In this special episode, Thomas sits down with Paul to get an exclusive preview of the UCI Gravel World Championship course in the Netherlands. Paul, who successfully reconned the course just a few weeks after his surgery, shares his expert tactical breakdown.

Topics in this Episode:

• The Unbelievable Comeback: Paul's journey back to the start line just three weeks after collarbone surgery and his secret weapon: a highly skilled surgeon.
• Course Conditions & Profile: An in-depth look at the 180km men's and 130km women's course. It's almost 50-50 tarmac/gravel and currently in muddy/slippery conditions. Paul confirms it is more technically demanding than it looks, with lots of small, steep hills and constant changes of direction.
• The Mud Analysis: It's "slimy" farm-road mud, not deep "peanut buttery" mud, meaning riders can get by with standard tire clearance.
• The Controversial Rules: Discussion on the new UCI rules that allow feeding/wheel exchanges anywhere on tarmac (not on a descent), making race organization significantly harder and "worse for privateers" without big team support.
• Tactics & Race Dynamics: Paul predicts a "really open" men's race without the control of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, creating a greater chance for a strong, early breakaway to succeed.
• World Champion Favorites: Paul shares his early predictions for the men's and women's races,
• The Spectator Problem: Why the late start time for the live broadcast means fans will likely miss the decisive early breakaway action.

Featured in this Episode:

• Paul Voss: Professional cyclist, who is scheduled to race the UCI Gravel World Championship. Follow Paul on Instagram.
• Thomas Euler: Host of the Gracing Podcast and author of the The Gravel Stack Newsletter. Follow Thomas on Instagram.

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