This time final 12 months Adam Blazevic was lining up one of many very first races of the UCI Gravel World Collection in Nannup, Western Australia as a relative unknown, maybe slightly underestimated, and unsure simply what this foray into gravel racing would deliver. A lot has modified in 12 months, not only for the Australian rider but additionally for the sequence.
The sequence has stepped as much as a brand new degree in 2023, confirming its place within the race calendar with increasingly fop riders getting into the fray in addition to increasingly organisers placing their palms up to be included within the occasion. Blazevic too has now change into a extra established presence, parlaying an preliminary victory on the SEVEN gravel race in Nannup into a robust opening 12 months on the worldwide gravel racing scene.
Meaning he now begins his new season on Might 13 as something however an unknown. He will probably be a intently watched given that he’s not solely defending champion, but additionally one of the vital profitable riders of the 2022 sequence.
“Final 12 months was actually the primary season I began getting some outcomes that have been observed,” mentioned the 24-year-old who has spent a few years competing at races in highway, mountain bike and cyclocross however appears to have discovered an ideal skillset slot in gravel racing. “So this 12 months I actually wish to proceed to construct on that, and present that I really belong at that degree and am capable of repeat.”
Repeating, not to mention constructing on, 2022 isn’t any small ask, given Blazevic managed to win two rounds of the sequence, plus took to the rostrum on one other event. He additionally came visiting the road within the high ten in all however one of many World Collection races he participated in – and that one miss was as a result of a slashed tyre prevented him from ending.
All that got here in a 12 months which began off with the Nannup Gravel Race to “simply to see the way it went”. “It went fairly nicely,” mentioned Blazevic with attribute understatement.
There isn’t any doubt he can look again on his preliminary season of gravel with loads of cause to be happy and little to remorse.
“I simply went for it final 12 months,” Blazevic advised Cyclingnews from his home-base of Melbourne, as he was ramping up his coaching towards a Nannup season debut on Might 13. “I went all in on it and I can’t actually be sad about something.”
Even the primary all essential UCI Gravel World Championships, ending in a DNF couldn’t present a dampener, not when the 24 12 months previous nonetheless walked away with a robust indicator of development.
“I obtained slightly bit sick earlier than the race and wasn’t capable of end however I used to be nonetheless entrance group of these 20 to 25 high tier world riders in the beginning in order that was additionally a reasonably large second. You would see the place I’d been capable of get to when it comes to kind to be in a bunch with Mathieu van der Poel, Peter Sagan and Greg Van Avermaet.”
So what’s the privateer rider – this 12 months supported by Scott, SRAM, Zipp, Fi’zi:okay, Pedal Mafia, Problem, KASK and KOO – hoping to get from his second season as soon as it kicks into full gear this weekend.
“I wish to proceed the place I left off final 12 months within the UCI Gravel Collection, undoubtedly aiming to be within the high of these races, and in addition get some new experiences within the US and hopefully work in the direction of Worlds once more.” mentioned Blazevic.
As soon as the Western Australian occasion, which is able to host the UCI Gravel World Championships in 2026, has been run Blazevic will rapidly be launching from acquainted territory and into the unknown once more as he takes on Unbound in the USA.
The space at 200 miles, round 320km, will present a stark distinction to the comparatively brief and sharp Gravel Collection races which are sometimes not even half as lengthy. The size can be on the different finish of the spectrum to many of the worldwide racing he has performed exterior gravel, from crits to cyclocross. Meaning Blazevic goes in with the angle that he’ll do the coaching and “get on the beginning line and assess from there”.
It can then be a fast turnaround from Unbound on June 3, with Blazevic racing the brand new European occasion, FNLD gravel, the week later. After that he’ll turning his focus to World Gravel Collection occasions in Europe, then it’s all eyes on the October 7 UCI Gravel World Championships, which will probably be held in Italy for a second 12 months.
Nonetheless, for now the main target is all on Nannup, the place he enters the 125km course with greater than 3,000m of climbing as defending champion. The Australian rounds up to now of the Gravel World Collection have handled Blazevic nicely – he has gained each the UCI Gravel World Collection races held in Australia up to now.
There appears each probability he may add one other Saturday as Blazevic has clearly discovered a self-discipline that fits in gravel and gravel, in flip, has discovered a brand new protagonist.
