Sun, Speed, and Gravel: 2025 Gravel One Fifty Race Report

Words and Photography by James Ion

Race Overview

Under a radiant July sun in the Dutch province of Drenthe, nearly 2,000 gravel riders set off from the town of Roden for the 4th edition of Gravel One Fifty. It was a “sun-drenched edition” in stark contrast to last year’s mud bath. The course was fast, flat, and dusty, transforming the normally tranquil forest and farm roads into a high-speed playground.

Riders had registered from 26 countries, all eager to qualify for the UCI Gravel World Championships later this year. Most tackled the full 150 km route, while some categories took on a shorter 80 km course. At 10:00 AM, the mayor fired the start pistol for the 150 km race, sending the massive field “off the beaten track” and into the beautiful trails of Drenthe. Two hours later, another wave of riders embarked on the 80 km route.

Conditions were ideal, a few dry days had left the gravel hard-packed, and a bright sun and light breeze set the stage for blistering speeds. In fact, on some straight sections, the lead riders averaged 43 km/h in the first hour, an almost unbelievable pace on dirt. The peloton soon strung out into echelons of dust. Spectators lined the course in villages and at crossroads, cheering and ringing cowbells, while the town square (the “Brink” in Roden) bustled with an enthusiastic crowd awaiting the finish. As one organiser put it, “The Brink in Roden turned sporty, atmospheric, and a bit dusty today… You made this day unforgettable.” The stage was set for an unforgettable gravel showdown.

Men’s Pro Race: Dutch Triumph at Gravel One Fifty

The men’s elite field was stacked with talent and took full advantage of the flat terrain, making it one of the fastest, most competitive gravel races of the year. Pre-race favourites included Dutch gravel specialists and road converts like Jasper Ockeloen and Ivar Slik, cyclocross stars like Laurens Sweeck and Joris Nieuwenhuis, and a contingent of international riders hungry to qualify for Worlds. From the gun, attacks flew: two riders even jumped off the front early, forcing a furious chase behind. The front pack remained large and aggressively paced, about 20–25 riders stayed together for much of the 150 km, despite many breakaway attempts on the fast straights. Last year’s winner, Brit Thomas Mein, marked moves as others tried to escape, and the race averaged over 36 km/h overall. By the final kilometres, a lead group of roughly 20 thundered toward Roden, setting up a dramatic finale.

Ultimately, 23-year-old Jordan Habets of the Netherlands delivered the decisive move. Habets launched a late attack on a road section just kilometres from the line, finally snapping the elastic to his rivals. He soloed onto the finish straight 5 seconds clear to claim victory in 4:06:45.

Just behind him, 22-year-old Kamiel Notebaert of Belgium gave chase and crossed in 4:06:50 for second place. Mein, the defending champion, sprinted in 14 seconds behind Habets to secure third in 4:06:59, rounding out the podium.

The battle for the top spots was intense; fourth and fifth-placed Ryan Kamp (NED) and Mauro Verwilt (BEL) finished a mere 10 seconds behind Mein, practically on his wheel at the line. A dozen riders hit the finish within half a minute of the winner, emblematic of how tightly contested the race was in the front group.

Men’s Top 5 Results: 

1. Jordan Habets (NED) – 4:06:45;

2. Kamiel Notebaert (BEL) – +0:05;

3. Thomas Mein (GBR) – +0:14;

4. Ryan Kamp (NED) – +0:24;

5. Mauro Verwilt (BEL) – +0:25.

Habets’ win was a breakthrough on home soil; the Dutch rider from a Continental road team (Metec-Solarwatt) used his road-racing tactics to perfection. “What a day!” Habets posted on Instagram, celebrating his triumph with a photo of himself covered in Drenthe dust and a proud grin. Notebaert’s second place at just 22 years old also turned heads, as did the return of Mein to the podium, showing last year was no fluke. Notable performances abounded in the top 10: seasoned WorldTour road pro Ramon Sinkeldam showed his gravel chops by sprinting in for 6th (same time as 4th), Dutch legend Jasper Ockeloen took 8th, and cyclocrosser Laurens Sweeck finished 10th, all in that front pack. British rider Harry Tanfield animated the race with an early breakaway; though he was reeled in, he hung on to finish in the top 20, exemplifying the all-out aggression of the day. When the dust settled (literally), the men’s race had delivered what Gravel One Fifty promised: speed, tactics, and a worthy winner.

Women’s Pro Race: Markus by a Tire’s Width

In the elite women’s competition, fans were treated to a nail-biting duel that went right down to the wire. A strong field of 20+ women had their own start, ahead of a few hundred very eager 19-35 year old age group riders (more on that later), and it quickly became apparent that two riders were head and shoulders above the rest on the day.

Dutch WorldTour rider Femke Markus (Team SD Worx-Protime) and Germany’s Rosa Klöser (Canyon Zonda) broke clear of the other women relatively early, and from then on it was a two-up battle. Markus, fresh off a summer of road racing, was using Gravel One Fifty as a chance to secure Worlds qualification on home turf. Klöser, by contrast, has been a gravel specialist on a hot streak. She arrived in Drenthe having won the last two UCI Gravel World Series rounds (Eislek in Luxembourg and Hegau in Germany) and was hungry for a third consecutive victory. The pair pushed each other at a blistering pace, even integrating into fast-moving packs of male riders at times. No one else could hold their wheel; by mid-race, they had several minutes on the chasers.

Ultimately, nothing separated Markus and Klöser until the final meter. They entered the finishing straight in Roden together, sprinting all-out after 150 km of racing. In a tight finish, Femke Markus narrowly edged out Rosa Klöser; both women were credited with the same finishing time of 4:24:56. It was a perfectly executed bike throw by Markus that made the difference at the line.

“Really nice to ride a gravel race in between the road races. Suffered a lot today but really happy to win the sprint from the strong Rosa Klöser,” - Femke Markus

Klöser came away disappointed to miss the win, but her performance reinforced her status as one of the gravel elite. The two leaders were so dominant that third place was over five minutes in arrears: Julia Kopecky of the Czech Republic (Markus’ trade teammate) claimed the final podium spot, finishing solo 5:21 behind in ~4:30:17. Kopecky managed to distance the rest of the field to secure that third step. Behind her, Dutch riders Tessa Neefjes and Esmée Peperkamp rolled in +7:13 and +8:42 off the winner’s time, taking 4th and 5th and rounding out a very strong showing by the Netherlands in the women’s race.

Women’s Top 5 Results: 

1. Femke Markus (NED) – 4:24:56;

2. Rosa Klöser (GER) – 4:24:56 (photo finish);

3. Julia Kopecky (CZE) – +5:21;

4. Tessa Neefjes (NED) – +7:13;

5. Esmée Peperkamp (NED) – +8:42.

The women’s race may have been smaller in numbers, but it was overflowing with talent. Markus’ victory was remarkable, the 28-year-old normally races on tarmac at the WorldTour level, yet she proved she can handle “flat, fast and full-gas” gravel just as well (and earned herself a ticket to October’s Worlds in Limburg). Klöser showed why she’d been undefeated in gravel this summer until this sprint. Notably, Annika Langvad of Denmark, a former MTB world champion, made her gravel debut here and rode to an impressive 9th place, about 12 minutes behind the winner. Dutch cyclocross icon Annemarie Worst also toed the line; she faded late and finished 18th after suffering some mechanical issues, but her presence underlines how Gravel One Fifty attracted stars from every corner of cycling. From road racers to cyclocrossers to mountain bikers, the women’s field was a microcosm of the broader gravel movement, all drawn by the promise of a Worlds spot and a great day of racing in Drenthe. In the end, Markus and Klöser provided the perfect highlight, sprinting shoulder-to-shoulder in front of an ecstatic crowd. As the dust settled, Markus smiled through her exhaustion, and the praise began pouring in on Instagram for what many called an “instant classic” gravel showdown.

Age Group Adventures and Masters Qualifiers

Gravel One Fifty isn’t just for the pros; it’s equally a mass-participation gravel gran fondo, and the age group riders brought their own drama and triumphs. With nearly 2,000 participants on course, the majority were amateur “graveleurs” of all ages, each chasing personal goals.

Most were also chasing the carrot of World Championships qualification: any rider finishing in the top 25% of their age/gender category would earn a coveted spot at Worlds. This drew an incredibly diverse crowd, from lean young racers in their 20s to weekend warriors in their 40s to grizzled gravel veterans in their 60s. The event featured multiple categories, typically 19-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-59, all doing 150 km, and then the older masters (Men 60+ and Women 50+) racing on an 80 km course that started at midday.

While the elites grabbed headlines, the age-group races produced plenty of heroics and stories. In the 80 km masters division, Dutch riders dominated: Freo ten Hove blitzed the men’s 60+ field in 2:26:40, and Sandra ’t Hart was the fastest of the women 50+ with 2:38:27. These times are jaw-dropping, even at 60 years old, ten Hove averaged well over 30 km/h on gravel! Both he and ’t Hart punched their tickets to Worlds, showing that talent and fitness aren’t confined to the young. Across the other categories, riders fought just as hard. Age-group podiums were celebrated with the same gusto as the pros. For instance, the Men 50-54 category (which still did 150 km) saw a sprint finish among local Dutch strongmen, decided by less than a bike length. In Women 40+, a Belgian rider triumphed and tearfully dedicated her win to her young kids waiting at the finish. Countless personal victories unfolded: riders conquering their first 150 km ride, others setting PRs, and some simply revelling in the unique camaraderie of gravel racing. One finisher in the 40-44 group joked at the line, “I’ve never been passed by so many strong women on gravel, it was humbling and awesome!” a nod to the mixed-field nature of the start.

By day’s end, hundreds of riders across 13 age categories had earned World Champs qualification (the top 25% rule), and every finisher had a tale to tell. For some, Gravel One Fifty was an “ultimate chance” to prove themselves on home ground; for others, it was simply about enjoying a well-organised adventure on two wheels. As one 50+ finisher put it while enjoying a hard-earned beer in the festival area: “This wasn’t just a race, it was a gravel party with 2,000 friends I hadn’t met yet.” The age-groupers brought colour and heart to the event, their stories intertwining with the pros to create a truly inclusive cycling celebration.

Praise and Critiques

In the aftermath of the race, social media lit up with reactions from pros and amateurs alike. Instagram, in particular, captured the day’s emotions, from triumph to tribulation. The official @gravelonefifty account posted stunning shots of sun-lit gravel roads packed with riders, and finish-line photos of exhausted, elated racers. One post showed a drone shot of the starting peloton snaking through golden fields, captioned: “What a day to remember – sun, dust, and smiles for miles!” The community feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Participants praised the friendly volunteers, the well-marked course, and the lively atmosphere in Roden. “Best gravel event in the Netherlands, hands down,” one commenter wrote, citing the mix of serious racing and fun vibes. Another popular post by a local rider showed his once-white socks turned completely brown by Drenthe dust, joking, “Proof of a day well spent off-road!”

However, amid the praise, there was also constructive criticism and discussion, particularly regarding the women’s race format. Quite a few of the elite women's field took to social media to express their disappointment at how their race was influenced by the age groups. With only a few minutes between their start and the beginning of the age group race after only a few kilometres, they were caught by a huge peloton of highly motivated and eager racers. Different accounts have described how this group "tore" through the women's pack, with no warning, and it led to the race becoming a battle for survival rather than a competition. Not only did this lead to an unfair race for the pro women, but it also had many safety concerns and led to numerous crashes, DNFs. Not a good look for a professional bike race. As one rider put it, "The failure to give the elite women a fair race is putting us at physical and financial risk". Careers and livelihoods are on the line, where a top result can mean more sponsors and bigger races, and being knocked down by an overenthusiastic amateur can end your career.

Organisers responded in the days after by acknowledging the feedback. In an Instagram story, Gravel One Fifty’s team stated they “missjudged the time gap” and that it "left a bitter aftertaste" and will consider adjustments to ensure this is improved for next year. It is worth noting that putting on such a huge event is by no means an easy task, with so many variables and unexpected changes, but the fact is that this keeps happening to the women's race at a lot of UCI Gravel events. Gravel One Fifty is not the only event with issues, but they have taken it on board and will no doubt make it better for next year. It does, however, highlight the need for dialogue. The fact that this was happening openly is a testament to gravel racing’s community spirit, participants and organisers working together to improve the sport. (Keep an eye out for a more in-depth look at this issue in the coming weeks)

Aside from that debate, the event earned high marks. Riders raved about the fast course conditions, especially given the horror stories from 2024’s rain-soaked edition. (“Sunshine over mud any day,” laughed one rider). The local support was also a highlight: spectators in the villages, curious farmers waving from their fields, and kids offering water sprays to cool the riders. The post-race scene on the Brink was like a village fair, with food trucks, music, and cyclists swapping war stories. Many Instagram photos showed not just the racing, but the after-party vibe: finishers proudly wearing their Gravel One Fifty medals, and toasting with local brew.

In summary, the 2025 Gravel One Fifty delivered with blistering competition at the sharp end, personal achievements throughout the pack, and a joyful gravel community experience. The podium saw new stars crowned (Habets and Markus) in dramatic fashion, and the Dutch home fans had much to celebrate with local riders featuring heavily in the results. The fast, flat course earned a reputation as both accessible and challenging, easy on paper, but ruthless at race pace. Praise flowed for the event’s organisation and atmosphere, while constructive critiques (like those regarding women’s start waves) will no doubt help shape an even better edition next year. As the sun set on Roden, Instagram feeds filled with images of dusty bikes, big smiles, and quotes like “Can’t wait for 2026!” For one golden summer day, the quiet trails of Drenthe became the centre of the gravel universe, and every rider, pro or amateur, left with a story to tell from the Gravel One Fifty 2025.