Lincoln Grand Prix winner Matt Holmes added a second win in two races on Saturday when he won The Gralloch round of the UCI Gravel World Series with a solo escape.
The former WorldTour rider broke away with 25km left to ride of the elite men’s event, finishing with 1.30 in hand over second-placed Nathan Haas (Colnago) – also a WorldTour alumni – who outsprinted Petr Vakoč (Canyon CLLCTV Gravel) in third place.
The elite women’s event was won by Geerike Schreurs of SD Worx-Protime, who escaped from race-long breakaway partner Nicole Frain (Hess Cycling) to finish 29sec ahead. Tiffany Cromwell outsprinted a small chasing group to take the remaining podium spot, 1.47 down on Schreurs.
The Gralloch comprises 110km of tracks around Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, starting and finishing in Gatehouse of Fleet. It is one of two British rounds of a 25-round World Series in which riders of all abilities and ages can attempt to qualify for the UCI Gravel World Championship, which this year is held in Halle in Belgium in October.
The top 25% of riders in each age category qualify for the event, with each winner taking home a bona fide rainbow jersey.
Holmes used to ride for the Lotto-Soudal WorldTour team and won atop Willunga Hill ahead of Richie Porte in the 2020 Tour Down Under. He rode The Gralloch last year when Connor Swift won, eventually puncturing out of contention. But he went into this year’s race with his sights firmly set on the win, he said.
“I thought I’d be in the shot of winning if I didn’t puncture or get any mechanicals,” he told Cycling Weekly. “I did the race last year off the back of no proper training at all. It was whittled down to five riders at the point that I punctured out.”
Eventual winner Swift was head and shoulders ahead of everyone else, he conceded, but added: “But I think I would have been on the podium last year, even with no training.”
Holmes said he seemed to have found a successful niche in gravel racing, although he is also hoping to gain a place on British Cycling’s track Podium endurance squad with a view to racing in the future.
“No one on my previous teams would think I was technically good,” he said. “I always struggled with cornering and stuff. But I seem to be good at the gravel, scanning the road and looking for holes and rocks and things like that. Self-preservation comes in handy!”
He is still seeking sponsors he said, but if the right ones came along a ride in the Gravel World Championship was not out of the question.
“If a bike brand, or a kit brand, or more brands want to get involved, then absolutely, I’ll go and do the gravel properly,” he said. “But as it stands I’ve got about eight or 10 things I want to do this year.”
Next on that list is the British National Road Championship, which takes place in Saltburn in the Tees Valley on June 23.
