On Friday Geerike Schreurs (Netherlands) could be seen out on a course reconnaissance of the final loop of the UCI Gravel World Championships, quick with a smile as she passed on the crucial Folly climb and looking every bit relaxed and ready for the challenge that lay ahead on Saturday.
The Dutch rider and her Specialized Off-road team had put a big target on the event, coming out early and with plenty of support to make sure they made the most of this opportunity for a gravel rider to clinch the rainbow jersey. Their roster was thick with favourites and Schreurs was certainly prominent among them.
Heading into race day, where recent rain had made the course particularly tough, Schreurs remained every bit the contender through much of the opening stages of the 125.6km race with 3,179m of elevation gain. Though, before she could get into the second half, the situation changed dramatically.
"What started out with a perfect lead in and amazing support from the [Specialized Off-road ] team, became a nightmare in a split second," said Schreurs in a post on Instagram. "I was feeling great both physically and mentally heading into the race @nannupgravel2026 and up until the crash everything was going according to plan.
"It is crazy how fast things can change; my front wheel got caught in a rut, pulling me to the left into the ditch and I crashed hard. I knew immediately that something was wrong and I had a lot of pain in my back."
The rider, who won the very unofficial Gravel Worlds in Nebraska earlier this year, was clearly not going to be able to continue on in the pursuit of an official rainbow jersey. In fact, after the crash – with Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (South Africa) also coming down in the same rut – there were far more important things to be concerned about than a world title chase, with the Dutch Federation having earlier on Monday outlined what was a daunting list of injuries.
"A big thank you to [Ashleigh Moolman Pasio] for staying with me. A few ambulance rides and a medical helicopter ride later, I arrived at the hospital in Perth," said Schreurs. "As a result of the crash I sustained multiple fractures in my neck and spine as well as a broken collarbone and some broken ribs.
"I underwent surgery on my back yesterday and thankfully it went well. I will remain in Perth to recover for a few weeks before flying back to the Netherlands to continue my rehabilitation."
Schreurs, who has quickly become one of the strongest players in the gravel world, may be facing a challenging period but showed the determination so often on display in races when she talked of plotting a course through it.
"I am in good hands here and am going to get back to full strength step by step," concluded Schreurs.