Tiffany Cromwell issued a dominant display to win the Tartu Bike Marathon on Saturday, with Lukas Malezsewski taking out the men's race in a five-man sprint, as the Estonian off-road race made its debut as part of the UCI Gravel World Series.
It was a busy weekend of Gravel World Series racing, with events in Girona and in California on the same day.
This was the 29th edition of the Tartu Bike Marathon but the first time it had been included on the UCI's premier gravel series, attracting a strong start list with the promise of rankings points and qualification chances for the UCI Gravel World Championships.
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Cromwell is on the verge of retirement, with the World Champs on home Australian soil next month to be the final act of her 18-year career as a professional cyclist. She proved she's still in top form with a dominant solo ride in the women's race in Tartu, winning by more than three minutes over the 123km route.
Last year's winner Karoliina Leinonen was consigned to second place, while the reigning Estonian gravel champion Aidi Gerde Tuisk rounded out the podium.
The men's race was a different affair, with five riders still in contention as they neared the line. Lukas Malezsewski came out on top in the sprint, ahead of the Estonian rider Kirill Tarassov, and Maris Bogdanovics.
Malezsewski is now in the lead of the elite men's UCI Gravel World Series, say the organisers, with the ranking neck-and-neck between the Belgian and Petr Vakoc.
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