Endurance star Caroline Livesey slips and slides her way to historic victory as she caps an impressive year of achievements
British triathlete Caroline Livesey battled through ‘brutal’ rain and ‘huge floods’ as she created history once again by winning the very first UCI Gravel World Series race to be held in Thailand.
The 130km Dustman was held last weekend at the Muang Sing Historical Park in the city of Kanchanaburi and will be the only event in the gravel cycling series to take place in Asia.
In conditions that she described as a ‘full-on mud fest’, the endurance athlete powered her way to victory in the women’s field and crossed the line in 8th overall as the weather ensured many of the riders did not even make it to the finish.
Incredible feats
For Livesey, the honour of being the first ever woman to win a UCI Gravel World Series race in Thailand follows up on her incredible feat last year when she became the first athlete to win the Patagonman XTRI twice.
Regarded as the ‘world’s most extreme triathlon’ – the full-distance event sees athletes swim 3.8 kilometres in the Aysén Fjord, cycle 180km along the famous Carretera Austral and then run 42.2km – the Scottish competitor followed up her win in 2022 by repeating the feat last December.
Livesey was also crowned Scottish National Gravel Champion 2025 earlier this year, as she won the inaugural championships held just south of Glasgow at Whitelee Farm.
Now she has another first to her name and was clearly delighted with a win in such tough conditions.
Posting on her Instagram account, she said: “This is the first time Thailand has been host to a @ucigravelworldseries race, and when the opportunity came up for me to race, I couldn’t refuse. I’m so glad I came; it’s been a special week.
‘A full-on mud fest’
“The race itself was a full-on mud fest adventure. Wading through rivers, sliding about on mud, hitting huge floods hoping they had a bottom, failing to stay upright a couple of times, being pelted by heavy rain and soaked to the bone with grit in every pore – this was not a race for the faint-hearted.
“Two years ago, I wouldn’t have had the skills to ride well in those conditions; I’d probably have hated it. But I found myself grinning and genuinely loving it, embracing it for the unique day it was.”
With a small professional field lining up in Kanchanaburi, it was the method of her win and the fact that she was made to battle the elements as well as her fellow riders that truly made the victory something special.
“I had the best tyres coupled with a fantastic bike, and I’m really happy with how strong I felt for the whole race,” she added. “So while this was only a small race, the real win for me was that I could commit 100%, take risks, push hard, and enjoy it so much. Tank empty, heart full.
‘Sadly, there were a lot of DNFs’
“This race also reminded me that gravel racing is as much about having experience with kit and equipment as it is about being able to hold power.
“There were a lot of people with the wrong tyres for the job, but I suppose Dustman was a bit of a misnomer. Slicks in those conditions were a death trap, and sadly, there were a lot of DNFs.”
Riders placing in the top 25% of their UCI age and gender categories earned automatic qualification to the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships in Nannup, Australia.
Livesey crossed the line in 4:50:32, ahead of Australians Dimityle Duke (5:08:52) and Sofia Erhard (5:46:24), while Japanese mountain bike national champion Toki Sawada took the men’s title in 4:07:52, with Danish rider Tobias Moerch Kongstad second (4:11:10) and Rick Nobel of the Netherlands completing the podium (4:18:35).
Putting Thailand on the world gravel map
While the conditions certainly made for some entertaining racing, it was a shame for the organisers who faced incredibly difficult conditions to keep the course open and to ensure as many riders as possible could complete the route.
“Tackling a new gravel course in tropical conditions was a real test for everyone,” said event director Narin Chaiyachot. “The words ‘carnage’ and ‘brutal’ were those most heard after the race, so a huge congratulations to all finishers.
“We’re proud to host Thailand’s first UCI qualifying event and to see riders from around the globe perform at such a high level. This race proves the region can deliver world-class gravel competition and helps build momentum toward the 2026 Gravel World Championships.
“I hope we have put Thailand on the world gravel map with our rich history, charming culture, peaceful nature and, most importantly, thrilling gravel.”
