Jessica Nelson - UCI Gravel World Championships

Jessica Nelson - UCI Gravel World Championships
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. The race countdown is starting. It was no small feat to be there, standing with one foot in my pedal and my other on the ground in Beek, Limburg, Netherlands for the UCI Gravel World Championships. I had been training for this moment the past twelve months, logging hundreds of hours on the bike, often early in the morning before my busy day as a working mom of three began.  For over a year, my commitment to the grueling process of regaining my fitness after the birth of my third child was fueled by this image, this dream of wearing a USA jersey and racing my bike in Europe. The terrain in Limburg was very different from my training routes in my home state of Utah, and likewise, very different from the qualifying race in Mammoth Lakes, California just a month prior. I still couldn't believe that I had made it! The seconds wind down, the race is about to start. I’m hopeful for a strong performance, but I am also overjoyed with the accomplishment of being there, lined up next to women my age from around the world. I might have shed a few tears if I wasn’t pumped full of adrenaline.

And thank goodness for that adrenaline, because we were quite literally off to the races the second the clock hit 11:20 at the end of the countdown. No neutral start, just full gas racing from the gun. I knew intellectually that this was how the race would play out. That hunch was reinforced by watching women next to me warm up on rollers in our starting box. I was mentally prepared for a hot start, and had pre-ridden the course so I knew the length and gradient of the first punchy climb. The energetic demands at that speed and intensity so early on were not totally dissimilar from other gravel races I'd done, though I still had never experienced anything quite like it. I hung on and thought I survived the initial selection, but then we started to catch male age group riders and it was difficult to know what was going on with our race. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the top women in my category likely separated early on in this confusion. I decided that I would race as hard as I could so that I would feel proud of my effort. The final result would take care of itself.

For the next four hours, I fought so hard to maintain my position. It was like a crit race going on and off of narrow gravel roads and bike paths with endless corners. Although I am relatively inexperienced in crit racing, I quickly got the hang of it and learned to seek the outside line with a wider angle on the turns to carry more speed with me. This was nothing like American gravel racing, but I loved it. The parcours for my age group was two and a half laps on a circuit that was mostly flat with a few punchy sections and a couple of short climbs scattered throughout. We rode through beautiful fields and farmland, but I loved the forested sections the most. However, one of those forest sections contained a washboard-y descent that became a bottle graveyard. My support crew executed feed zone bottle hand ups perfectly as we finished the first lap, though I still had to chase back on to catch the riders I was with. I had so many doubts about how long I could maintain this kind of effort, but my legs felt great and the advantages of coming from Utah altitude were tangible. On one of the steepest sections the second time through, the group came to a standstill and I had to put a foot down. I put in a serious effort to catch back up, but thankfully I still had good legs. Twice we rode through the Wijnandsrade Castle with a fanzone full of spectators cheering and playing music. As we came through the first time, I couldn't help but smile and pump my fist with the crowd. The second time we came through the castle, I was riding next to a German woman at the front. As we made a sharp left turn, she slid out right in front of me! Luckily I was able to stay upright. I grabbed her bike and made sure she was ok, and we ended up finishing the race together. Her Austrian friend, who also rode so strong all day, thanked me for helping her. Assisting her back on her bike was completely instinctual and something I did out of respect for the strong rider she was and her efforts to keep our group working together.

As we got closer to the finish in Maastricht, I started to feel excited because I had the energy to finish strong. But I also felt twinges of sadness because it was going to be over soon. It was the most intense race I had ever done, but it was also the most thrilling and epic race I had ever lined up for. We were in close proximity to cycling history with the Amstel Gold Race, the legendary spring classic, and the nearby city of Valkenburg has hosted the road cycling world championships several times. I had never raced in a women's field that deep, nor had I ever seen or heard that many fans screaming "Allez! Allez! Allez!" or even the occasional "USA! USA!" as I pedaled by. The international competition added another layer, making this the most unique race I had ever participated in. At about 1 km to go, I put in an effort to make the other women in my category in our large group chase me down, though ultimately I got edged at the line by riders from Germany and Belgium in my field. 

I was completely out of energy at the finish line— I left every effort I had to give out on the course, and I was so proud of that. It feels good to empty the tank and know that you have given your absolute very best. When I found out I came in right about mid pack, 51st out of about 100 riders, I was kind of disappointed initially because I would’ve loved to finish in the top 25%. But I was the 1st US rider in my age group in a very competitive and large category where about 1/3 of our field were wearing bright orange Dutch uniforms. It was a baptism by fire in European racing. I was well prepared, had good legs, and raced above the level I thought I was capable of. 

When I was 11 years old, I used to imagine that my rides at the local park were stages of the Tour de France. I even came up with names and commentary for the “climb" I summited at the top of the hill. I’d like to think that my younger self would be proud of me for finding a way to race in Europe, something I never would have dreamed was possible, not just because I'm a woman (I didn't know that women raced bikes), but because I didn't know that amateurs can compete at the global level. After looking forward to and building my fitness for a whole year, competing at the UCI Gravel World Championships was everything I hoped it would be and more. I had generous support from family and friends, Plan7 Endurance Coaching, QEJA, and Formula 369. This wouldn’t have been possible without my community and each of these brand partners. I owe many thanks to my wonderful husband who encouraged me to pursue this dream, even if it meant him shouldering an imbalance of parenting duties while I trained and raced. This race was an experience I will never forget, and an incredible ending to my gravel-focused race season. I left the finish in Maastricht feeling energized and motivated to work hard this off season. I'm excited to draw from this experience as I line up for more gravel races in 2026!

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