Cyclist Marianne Vos from Babyloniënbroek came second on Saturday at the 2025 Gravel World Championships in Limburg. Lorena Wiebes was slightly faster than the title defender from Brabant and took gold. The bronze went to Italy’s Silvia Persico. Yara Kastelijn from Neerkant finished fourth and became the most talked about cyclist of the race.
The gold seemed to go to Shirin van Anrooij from Zeeland, who had cycled away alone from the leading group. Kastelijn decided to chase Wiebes with less than two kilometers to go. Several cyclists followed, after which Van Anrooij was eventually overtaken shortly before the finish. Wiebes sprinted to victory ahead of Vos.
Immediately afterwards, Van Anrooij was very disappointed that she was not awarded the victory by Kastelijn, her roommate at the Road Cycling World Championships in Rwanda. “I have always been a ‘team player’ in the national selections. I don’t understand why the gap had to be closed. If there is someone from your country in the lead who is certainly going to become world champion, then you let him ride, I think. I don’t want to say too much about it, but this was my chance and it was taken away from me,” she said to the NOS.
National coach Laurens ten Dam was happy that a Dutchman won the rainbow jersey, but found it ‘very sad’ that Van Anrooij was not allowed to take a seat on the highest step of the podium. “I know that Yara and Shirin had a very good bond. I have yet to speak to Yara, but I think she has completely gone for her own chance.”