Jumbo-Visma star Wout van Aert has joined the 'Dirty Kanzelled' gravel ride organised by ex-road pro Laurens ten Dam. The event is an alternative to the postponed Dirty Kanza gravel race, which will now be held in September if the COVID-19 pandemic has eased.
Ten Dam organised the ride, which will be run on Saturday, May 30 and has attracted over 650 participants. The Dutchman mapped numerous gravel routes in Belgium and the Netherlands, though participants are able to map their own via the Komoot route planning app.
So far, 250 routes have been mapped around the world, ranging from countries as far-flung as the USA, Australia and Uganda. Riders are encouraged to follow the COVID-19 lockdown regulations in their own country, whether that's to ride solo or small groups.
Former road riders Peter Stetina and Levi Leipheimer are also taking part in the ride, while Niki Terpstra will ride alongside Ten Dam and Continental pro Ivar Slik. The trio will take on a 320km course in the Netherlands. Van Aert is expected to ride around
northern Belgium near his home in Herentals, east of Antwerp.
For Van Aert, the ride will be another big activity during a busy week, having already faced off against Mathieu van der Poel on Wednesday in the final day of the Container Cup, an indoor heptathlon competition series held on Belgian television.
Van der Poel won the event, setting a time of 8:50 to overhaul Greg Van Avermaet, while Van Aert finished in 12th with a time of 10:26.
As ever with gravel events, the Dirty Kanzelled ride will feature quirky prizes, ranging from bags of coffee to socks and a heart rate monitor.
Dirty Kanzelled prizes
Bonker of the Day will be awarded to the biggest hunger knock. The winner of which will earn themselves some cycling nutrition swag from Nuun and Clif Bar.
CO2 Patron of the Day will be awarded to the riders who suffer the most puncturing unhappiness, with five pairs of Specialized Pathfinder gravel tyres up for grabs.
If you manage to achieve the highest heart rate during Dirty Kanzelled, you’ll win The Hummingbird prize; a Wahoo Tickr heart rate monitor.
The Not So Early Bird prize goes to the tardiest of starters, tallying some great bags of coffee.
As with any gravel riding event, style is expected. With tagged social media evidence, those most fashionable Dirty Kanzelled riders can be awarded MooiBoy of the Day, which translates to ‘Pretty-Boy’. Five pairs of Sockeleon merino socks and a riding jersey are to reward this achievement.
The Crash Test Dummy is a prize nobody wants to win, but if you do have a spectacular lie down, there'll be a three-pack of Kwakzalver sports cosmetics on its way to you.
The most spectacular post-ride celebration picture will win the Party Animal award, along with beers and a BBQ.
Finally, The King of Komoot award is for the creative among us, and will be awarded to the best route created within Komoot.
