Participation in a World Championship is always something special – not just for the athletes, but for the entire team. We had been looking forward to the Gravel World Championships for a long time, as this weekend marked a key moment for us – the culmination of a race season in which, for the first time, we as Pushbikers competed in international gravel races with our elite team.
For Sarah Kastenhuber, gravel riding has become a new way of life. Qualifying for the World Championships allowed her to fulfill a childhood dream – and with a 37th place finish in her age group, she ended her race on a high note.
For Daniel Federspiel, who placed 10th at the European Gravel Championships, the goal was also a top result at Worlds. But goals can’t always be reached – and in the Netherlands, a technical defect forced Daniel to abandon the race early.
Sarah’s last race of the Gravel World Series took place at the end of August, so it was difficult for her to predict beforehand: “How well will my body perform?” “Normally, you build routine through lots of racing,” she reflects, “but I was able to focus really well before the start.”
Competing at a World Championship – for Sarah, it was a childhood dream, something truly big.
“The start was super exciting! I found a good position early on and managed to hold it well, even on the descents,” she recalls. “Unfortunately, I lost the front group due to a crash that happened in front of us. After that, I was in a large group that worked really well together – but on the final lap, around 25km from the finish, I had to let them go. My legs were just empty.”
In the end, Sarah crossed the finish line in 37th place out of more than 90 riders in the 19–34 age group. “The atmosphere, the people along the course – those are really special moments you only get to experience once in a while.”
Thanks to his strong results in the previous UCI World Gravel Series races – including a 5th place finish at Monaco Gravel – Daniel should have started this World Championship from one of the front rows. But instead of being placed according to the world ranking, a registration error by the national federation forced him to start from the very back of the field.
Not an easy task for the Mayor of Tirol, who had to decide before the race: Should I take a gamble – or go full gas from the start? He had pre-ridden the course and knew exactly what was ahead: 181 kilometers and 1,500 meters of climbing – absolutely stunning.
In the first 12 kilometers, Federspiel overtook more than 200 riders and moved up to 60th place – right into the first group! “That was unbelievable. I felt relaxed again and thought: Today could really turn into something special.”
But on the technically demanding course, Daniel dropped his chain twice.
That meant: stop, get off the bike, fix the chain – all while countless elite riders passed by on the narrow track. Continuing the race and chasing a Top 10 finish simply wasn’t realistic anymore under those conditions. “A DNF at a World Championship really hurts,” he said afterward.
“But my love for this sport is limitless. We’re far from done. We keep going – and we’ll see what 2026 brings.”
The emotions at the finish line were intense. But the most emotional moment came just before the final steep climb. I was riding in a group with a Spanish rider who had this incredible glow on her face. We spoke briefly, and for her, the World Championship was just as special as it was for me. She kept saying, “We have to enjoy this, even as we climb.”
It wasn’t far from the finish. I thought about how it would feel to ride those last kilometers to the line — and that’s how I made it through. In that moment, I truly felt like this was my moment. The final descent, the last kilometer…
(Sarah)
Photos — by Paul Bohnert