Ireland’s Porter powers to podium at UCI Gravel World Series in France

Emma Porter has ridden to a podium position at the UCI Gravel World Series in France, which qualifies her for the World Championships

Irish rider Emma Porter has put in a great ride at the UCI Gravel World Series to make the podium. She placed 3rd in Millau Grands Causses in Millau, southern France, yesterday. The race was the third of 12 rounds in the new UCI global gravel series.

Porter, a 31-year-old who has raced for UCD Cycling Club on home roads, has this year been based in Girona, Spain, where she has been making significant strides in the world of gravel racing.

While still new to gravel, she was 2nd in La Santa Vall in Sant Gregori, Spain, back in March and was 2nd in Traka 100 last month in Girona.

Yesterday she placed 3rd in the 130km Millau Grands Causses, with 2,500 metres of climbing, which qualifies her for the World Championships, set for the white gravel roads of Tuscany in October.

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Porter went out hard from the start, putting in a big effort in the opening 10km to ensure she got into a fast group in what was a mixed men’s and women’s field. That tactic paid off as she led the women’s race for about 55km, at which point she had a minor crash.

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Shortly after that, the eventual winner and 2nd placed rider – Dutch woman Tessa Neefjes (Giant Liv Benelux Offroad Team) and German Jade Treffeisen (Team Embrace The World) - caught her. And while Porter stuck with them until well after the halfway mark, she knocked back the pace a little and her two rivals began to open a gap.

Neefjes ran out the women’s winner in a time of 5:36:53 while Treffeisen was 2nd at 1:32. Porter rounded out the podium just over 13 minutes later. Niki Terpstra (TotalEnergies) won the men's race.

Galway woman Porter is a former national swimming champion and competed internationally as a youth athlete. She is also a swimming coach and has competed in triathlon.

Porter has been on the podium several times in the Triathlon National Series and Super Series races. She  also won the National Aquathlon Championships in 2020 and raced the French Triathlon Grand Prix league last year.

UCI Gravel World Series | Millau Grands Causses, Top 10

  1. NEEFJES TESSA Giant Liv Benelux Offroad Team 5:36:53
  2. TREFFEISEN JADE Team Embrace The World 5:38:25
  3. PORTER EMMA UCD Cycling Club 5:51:45
  4. SABIN PAULINE Wish One Racing 5:54:35
  5. BIARD MARIE-LOUISE Wish One Racing 5:56:10
  6. CANCELLIERI VIRGINIA Orbea Factory Team 6:00:07
  7. NUTT MADELEINE Team Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus 6:11:02
  8. SIMOND CHARLOTTE 6:18:54
  9. FLURIAN SOLENE TRICASTIN triathlon club 6:19:37
  10. LAGERSHAUSEN MARIE Team Embrace The World 6:36:36

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