UCI Gravel World Series: Aaron Van der Beken and Wendy Oosterwoud win first edition of Flanders Legacy Gravel

By published

First qualifying event for the 2026 World Gravel Championship held in Leuven, Belgium

The pack of riders pictured in action during the men elite race at the UCI World Gravel Championships, Sunday 12 October 2025, in Maastricht, The Netherlands. BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM (Photo by DIRK WAEM / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP)
Racing at the UCI Gravel World Championships, which the UCI Gravel World Series events act as qualifiers for (Image credit: Getty Images)

Aaron Van der Beken (Ridley) and Wendy Oosterwoud (PAS) won the inaugural Flanders Legacy Gravel, part of the UCI Gravel World Series. The Leuven gravel race is the first qualifying race for the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships, to be held in Australia.

In the women’s elite category, Oosterwoud claimed the victory with a time of 4:34:28 over the 147km course, besting her closest rivals by 23 seconds. Nathalie Bex won the sprint for second place ahead of Tessa Neefjes.

“Great way to end the season! Took the win today in Leuven! Will now take some time off of the bike and try to get back stronger next season,” Oosterwoud posted on Instagram.

Van der Beken sprinted to victory from a 12-rider lead group in the men’s elite race, crossing the line in 4:02:12. Mats Omloop (VolkerWessels) and Jan Bakelants followed in second and third, while Jody Bouts and Greg Van Avermaet rounded out the top five.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Elite women's top 5

Position

Rider

Time

1

Wendy Oosterwoud

4:34:28

2

Nathalie Bex

4:34:51

3

Tessa Neefjes

4:34:52

4

Marjolein Van’t Geloof

4:35:48

5

Hanne van Loock

4:35:54

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Elite men's top 5

Position

Rider

Time

1

Aaron Van der Beken

4:02:12

2

Mats Omloop

4:02:12

3

Jan Bakelants

4:02:12

4

Jody Bouts

4:02:12

5

Greg van Avermaet

4:02:13

Row 5 - Cell 0 Row 5 - Cell 1 Row 5 - Cell 2
Lyne Lamoureux
Lyne Lamoureux

Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men's and women's news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites. 

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Latest on Cyclingnews