Gravel racing is anything but normal, and filled with problem solving on different types of surfaces and terrain. This seems to suit Karolina Migoń well. In 2024, she lines up for her second UCI Gravel World Championships as one of the select specialists in the growing off-road discipline and is a medal hope for Poland.
Even before elite women's defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma pulled off the start list for Poland, Migoń was the top rider from that country based on gravel results this year, with wins at The Traka 360 as well as two wins on the UCI Gravel World Series calendar, La Indomable and Gravel Suisse, which earned her qualification to Belgium for the world championships.
"I’m much more prepared physically and mentally this year. UCI races are known for being short and fast, and this one is no different. It’s flat, fast, with some punchy short hills," Migoń told Cyclingnews. "The course isn’t ideal for me. However, you never know unless you try, so it will be like riding on the road.
"I want to see where I stand, and I believe gravel racing has become much more competitive. Gravel riders can compete with World Tour riders, as we’ve proven in some races this year, especially towards the end of the season when many roadies join gravel events. It makes it more fun and challenging."
Migoń earned her first win of the 2024 season at La Indomable, the Spanish UCI Gravel World Series race in Berja-Almeria covering a 96km track fitted for pure climbers. She defeated last year’s champion, Carolin Schiff (Germany) by nearly two minutes. And before she defeated Schiff again at the 102km Gravel Suisse event, she captured a signature result at a career-defining endurance test in Spain.
"My favourite race this year was definitely the Traka 360. It was my first big gravel race, and I had never ridden such a long distance, even on the road. It was a big unknown for me, and I didn’t know what to expect," she admitted.
"However, I really liked the course and felt confident that I could compete for the top spot. The people were amazing, and the atmosphere in Girona, taken over by cyclists for the whole week, was incredible."
The 28-year-old seemed dialed in for a full racing season that had few problems she couldn't solve, adding second place finishes at The Rift in Iceland, Monsterrando in Italy and Gravel Worlds in Nebraska. She also finished fourth at SBT GRVL on the 200km black course and fifth at Santa Vall gravel stage race in Spain.
Until 2020 Migoń rode for a Polish amateur road team, Maton Atom Deweloper, and also competed in mountain biking, and after the global pandemic relocated to Switzerland. Now 28 years old, she is a full-time software engineer and was supposed to be a part-time cyclist. She committed to the PAS Racing team last year and shifted some of her priorities.
"I really enjoy my professional job; it’s never boring, and I get to solve different problems than those I face on the bike. I work with a team of talented engineers, which is a very different environment compared to cycling. Having this balance helps me a lot," she explained.
"It’s not easy to juggle work, my sport career, and my personal life, but I focus on the highs. Maybe at some point, I’ll decide to go full-time in cycling or stick with my career. It’s good to have options."
A month after her win at The Traka, she completed her first Unbound Gravel 200 with 21st in the elite women's race but had to celebrate podiums for her PAS Racing teammates instead, USA's Chad Haga in second and Tobias Mørch Köngstad of Denmark in third. And like Migoń, Köngstad is also has a full-time career off the bike.
"I was really happy and impressed when I saw their results at the finish line. We share everything as a team, so while I was disappointed with my own result, I was thrilled for my teammates’ success in such a big race."
PAS Racing supports 18 riders for gravel pursuits, which is not the normal path for most riders, who typically switch from pro road or mountain bike squads and delve into self-supported programmes.
"I started with mountain biking and road cycling, so moving to gravel felt like a natural progression. It was quite an organic transition," she said.
"I moved to Switzerland and began riding my bike to explore the country and meet new people. I started riding a gravel bike about a year ago, and by the end of the year, with some good results under my belt, I was offered a spot on the PAS Racing team. Initially, I didn’t realize it would turn into a full year of racing. The team had great results, so we adjusted our calendars to include more races.
"In the gravel scene, most riders are privateers who manage everything on their own. I’m really fortunate to be part of a team where a lot of the stress and logistics are taken care of for us. I’m never alone at races."
Other PAS Racing teammates will be in Belgium for Worlds, but no other riders will be part of Team Poland.
"Last year, I wasn’t really racing or training, so my decision to participate in Worlds was quite spontaneous, especially since it wasn’t far from where I live. It was incredible to be part of such a prestigious event and to see Kasia’s incredible victory firsthand. Her win was well deserved and gave me a huge inspiration for gravel racing," she told Cyclingnews about her inaugural season on gravel last year.
"The race [last year] felt more like a road race in terms of speed and dynamics. Gravel racing isn’t supported by a national federation, so I didn’t even know who else was participating from Poland. We had to figure everything out on our own, and there was no national team tactic because we hadn’t discussed anything before the race. So, in that sense, it was like a typical gravel race where everyone rides for themselves."
No Niewiadoma this year is no problem, since last year she didn't know her compatriot was on the start line in advance. She tips Lotte Kopecky as this year's race favourite, as the Belgian rider enters fresh off a second consecutive road world title. However, Migoń reiterated that gravel is truly an individual setup with the national teams and limited resources for in-race support as well. It's a wide open guess for a winner.
"Lotte [Kopecky] will be at home, and she has proven that she can win in any conditions this weekend. It will be a really interesting race; everything is possible if you are on your own without a team car behind you."
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