Jasper Ockeloen makes it two in a row at Gravel World Series in Belgium

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Jasper Ockeloen (Trek) took out his second round of the UCI Gravel World Series in a row, with the Dutch rider winning Houffa Gravel in Belgium ahead of Belgium's Seppe Rombouts. 

Taking third on the 110km course was South African Hendrik Kruger (Valley Electrical Titan Racing). The race which started and finished in the mountain bike city of Houffalize began with the paved climb of the Rue du Saint Roch – 1km at 10.8% average gradient with a maximum of 16% – then wound through the forests and gravel roads surrounding the city clocking up a total of 1,560m of elevation gain.

A group of four formed, riding together through much of the race with Britain's Ben Thomas the only one of that group to miss out on a podium spot, but still finishing with a three minute gap to the rest of the field.

Ockelon's win not only made it two in a row, with the rider having outsprinted Piotr Havik to take the victory in Sweden's Gravel Grit 'n Grind the week before, but also made him the first repeat overall winner in the series so far. Tessa Neefjes (Giant Liv Benelux Offroad Team) also later took out the women's category to add to her Millau win.

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The race, which acts as a qualifier for the first UCI Gravel World Championships in Veneto Italy on October 8-9, is the seventh round of the Gravel World Series. Four rounds are still to come, with races in Italy and Australia on September 3 and 4 and the final rounds in the Netherlands and Spain on September 17 and 18.