2025 UCI Gravel World Championships

[MagliaNera]

I haven't seen it posted anywhere else: a couple of days ago, the route for the upcoming UCI Gravel World Championships (11-12 October in the very south of the Netherlands) got released: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52219115

(unfortunately no nice map on their website so far, so we'll have to go with a screenshot of the track for now)

Profile:

The large loop will be ridden counter-clockwise, I would assume 2 or 3 times (only shown once in the profile). Then, in the organizers' words, "the highlight and ultimate decider is the Bronsdalweg, a gravel climb of over one kilometre at an average gradient of 8%". This will be about 15km from the finish. Although from the profile, it looks like most of the climb is actually paved...

Apparently, they are trying to lure MVDP here but I don't think he has confirmed yet. I'd be interested what the gravel experts in this forum think of this course!

 

[jono]

If I'm reading that profile correctly it's almost half pavement? The elevation gain per km is slightly flatter than what I'm used to racing locally and compared with some of the flatter big North American races like Unbound or Mid South, or the Traka 360.

Issues in previous UCI gravel WCs have included too-narrow roads near the start causing choke points and pile ups. Not sure if that will be an issue here.

 

[Barkintheeye]

If I'm reading that profile correctly it's almost half pavement? The elevation gain per km is slightly flatter than what I'm used to racing locally and compared with some of the flatter big North American races like Unbound or Mid South, or the Traka 360.

Issues in previous UCI gravel WCs have included too-narrow roads near the start causing choke points and pile ups. Not sure if that will be an issue here.

Maybe someone will soon to publish a recon video on Youtube.

"Choke points" are an obvious point of critical information for the riders, particularly if such ones would be within the first hour from the start.

I raced the Limburg qualification race last year and that was a very nice race course but with most of the course south of Valkenburg so maybe not comparable? A few gritty sections but most on limestone dry gravel.

ps. Let's hope some WT-racers find time to participate.