Remaining yr Nathan Haas had a distinct inexperienced and gold paint Colnago to check his Australian jersey as he spearheaded the country’s hopes on the first version of the UCI Gravel International Championships. After the race it went immediately to a museum afterwards, by no means to be ridden once more … or a minimum of that’s what Haas idea on the time.
It now has stored the day, boomeranging again to the rider after this yr’s multi colored style, with purple tones morphing to blue, was once misplaced in transit on find out how to Sunday’s 169km Italian race.
“Gravel Worlds virtually did not occur for me. Motorbike misplaced someplace in airports, nonetheless now not discovered,” mentioned Haas in and Instagram tale. “Remaining minute SOS to my Colnago circle of relatives for lend a hand.”
The end result of that SOS was once that as an alternative of celebrating Tadej Pogačar’s victory at Il Lombardia, a member of the Colnago group made a rapid sprint to the museum in an effort to get final yr’s motorcycle, with filth nonetheless in position. Haas within the meanting dashed off to get quite a few pieces akin to new tyres, bidons and equipment which have been additionally lacking from his provides, as they have been packed in with the misplaced motorcycle.
The previous skilled street rider changed into a gravel privateer in 2022 and because then has focussed on a mixture of UCI Gravel International Collection, best Eu gravel occasions and US standouts akin to Unbound. He has most effective as soon as been out of the highest seven spots within the UCI qualifying collection this yr and got here 2nd at The Traka 200 in April.
He was once additionally Australia’s best finisher on the Gravel International Championships final yr, coming sixteenth on a path the place many in truth opted to experience their street motorcycles. Nonetheless 2023 delivers a extra technical course to skew the apparatus alternatives, regardless of having a virtually 50/50 break up of paved and unpaved roads. The path accommodates some difficult massive gravel sections, technical descents and 1900m of elevation acquire with quite a few difficult steep climbs.
The sector comprises quite a few best gravel names, together with america powerhouse of the self-discipline Keegan Swenson, along side protecting champion Gianni Vermeersch (Belgium) and his compatriot Wout van Aert (Belgium). Haas is as soon as once more more likely to be Australia’s best contender within the elite males’s race, together with his place at the get started listing indicating he’s more likely to line up in the second one row of the beginning grid.
“I have most effective ever ridden this motorcycle two times, one in coaching and as soon as ultimately yr’s worlds,” mentioned Haas. “I feel this motorcycles soul was once destined to be ridden over again at a International Championships so let’s do that.”