Saturday's intense sprint was also the fastest version of Unbound Gravel's north route, which is currently completed 10 times to finish a race that lasted more than 26 hours, 2 minutes and 3 seconds.
"I tried to attack with the last kicker when I realized that it was certainly going to be a sprint, and using my big core, my weight, to get a gap in the downhill," the tall Dutch rider laughed referring to her height, just six feet tall. In more.
"I had a really good lead from Sarah Sturm, she was at the front in the last corner, I said "just go, go, go" "Her fellow professional Lai " Today actually think the strongest won. Rosa [Klöser] was really strong. I'm really happy to be able to run to 2nd place today."
came into her first unbound gravel race and she already had strong results sheets including a victory at Glalock two weeks ago, a Wörthersee Gravel race and a second time at Traka360. She also made a trip to the United States and finished fourth in the Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona. But since 2024 is her first full-season racing off-road event, even she will reveal what in Unbound about her abilities and competitors
"It's my first year, so I still don't know everyone very well. This is my first time with Unbound. So it's always hard for everyone to see how it will be in the sprint," she said in the mix zone to the media after being in second place in Unbound200.
"It's really great. It's really different. I'm happy to experience this. I have such great sponsors behind me, they let me come from Europe to be here and specialize in particular. It's really great.
Her path to gravel glory is a bit complicated. Zee started cycling racing when she was 19 and did it for fun. "I've been playing volleyball for a very long time and wanted something different.
Her cycling career began in 2008 with the club team, and after several years at the continental level, she stopped racing when her team closed the door. In 2017 he began working as a soigneur for the team Hitec and Cylance, and in 2019 he landed at Lidl-Trek. In 2023 she had the opportunity to focus on her riding again, this time with SD Worx-Protime.
"She stopped cycling, but at that time I thought she was really sad because she was really strong as a road cyclist," SD Worx-Protime sports director Anna van der Breggen recalled in a YouTube video released by Schreurs. "She started pretty late, and she really liked it, but when you don't have experience, it was also quite different [being part of] a bunch. I remember that she crashed many times, and she got some great results.
"I don't know how you came up with it, but I suggested it, why don't you try the gravel race. She had a gravel bike and she liked it on the roads here (in the Netherlands), so she was positive about it," Van der Breggen said. They both wondered if it was possible years later, as schreurs worked as a soigner, but Van der Breggen said the timing was right because the gravel was growing.
"When you look at Geerike's qualities, that's what she can really do well. The longer it takes, the better she will be. And she is of course very motivated. Our kit includes gravel riders who like to race. Team SD Worx-Protime really supports this. We are helping her where we can give her the best preparation and materials, along with a specialty to make her the best gravel rider. "
Schreurs finished second in Traka360 this year, while last year's 200 was fifth in the women's category, but an important poi in her gravel journey as 'the first event that put me in gravel'
"I now know I was a really good soigneur. By always taking care of someone else, you may forget yourself "what I want and what I need," Schreurs said. "When I made the decision last year, I finally decided to do what I wanted to do. And I will not let anyone change my decision. I feel happy about it, that I was brave enough to make that decision and go back to where I didn't [leave] with a good feeling."
Now getting the podium at Unbound Gravel200, Schreurs said he plans to stay in the U.S. to compete in the Oregon Trail Gravel held at June26-30 as one of the global events of the Gravel Earth series.
"I'm really looking forward to it [the Oregon Trail] as well. It's going to be another American experience. And just have some time in between to relax and enjoy America.”
.
Comments