ALEXEY VERMEULEN

WHO IS ALEXEY VERMEULEN?

Alexey Vermeulen went from junior road prospect to LottoNL-Jumbo WorldTour rider to one of the early stars of the US elite gravel scene. His 10-year arc from junior road to Big Sugar podiums means he has lived both sides of the road-to-gravel pathway, which makes his beginner-gravel guidance notably credible — he isn't a roadie playing dress-up, he's an ex-WT rider who actually moved the entire stack of skills over and did the work to learn the new ones.

KEY IDEAS

The major positions Vermeulen is known for in cycling and endurance sport.

• →Tubeless is ongoing maintenance, not install-and-forget — check sealant monthly, replace every 2–3 months, run 3–4 oz of Orange Seal per tyre.
• →Race-day pressures go low — 15 PSI was the all-day call at Big Sugar; road instincts push you too high for loose terrain.
• →Wider tyres are generally faster on gravel — 40–45mm beats skinnier for grip and suspension benefit; the speed penalty riders fear is mostly imagined.
• →Practise plugging a tyre at home before race day — fumbling with unfamiliar plugs mid-race costs minutes and confidence.
• →Gravel cornering is a different skill — weight the outside pedal, accept some tyre slip, and read the surface. You can't muscle through it like tarmac.