Silvia Persico returned to the podium at the UCI Gravel World Championships, claiming a precious bronze medal that shines like gold. Surrounded by a strong contingent of Dutch riders, the UAE Team ADQ athlete fought until the very last pedal stroke and, in the final sprint, seized a brilliant medal with her trademark grit and determination.
The new Gravel World Champion is Lorena Wiebes, with Marianne Vos taking second place and Persico finishing third — in a top ten dominated by Dutch riders, with seven of them among the first ten. Despite the orange dominance, Persico, over the 131 km route through the gravel roads of Limburg – from Beek to Maastricht – showed once again the form of her best days. Strong, focused, and determined, she was always in the thick of the action, playing her cards perfectly until the finish line.
At 28 years old, Silvia Persico adds another prestigious result to her record: after winning silver at the 2023 Gravel World Championships and at the 2024 European Championships, she once again confirms her great affinity with this discipline.
For UAE Team ADQ, this marks the sixth medal of the year across European and World Championships – spanning road, time trial, track, and gravel.
Silvia Persico said: “It was a very tough race. We started at an easy pace, but once the breakaway went, the rhythm increased. I was surrounded by Dutch riders. I tried to attack a couple of times, then in the finale we were five chasing Shirin van Anrooij. We managed to catch her, and in the end, I did my sprint. I’m really happy with this medal because I wanted it so much. Now my focus is on the last race on Wednesday with the team at the Giro del Veneto, and then I’ll take a bit of rest.”
(ph. Federciclismo)
