{"id":42368,"date":"2022-10-09T23:25:45","date_gmt":"2022-10-09T21:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=699801"},"modified":"2022-10-10T00:44:13","modified_gmt":"2022-10-09T22:44:13","slug":"a-road-bike-wins-the-gravel-worlds-gianni-vermeerschs-gravel-tuned-canyon-ultimate-cfr","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/a-road-bike-wins-the-gravel-worlds-gianni-vermeerschs-gravel-tuned-canyon-ultimate-cfr\/","title":{"rendered":"A road bike wins the gravel worlds | Gianni Vermeersch\u2019s gravel-tuned Canyon Ultimate CFR"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By George Scott\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 09 October 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Belgium\u2019s Gianni Vermeersch soloed to victory to claim the men\u2019s rainbow jersey at the inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships \u2013 riding a road bike.<\/p>\n

Having established a two-man breakaway with Italy\u2019s Daniel Oss with 130km of the 194km course to race, Vermeersch attacked with 10km remaining aboard a Canyon Ultimate CFR shod with Vittoria Terreno Dry tubeless gravel tyres (33mm at the front, 35mm at the rear).<\/p>\n

Vermeersch\u2019s Alpecin-Fenix team-mate and pre-race tip Mathieu van der Poel finished third to round out a podium dominated by WorldTour pros, in a race that favoured the road stars dipping their toe into gravel, over the gravel specialists, including 2022 Unbound winner Ivar Silk.<\/p>\n

That was reflected in equipment choices, too. With only 800m of climbing and hard-packed conditions, some riders opted for road frames and gearing, with gravel tyres swapped in, over specialist gravel machines.<\/p>\n

Vermeersch, who cut his teeth in cyclocross, and van der Poel were among them, while Oss (and Peter Sagan) was riding a Specialized Roubaix endurance road bike<\/a> with gravel tyres.<\/p>\n

An Ultimate in gravel disguise<\/h2>\n
\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Gianni Vermeersch and Daniel Oss broke clear with 130km remaining at the 2022 Gravel World Championships.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Vermeersch and van der Poel used the new Canyon Ultimate<\/a>, launched only in September.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an evolutionary update of the previous Ultimate, with subtle aero tweaks and, crucially as far as this race was concerned, increased tyre clearance.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Mathieu van der Poel also rode the Canyon Ultimate CFR.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Canyon quotes a maximum tyre clearance of 32mm but, as is typically the case, there\u2019s room to run a larger tyre than what the brand officially recommends.<\/p>\n

Vermeersch\u2019s mechanic squeezed in 35mm rubber at the rear and 33mm at the front, owing to the tighter fork clearance, according to Bici da Strada<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Vermeersch maxed out the Ultimate\u2019s clearance with a 33mm tyre at the front and 35mm at the rear.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The lack of both climbing and technical terrain at the inaugural UCI-sanctioned Gravel World Championships has put the event at odds with trailblazing gravel races such as Unbound.<\/p>\n

However, the evolution of the best road bikes<\/a> \u2013 notably the adoption of disc brakes and the increased tyre clearances that have followed \u2013 has enabled top-tier race machines to feature when, just a few years ago, an event like this would have been the preserve of cyclocross or early gravel bikes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The CFR is Canyon\u2019s top-tier frame.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The Vittoria Terreno Dry<\/a> tyres used by both Vermeersch and van der Poel were a popular option across the men\u2019s and women\u2019s elite races at the gravel worlds \u2013 and are among the best gravel tyres<\/a> we\u2019ve tested.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The tube shapes have been subtly tweaked for 2023.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

It features a scaled pattern on the centre strip, combined with a more aggressive pattern on the shoulders.<\/p>\n

As the name suggests, this is a tyre for dry conditions, with Vittoria describing it as an option that bridges the gap between a file tread tyre and a more aggressive all-weather rubber.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Belgian Vermeersch rides both road and cyclocross \u2013 and now gravel.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Vermeersch ran the tyres tubeless on a set of low-profile Shimano Dura-Ace C36 wheels.<\/p>\n

Flat-out fast<\/h2>\n
\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Road gearing for Vermeersch.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The 29-year-old\u2019s gearing was representative of the fast course, with a road setup \u2013 Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 with a double crankset \u2013 over gravel-specific gearing.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The hardpacked course was predominantly flat.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Vermeersch was using semi-compact 52-36t chainrings, though, and the 11-34t cassette now available with Dura-Ace ensured an appropriate spread of gears for road and off-road riding.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Battle scars.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Other spec details include Canyon\u2019s Aerocockpit, with a 110mm stem and handlebar that can be adjusted between 390mm and 430mm.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a Selle Italia Flite Superflow saddle.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The new Ultimate has a familiar silhouette.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

On the Elite Prism bottle cage mounted to the down tube, you can also see a Vittoria Pit Stop kit, in the event of Vermeersch requiring hasty inflation in a race devoid of the useful mechanical support seen in WorldTour road races.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
You can see a Vittoria Pit Stop kit on the other side of the bottle cage.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Subtle tweaks<\/h2>\n
\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The first men\u2019s gravel world champion.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Back to the Ultimate, and the geometry of Canyon\u2019s updated all-rounder has been tweaked to match that of the Aeroad aero bike.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Canyon\u2019s Aerocockpit and a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt computer up front.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

In terms of aero improvements, the Ultimate\u2019s tubes are slightly more angular than the outgoing version, and that\u2019s most noticeable below the fork crown.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Van der Poel may have been the pre-race favourite, but his Alpecin-Fenix team-mate took the title.<\/span><\/figcaption> Canyon \/ Tornanti 202<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Canyon claims a drag saving of five watts at 45kpg, while the fork design yields a 15 per cent boost in stiffness, according to the German brand.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p><\/body><\/html>\n

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By George Scott Published: Sunday, 09 October 2022 at 12:00 am Belgium\u2019s Gianni Vermeersch soloed to victory to claim the men\u2019s rainbow jersey at the inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships \u2013 riding a road bike. Having established a two-man breakaway with Italy\u2019s Daniel Oss with 130km of the 194km course to race, Vermeersch attacked with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":42369,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"6"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/10\/a-road-bike-wins-the-gravel-worlds-gianni-vermeerschs-gravel-tuned-canyon-ultimate-cfr.jpg",2400,1600,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/10\/a-road-bike-wins-the-gravel-worlds-gianni-vermeerschs-gravel-tuned-canyon-ultimate-cfr-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/10\/a-road-bike-wins-the-gravel-worlds-gianni-vermeerschs-gravel-tuned-canyon-ultimate-cfr-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/10\/a-road-bike-wins-the-gravel-worlds-gianni-vermeerschs-gravel-tuned-canyon-ultimate-cfr-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/10\/a-road-bike-wins-the-gravel-worlds-gianni-vermeerschs-gravel-tuned-canyon-ultimate-cfr-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/10\/a-road-bike-wins-the-gravel-worlds-gianni-vermeerschs-gravel-tuned-canyon-ultimate-cfr-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2022\/10\/a-road-bike-wins-the-gravel-worlds-gianni-vermeerschs-gravel-tuned-canyon-ultimate-cfr-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By George Scott Published: Sunday, 09 October 2022 at 12:00 am Belgium\u2019s Gianni Vermeersch soloed to victory to claim the men\u2019s rainbow jersey at the inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships \u2013 riding a road bike. Having established a two-man breakaway with Italy\u2019s Daniel Oss with 130km of the 194km course to race, Vermeersch attacked with…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/42368"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}