UCI Gravel World Series - Femke Markus outsprints Franz, Hansen and Klöser for women's victory in Sweden

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Toby Perry on his way to victory at Gravel Grit 'n Grind, UCI Gravel World Series round in Halmstad, Sweden 2024(Image credit: Chris Lanaway / Gravel Grit 'n Grind)

Femke Markus (SD Worx-Protime) charged from a four-rider sprint to win the women’s Category of Gravel Grit 'n Grind in Sweden, part of the Trek UCI Gravel World Series. British rider Toby Perry (Classified Ridley Factory Team) flew solo to win the men’s race.

The 136km qualifier course, located just outside Halmstad in Sweden, included a mix of wide-open gravel roads with short but steep climbs that added up to 1,800 metres of climbing. After a start in the backcountry on gravel roads, the village Torup marked the half-way point with the steepest climb. Then it was onto a series of challenging forest tracks and the final stretch on technical, rocky sections back to Halmstad.

Other notable riders in the field for the women were Morgan Aguirre (Enough Cycling), who finished seventh and Danni Shrosbree (FELT UN1TED), who was 16th. In the men’s field, Conor White (Austin Outlaws) finished 22nd, Niki Terpstra (Speed on Wheels Racing) finished 25th, Ted King (iamtedking.com) came in 34th and the silver medallist from Cyclocross World Championships Joris Nieuwenhuis, who won the time trial, was 67th.

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Elite men's top 5
Position	Rider	Time
1	Toby Perry (Classified Ridley Factory)	3:53:38
2	Tijmen Eising (BEAT Cycling)	+1:49
3	Jasper Ockeloen (Sockeloen.com)	+1:50
4	Gustav Frederik Dahl (Airtox-Carl Ras)	+1:52
5	Daan Grosemans (Classified Ridley Factory)	+1:54

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Elite women's top 5
Position	Rider	Time
1	Femke Markus (SD Worx-Protime)	4:30:28
2	Heidi Franz (Lifeplus-Wahoo)	+3
3	Klara Sofie Skovgård Hansen (PAS Racing)	+8
4	Rosa Klöser (MAAP x Rose)	+15
5	Nicole Frain (Hess Cycling)	+2:10

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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. She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast). Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France), and some mtb rides in Park City, Utah (USA).