannup, Western Australia, on 10 and 11 October.
View Tartu Rattamaraton gravel results HERE
Photo Credit: Tartu Maraton
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