Keegan Swenson dueled with Alejandro Valverde in the final kilometer of the Uci Gravel World Championships, and the 43-year-old Spanish "Vetellano" beat the 29-year-old U.S. National Gravel Champion with a close sprint finish.

Valverde's sprint ensured that professional road racers in Europe would fill the top, but Swenson said he would compete with the best of worldtour and North America

"I'm really happy with my ride. Apart from the couple of crashes I had, it worked. I don't crash often but I lay myself pretty good when I do," Swenson said of Cyclingnews and other Mede on the ground at the Gravel World Championships

revealing the risks he took in tire selection.

"I gambled a bit on slick tires today and overall it was decent, but I forgot I was riding slick and pushed a little too hard and fell to the ground," he said, explaining how it affected his race.

"That was when I lost the first group and it took about 20 minutes to track back to the second group. We thought we'd get in touch with the first group, but the people in our group were hurt and had lost motivation to chase. For a while the gap sat in about 20 or 30 seconds, but suddenly it was one minute, then two, three, and then four. At that time everyone started racing for the position we had.

The televised broadcast of the Men's race began late after important selections and shakeouts had already happened on a flat gravel road.

Matej Moholic (Slovenia), Florian Vermeer (Belgium) and Connor Swift (UK) Fled after the Nogalolo Climb after an intense 75km race, and U

Swenson and Valverde were in the chase group and were in the gap. Hillier's final lap at the prosecco Vineyard only extended the time gap.

"The start was not as difficult as I thought. It wasn't that bad to stand in front, it took quite a bit of work and I had to take some nasty lines, but I made it there," Swenson explained.

"Sometimes I felt like I'd rather ride ahead so I could ride at my own pace. Sometimes it is easier to set a fake tempo with it on the front. Then you are not fighting for the wheels and in certain sections that really worked for me.

"Then Valverde did quite a bit of work and did some excavations before finally going up the climb. Our group split up on the climb in front of the creek, and that's where the group went in half.

"I lost 1 more man on the next climb, but it was Valverde, Quinten Hermann, and 1 more man. Valverde gap me on that climb, but I caught him on the descent.

Valverde used his years of road racing experience to win a sprint to the Pieve di Soligo line, taking the final inside line and driving Swenson out.

Valverde is almost 2 times the age of many of the best riders in the Elite men's race, but prefers to fight the best riders.

"I'm probably the best 'veteran', but also 4th in the elite race. I think it's pretty special and I'm happy with it," Valverde told Cyclingnews and other media beyond the finish line.

"It was a really difficult race. We went really fast on the climb and the major sectors and the terrain and the race really made the choice. We all ended up being worth it.”