Nicole Frain (Factor Racing) punched the air as she won the elite women's rae at Bolero Turnhout Gravel from a three rider front group. Jarno Bellens (Baloise verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) rode solo across the line for the elite men's victory in the Belgian round of the UCI Gravel World Series.
It was a dry day for the second edition of Turnhout Gravel, with a 72.1km circuit covered twice for 144.2km, with sections of cobbles and narrow canal paths north of Turnhout, Belgium. A long section of 15km along the canal was a new addition for 2026, and proved decisive in the women's race.
More than half of the women's 47-rider field remained within a handful of minutes of the front group after the first lap. It was along the singletrack dirt next to the canal where separations opened, with Frain, Anne Knijnenburg (VolkerWessels) and Wendy Oosterwoud (PAS Racing) pushing away from the next trio of contenders – former road professional Romy Kasper, Kirstie Van Haaften and Maaike Coljé.
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Frain accelerated away from her Dutch companions across the final 200 metres to win her second gravel race of the year. Knijnenburg was second and Oosterwoud, who was second last year, finished third. As the Oceania gravel champion from her victory at RADL GRVL, Frain carried the white and blue Continental jersey across the line in the top spot for the first time.
Just ten seconds after Frain crossed the line, Van Haaften lead the next trio over the line to take fourth while it was fifth for Coljé and sixth for Kasper.
In the elite men's race, which featured 152 starters, 11 riders formed a front group on the second circuit. It was not until 6km to go that Bellens accelerated at the front, his teammate Robbe Mellaerts helping to slow the response behind. The 25-year-old Bellens established a gap of 29 seconds that could not be closed and won in his debut at a Gravel World Series event.
From the 10-rider chase group, Martinš Pluto (Energus Cycling) took second and Lander Loockx (Unibet Rose Rockets) sprinted ahead of Piotr Havik (Classified x Rose) to close out the podium.
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Other notable men's riders in the field were Petr Vakoč, who finished 11th, Daan Soete in 12th, Greg Van Avermaet in 19th and Harry Tanfield in 36th. Former Unbound Gravel 200 champion Ivar Slik finished nine minutes back inside the top 65.
Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. On the bike, she has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast), and spends time on gravel around horse farms in north Georgia.
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