Vos wins women's gravel world title as Nannup hosts championships
The WA town became the championships' first host outside Europe, drawing thousands of competitors and spectators.
Marianne Vos has won the women's elite race at the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships in Nannup, completing the course in 4 hours and 30 minutes. The Dutch cyclist led home Germany's Rose Kloser, with Larisa Hartog of the Netherlands third.
Vos, who holds two Olympic medals, claimed her second championship win. Nannup hosted the competition's fifth edition, taking it beyond Europe for the first time after previous editions in Italy and Belgium.
Racing stretched across two days, with just under 1,000 competitors tackling Blackwood Valley courses as long as 144 kilometres. Thousands of riders and spectators travelled to the southern WA town, roughly 268 kilometres from Perth.
Local leaders put the event's potential worldwide audience at up to 130 million people. Vicki Hansen, the Shire of Nannup Deputy President, said years of effort had gone into winning hosting rights. She hoped overseas cyclists would see the trails and visit.
Accommodation filled up in Nannup, whose usual population is about 1,000. Shire President Tony Dean said visitors were also housed in a tent city and surrounding towns. Cafe owner Hayley Rubery reported revenue 700 per cent above a normal Friday and said a single day's milk sales equalled five days' worth.
