GRAVEL EARTH SERIES, SCHMIDT AND VAN DOORN CONQUER RANXO GRAVEL BY THE TRAKA

Impressive consistency in performance from the Danish former Israel-Premier Tech rider.

It is with Pogacar-like voracity that Mads Würtz Schmidt is dominating this first part of the gravel season. The Danish rider, this year representing the Specialized Off-Road Team, has indeed strung together his sixth victory in eight competitions held in 2026 (the fifth consecutive after those achieved at 114 Gravel Race, Desert by The Traka, The Traka 360 and Unbound) by also claiming the flagship race of the fifth stage of the Gravel Earth Series 2026 circuit by Klassmark, namely the PRO Large of Ranxo Gravel by The Traka.

In detail, the former Israel-Premier Tech rider covered the 160 kilometers (with 1,930 meters of positive elevation gain) of the route drawn along the gravel roads of La Noguera and La Segarra in 4 hours 34 minutes and 53 seconds, triumphing solo with a gap of over five minutes over Swiss rider Kevin Kuhn (Heizomat-Cube), second, and Belgian Julian Siemons (GVA Gold), third: in doing so, the thirty-two-year-old Scandinavian has consolidated, with four victories out of five series races, first place in the general standings where he now leads by 44 points over Hugo Drechou (Gravel Nation) and 103 over former Alpecin rider Petr Vakoc (Factor Racing).

More limited, however, is the gap among the top three female athletes where Axelle Dubau-Prévot (Education First-Oatly) currently leads the standings by 44 points over American Morgan Aguirre (PAS Racing) and 54 over British Sophie Wright (Ribble Outliers), all three protagonists on Sunday despite not winning. The PRO Large reserved for women was won by Dutch rider Rosa van Doorn (BUFF-BH Team) who, making her seasonal debut in the Gravel Earth Series races, won in the final against the resistance of Aguirre (second at 5") and Dubau-Prévot (third at 39"), with Wright not going beyond fourth place finishing over nine seconds behind the day's winner (immediately rising to thirteenth place in the general standings with 50 points).

The best Italian, considering both races, was Tommaso Daniel of Mentecorpo Bianchi Pro Team who, recording a time of 4 hours, 48 minutes and 33 seconds, finished in eighteenth place in the men's PRO Large.

MEN'S PRO LARGE FINISHING ORDER

1. Mads Würtz Schmidt (Specialized Off-Road Team) – 4:34:53

2. Kevin Kuhn (Heizomat-Cube) – 4:39:58

3. Julian Siemons (GVA Gold) – 4:40:02

4. Hugo Drechou (Gravel Nation) – 4:40:09

5. Joel Roth (BIXS Race Team) – 4:40:17

6. Danny Van Lierop (Heizomat-Cube) – 4:40:30

7. Joris Nieuwenhuis (Heizomat-Cube) – 4:43:50

8. Alexander Miller (SWATT Club) – 4:44:39

9. Jorge González Segurado (ARVO CLLCTV Orbea) – 4:44:40

10. Jaro Bräunig (Pushbikers) – 4:44:49

WOMEN'S PRO LARGE FINISHING ORDER

1. Rosa van Doorn (BUFF-BH Team) – 5:19:01

2. Morgan Aguirre (PAS Racing) – 5:19:06

3. Axelle Dubau-Prévot (Education First-Oatly) – 5:19:40

4. Sophie Wright (Ribble Outliers) – 5:28:06

5. Jana Gigele – 5:32:18

6. Brody Chapman – 5:36:52

7. Mónica Calderón (Massi ISB Sport) – 5:38:12

8. Hanna Nilsson (ARVO Collective) – 5:47:37

9. Laura Martí Selles (Team Movistar Gravel Squad) – 5:47:54

10. Sofia Schugar (MAAP) – 5:48:49