The first Gravel World Championship was won on a road bike

Belgian Gianni Vermeersch has become the first UCI Gravel World Champion, but he did it on a road bike: the Canyon Ultimate CFR.

Gianni Vermeersch chose a Canyon Ultimate CFR to win the Gravel World Championship

The Alpecin-Deceuninck team shared a post the week before the World Championships suggesting that the Canyon Grizl would be the model used by its riders to race. It was Canyon's most non-racing gravel model, but even Mathieu van der Poel shared a pre-race workout on his Strava account on the bike.

On the day of the race it was confirmed that the final choice was a completely different one. Both Gianni Vermeersch and Mathieu van der Poel opted for a Canyon Ultimate CFR, a road model, configured for gravel terrain. A choice that seems more appropriate considering that the course was practically flat with no technical or very rough sections.

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One of the keys to this set-up is the choice of low-profile Shimano Dura-Ace C36 wheels with 33 mm tyres at the front and 35 mm tyres at the rear. This goes beyond Canyon's recommendations, which for this model indicate a maximum tyre size of 32 mm at the front.

Gianni Vermeersch's complete Canyon Ultimate CFR set-up

• Frame: Canyon Ultimate CFR, size S
• Handlebars: Canyon Aerocockpit CP0015 with Selle Italia tape
• Drivetrain: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2. 170 mm crankset with 52/36 power meter. Cassette 11-34
• Pedals: Shimano Dura-Ace Road 9100
• Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace C36
• Tyres: Tubeless Victoria Terreno Dry TNT, 700×33 mm at front and 700×35 mm at rear
• Bottle cage: Elite Prism with Vittoria Pit Stop liquid sealant holder
• Saddle: Italia Flite Superflow