Schelling was forced to do a "Dumoulin" at the World Gravel Championships: "My stomach doesn't handle all that sugar well"

We caught up with Schelling on Sunday morning near Lago Le Bandie, where the starting signal was scheduled for a grueling 169-kilometer race. He greeted us with enthusiasm, joking about how he didn't have anything better to do at that moment. Just a few days earlier, before the start of Gran Piemonte (where he ultimately did not finish), we also had a conversation with the cheerful rider from The Hague. During that interview, the focus was mainly on his successful year on the road and his upcoming transition to Alexandre Vinokourov's team. However, in the northeast of Italy, our discussion revolved around the gravel festival he was eagerly anticipating. "I'm genuinely excited about it; there's no doubt about that," he exclaimed.

Gravel cycling, a discipline that has long transcended its initial hype, continues to gain popularity. For Schelling, participating in gravel races was still relatively new, although he mentioned before the race that he regularly incorporated gravel rides into his training regimen. He explained, "I've only participated in one gravel race this year, but I managed to qualify, so that's a positive. I gave it my all." He was referring to his fifth-place finish in a Polish round of the UCI Gravel World Series. "I did spend a considerable amount of time training on my gravel bike. I live in Girona, so I have ample opportunities for gravel riding there. I'm there quite often, so that's a plus."

When it came to scouting the challenging course in the Prosecco region, Schelling didn't have the chance to do a full reconnaissance, partly by choice. He shared, "I've only explored two sections – the starting portion and the final eight kilometers. The rest remains a bit of a mystery to me, so I'm also looking forward to some surprises." With a grin, the young cyclist added, "I did discover that the last eight kilometers are really intense, featuring a few steep descents. You need to be extra cautious in that section. Moreover, you'll reach it after a demanding race, when you're already exhausted. That makes those sections even more challenging."

In the context of the preview mentioned earlier, the South Hollander expressed confidence in his technical skills. He stated, "I won't claim to be one of the most technically proficient riders in this field, but I believe I can hold my own. It won't be a weakness for me. So, I'm quite ambitious going into this. I'm aiming for a good result, with the goal of staying competitive for the first 120 kilometers. I should note that I'm not in my best form. I had only two weeks of training due to a knee injury, which isn't ideal for my chances. I'm an optimist, but I do have some doubts about my fitness. A top ten finish would definitely make me happy."

Several Dutch riders participated in the elite men's race. However, according to Schelling, there doesn't necessarily need to be cooperation among the Dutch contingent. He remarked, "That's not really my style. I've even mentioned that I'm not a fan of riding for someone else or designating a leader. We're all here for ourselves, so I think it would be a bit odd for anyone to claim the role of leader. Of course, we won't be working against each other, but we also won't be making a big fuss about who's leading. These are Schelling's final words before embarking on his challenging journey."

We've now transitioned from Lago Le Bandie to Pieve di Soligo, where we find Schelling crossing the finish line in 27th place, almost twenty minutes behind the winner, Matej Mohoric. He comes in as the third Dutch rider, following Jasper Ockeloen and Laurens ten Dam. It's quite understandable that Schelling needs a moment to catch his breath before speaking with IDLProCycling.com. Once he regains his composure, he takes the time to share his thoughts. "Mamma mia! I'm really exhausted. It was incredibly intense. What a day, oh man. I'm looking forward to the offseason," he reflects, capturing the intensity of the race beautifully.

"It was really quite intense. I suffered from start to finish," he continued his analysis. "Right from the start, it was full speed. Basically, I managed to stay in the mix, although every now and then, I had moments when I thought I could be a little closer to the front. I also crashed once, but that was my own fault. My chain came off, though, so that took a while to fix. All in all, it was a great experience. The course was also very beautiful but especially challenging," said a breathless Schelling.

Is a similar world championship worth repeating if it were up to Schelling? In principle, I think so. The scenery around it is superb, but during the race itself, I often thought, "goddamn, this is hard." Somehow, I expected it, but it's true I didn't have the super form in this race. Still, I can say I had a good day.'

Is a similar world championship worth repeating if it were up to Schelling? In principle, I think so. The scenery around it is superb, but during the race itself, I often thought, "goddamn, this is hard." Somehow, I expected it, but it's true I didn't have the super form in this race. Still, I can say I had a good day.'