NANNUP — Sofia Gomez Villafañe has locked in on the UCI Gravel World Championships in Nannup for almost a year as she chases an elusive first rainbow jersey. The 32-year-old, who holds dual citizenship for the United States and Argentina and has amassed more than 20 major off-road victories over five-and-a-half seasons, will line up for the elite women's race on 10 October over 78 miles (125.6km) with 3,179 metres of climbing, 84% of it on wide dirt roads.
"We've actually had it targeted as an event for almost a year. It's not a last-minute decision. It's not something that we sprinkled in," Villafañe told Cyclingnews. She added: "So the decision to target this year's World Championship actually got solidified in October, November of last year with my coach. We have been really needing to set some big goals behind the season." Twice before she has represented Argentina at Gravel Worlds, with a best finish of 12th on Italian courses that did not suit her, but she believes Western Australia will: "I think you are gonna have hills and wide-open gravel, which is a little bit more like the American gravel that I'm used to. Yeah, I think it's gonna be a really good course."
Villafañe ensured qualification in February in Spain, sweeping both stages and the overall at Santa Vall before attacking after 16km of the 97km Castellón Gravel Race to win solo and secure an automatic spot. "When I went to Spain in February to race Santa Val, we added a UCI gravel race so I can make sure I could qualify and not have to go through the federation and all those things. It's definitely been a targeted race," she said, noting she will still start far back on the grid having contested only one UCI Gravel World Series event. The trip forces a demanding double, as she will miss Little Sugar MTB in Arkansas — her drop race in the Life Time Grand Prix — to travel to Australia on 29 September, arriving 1 October with husband Keegan Swenson, who will represent Team USA at Worlds, before flying straight to Bentonville for the Big Sugar Classic on 17 October.
The American-based rider arrives leading the 2026 Life Time Grand Prix by 18 points after three wins in four starts, including Sea Otter Classic Gravel, a second Unbound Gravel 200 and victory at Chequamegon MTB on 19 September where she overcame a crash in the mud to win. Her palmarès also includes two wins apiece at The Traka 200 and Cape Epic, seven Belgian Waffle Ride victories and a sweep of all three editions of Valley of Tears. "For me, it's more a personal battle [at Worlds]. I just have never been able to put it together at a world championship level race," she said. Among her rivals in Nannup are Life Time Grand Prix rival Karolina Migoń of Poland, Germany's Rosa Klöser and a stacked Dutch squad featuring Specialized Off-road teammate Geerike Schreurs and former world champion Marianne Vos, last year's silver medallist.
"Now I just need to stay healthy and hopefully have smooth travel down there, smooth adaptation. And really just have a stress-free environment come pre-race day because that's really what affects me the most. If there's stress around me, then I get stressed. But if it's chilled, then I'm chilled," Villafañe said. The Nannup course has been described as the first real gravel World Championships test outside Europe, and with wins at The Traka and Unbound already her highlights of 2026, she hopes to add a third celebration with the rainbow jersey.