Lucky Sport Cycling Team arrived in the Netherlands on Thursday evening for what would be the final UCI races of the season – two gravel-heavy one-day classics, both part of the Dutch Cup. The start lists featured several strong Continental teams and the very best Dutch club squads, promising two days of relentless, high-speed racing.

We lined up with seven riders:

• Axel Källberg

• Johan Borgström

• Calle Kagevi

• The Wallinder twins

• Hjalmar Klyver

• Gustav Thompson

In preparation, every bike was fitted with Continental 32 mm GP 5000 AllSeason tires, anticipating the inevitable puncture chaos that defines these races. It turned out to be one of the smartest moves of the weekend, as we avoided the mechanical misfortune that plagued so many others.

Slag om Norg – From Hunting the Win to Fighting for the Top 10

Saturday’s Slag om Norg delivered a true Dutch classic: long roads, constant wind, and brutal gravel. Each 22 km lap included three gravel sectors (2.5 km, 1.2 km, and 0.7 km), making up 4.4 km of gravel per lap. Over seven laps, the riders faced 170 km of racing and more than 30 km of gravel.

The start was nothing short of ferocious. With 10 km until the first gravel sector, the pace was blistering, averaging over 50 km/h. By the first gravel section chaos had already struck: crashes, punctures, dust so thick riders could barely see, and deep sand corners sending riders down. That set the tone for the entire race.

After the opening lap, five of our six riders were still in the front group, with only Wincent Wallinder distanced. Soon after, the decisive breakaway of six riders escaped. It contained all the major teams and key favorites – Van der Tuuk, Klaris, Crockett – while we, Bornholm and Elkov-Kasper missed it. The move was perfectly controlled by their teams, and within a lap the gap had already reached three minutes.

Our plan from the start was clear – we raced for the win, not to hide in the wheels. But with the winning move gone, we had to reset. On lap three, misfortune hit when Axel crashed heavily in a gravel corner and injured his knee, forcing him to abandon. Wincent also stepped off not long after. From then on, our focus shifted toward salvaging a top-10 result.

Calle showed his strength by attacking with a group of ten riders with two laps to go, looking promising for a late result. Unfortunately, they were reeled back with only a few kilometers left. In the end, three Lucky riders finished:

• Calle 22nd

• Hjalmar Klyver 36th

• Willhelm Wallinder 59th

Exhausted, dirty, and battered, the squad left Norg knowing that fortune had not been on our side, but still with heads held high after a full day of aggressive racing.

Ronde van de Achterhoek – Eurosport Debut

Sunday brought fresh motivation with Ronde van de Achterhoek, a race quickly growing in stature and now broadcast live on Eurosport. For the first time, Lucky Sport Cycling Team got to showcase its colors on international television – an important milestone in our debut season.

Axel was unable to start due to his knee, but Gustav returned to the line-up after illness. The course featured 190 km of racing with 22 gravel sectors totalling 40 km, finishing with three local laps of 8 km in Vorden. The start was once again brutal: 35 km on tarmac at over 50 km/h average before the first gravel section. A three-man break slipped away early, followed by a two-man counter, while behind the peloton exploded in a storm of crashes and punctures. Johan Borgström was the first Lucky rider to be distanced.

The race continued at high intensity. Calle and Hjalmar both made it into the first split of the peloton as the gravel sectors came thick and fast, showing strong positioning against Continental opposition. But attrition took its toll. Both Wallinder twins climbed off after heavy efforts, and Calle later abandoned feeling unwell.

That left Hjalmar and Gustav in the chase. Hjalmar took to the front during the televised section, driving the pace and making sure the Lucky jersey was seen on screen – valuable exposure for the team. But when the decisive moves formed on the final gravel, our riders were caught on the wrong side of the split. Both rolled in with the grupetto: Hjalmar 58th, Gustav 65th.

Lessons for the Future

The Dutch weekend may not have brought the results we had hoped for, but it delivered invaluable experience. Against strong opposition, on courses infamous for chaos, we proved our aggressive mindset and tactical adaptability. Importantly, we were one of the only teams to avoid punctures entirely – confirmation that preparation and equipment choices matter just as much as strong legs.

Next up, the Lucky squad heads to Belgium for three weeks of pro kermesse racing, while planning for the 2026 season takes shape. The Dutch races close out our UCI campaign for the year, but the lessons learned here will carry forward into every race we do.