Defending the title. A chat with Paul voss.

Defending champion! What does the title mean to you?

I've never defended a title before, so it's obviously something special. This year, my sister and brother were there too, as well as Kadir, who has been with me for years. That made the atmosphere even better than usual. It's definitely something special. But above all, I believe that defending my title has made the whole thing even more noticeable and firmly established.

After the celebrations came the disappointment: a broken collarbone at the Gravel World Series in France. What's next for you now?

Yes, I had surgery on Monday and am now starting physio, and of course I still hope to be able to compete in the World Championships. Until then, I won't be racing anymore, of course, and I'll have to scale back my own expectations of riding at the front. But my goal is still very clear: to be at the start and give it my best, because I know that I probably don't have ten more World Championships ahead of me. I want to seize every opportunity – and I'm looking forward to it!

A question for all cyclists: how do you stay fit with a broken collarbone?

I'll start riding very lightly on the roller again this week. Then, of course, I'll gradually increase the workload over the next few weeks, but mainly on the roller. Only when I feel really confident again will I get back on my bike outside. But sure—that's been 5-6 days without cycling.

Autumn is just around the corner – what else is on your sporting agenda this year?

My full focus is on the World Championships, of course. There's another UCI race in Belgium a week later, so I might compete in that, but we'll see.

Paul, we wish you a speedy recovery and hope to see you at the starting line in Limburg!

Thank you very much!