RESULTS: Megre Gravel (Gravel Earth Series)
The Gravel Earth Series rolled through Anykščiai forest, Lithuania this weekend for Megre Gravel, and the region did not disappoint. Three years running now in the GES calendar, Megre has become one of the series' fastest and tightest races, with both the men's and women's races decided by margins measured in single-digit seconds.
The basics: Megre offers 150km, 100km, and 50km routes through the Anykščiai forest and the Baltic gravel roads around Zarasai. The 150km Pro race is the headline event, run with a separate women's start. First held in 2020, it's now firmly locked into the GES rotation for its third consecutive year.
Men's race: Rait Arm (Est, Energus) came out on top of a three-way drag race to the line, edging Jordy Bouts (Bel, The Grip) and 2025 GES champion Magnus Bak Klaris (Dnk, PAS Racing/Factor). All three clocked the identical time of 3:37:30 with an average speed of 23.5 MPH. That's about as close as gravel racing gets.
Women's race: Marjolein van't Geloof (Ned, Laboral Kutxa–Fundación Euskadi) took the win by two seconds over French national champion Axelle Dubau-Prévôt (EF Education-Oatly), with Swedish privateer Nathalie Eklund rounding out the podium six seconds further back.
GES Overall Standings
Men's
| Pos | Name | Nationality | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mads Würtz Schmidt | DNK | Specialized Off-Road | 210 |
| 2 | Hugo Drechou | FRA | Gravel Nation | 181 |
| 3 | Petr Vakoc | CZE | SK Velo Praha | 107 |
| 4 | Bradyn Lange | USA | Canyon DT Swiss ATR | 100 |
| 5 | Benjamin Perry | CAN | Guava x Castelli S.O.G | 82 |
| 6 | Celestin Guillon | FRA | Gravel Nation | 80 |
| 6 | Matthew Beers | ZAF | Specialized Off-Road | 80 |
| 8 | Romain Bardet | FRA | Factor Racing x Rapha | 75 |
| 9 | Wout Alleman | BEL | Buff BH Team | 73 |
| 10 | Peter Stetina | USA | Stories and Glories | 72 |
Only a rider's top four results count toward the overall, and Würtz Schmidt has already banked four wins this season. That means his counting total is effectively locked in at the maximum. Barring a scoring shakeup, he doesn't need to race for position at The River in Belgium in September, he just needs to show up and finish, since completion of the finale is mandatory to be eligible for the title. It's about as close to a coronation as gravel racing gets.
Women's
| Pos | Name | Nationality | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Axelle Dubau-Prévôt | FRA | EF Education-Oatly | 182 |
| 2 | Geerike Schreurs | NLD | Specialized Off Road | 168 |
| 3 | Morgan Aguirre | USA | PAS Racing | 138 |
| 4 | Sophie Wright | GBR | Ribble Outliers | 128 |
| 5 | Nathalie Eklund | SWE | 58&Fam | 115 |
| 6 | Larissa Hartog | NLD | Canyon x DT Swiss All Terrain Racing Team | 110 |
| 7 | Sofia Gomez Villafane | ARG | Specialized Off-Road | 100 |
| 7 | Karolina Migoń | POL | PAS Racing | 100 |
| 9 | Hanne Van Loock | BEL | Reverb Cycling Team | 80 |
| 10 | Nele Johanna Laing | DEU | Canyon x DT Swiss All Terrain Racing Team | 79 |
The women's race is a much tighter fight. Dubau-Prévôt holds the top spot on the strength of consistency alone, she's yet to actually win a GES round this season, banking her points through podiums and top finishes instead. Geerike Schreurs is the clearest threat, with two outright wins already (Gravel Desert and Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder) plus a third place at The Traka. With two rounds left and only the top four results counting, this one is very much still up for grabs.
What's next: Two stops remain: CORE4 in Iowa City (Aug 14–16), then the season finale, The River by The Traka, in Bouillon, Belgium on September 6.