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.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

I am going to be a naysayer this year, again. The elite women are only racing 131km?? That should be the fun ride distance.

The elite men only 180km?? Again, that is the long course??

Looks like bike paths as well. I do hope one day the UCI will come to the US (though I'm sure there are many people who wouldn't travel here now), and do a US style gravel race for the WC's.

 

[jono]

I am going to be a naysayer this year, again. The elite women are only racing 131km?? That should be the fun ride distance.

The elite men only 180km?? Again, that is the long course??

Looks like bike paths as well. I do hope one day the UCI will come to the US (though I'm sure there are many people who wouldn't travel here now), and do a US style gravel race for the WC's.

I don't think the men's race distance is an issue, though having a shorter race for the women is silly.

Plenty of major US pro gravel races are 200km or shorter. Of the LifeTime Grand Prix events, only Unbound is longer than 160km. USA gravel nationals was also 160. Mid South is 160. There are a handful of 150 mile (241 km) races, but those aren't the norm.

 

[Barkintheeye]

Looks a little unimpressive (not so challenging). Should conditions turn to very wet it might be a somewhat more technical yet a rather easy test for the pros.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRW3fWVpRbo

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I am going to be a naysayer this year, again. The elite women are only racing 131km?? That should be the fun ride distance.

The elite men only 180km?? Again, that is the long course??

Looks like bike paths as well. I do hope one day the UCI will come to the US (though I'm sure there are many people who wouldn't travel here now), and do a US style gravel race for the WC's.

I still feel that there's a disconnect between US-style "pure" gravel and the UCI's vision of these championships. As I said a couple of years ago, I think the gravel purists want something akin to the 24hrs of Le Mans, and the UCI want something akin to the 24hrs of Daytona, where the big names from other formulae come in to join the specialists and add star power and make it into a bit of a festival. The audience will already know who the road, cross and MTB moonlighters are and the number of gravel specialists they need to familiarise the audience with will be minimal. With a number of veterans and also-rans of other formats filling out gravel startlists, it's a lot like the SkiClassics and the UCI's version of gravel will only perpetuate the image of it to a large percentage of the fanbase as a career graveyard.

However, as you say, doing a more authentic course will probably dissuade a lot of the moonlighters from participating, and circuits to give a fan experience have long been a championship standard in cycling. The best bet would probably have been next year in all honesty - with 'crossers going to the US in early September for Thunder Cross, and the Road Worlds being in Canada, it would be easy to encourage riders to stay for the Gravel Worlds if they were in North America. Unfortunately, they're in Australia, which means there's a good chance they can be more "authentic" than racing through the more densely populated European terrain, but with the flip side that it's a huge distance to travel for, well, more or less everybody outside of the local scene, and a long, long way away from either the road or the mountain bike Worlds. Perhaps that will be a good thing as it will enable some of the gravel specialists to have more of a chance to make an impression on the audience - the drawback is that the broadcast time is going to be very inconvenient and that very few gravel races get broadcast to capitalise on that momentum, meaning come 2027 when the championships are back in Europe, we likely get a return to the current format.

I don't think the men's race distance is an issue, though having a shorter race for the women is silly.

Plenty of major US pro gravel races are 200km or shorter. Of the LifeTime Grand Prix events, only Unbound is longer than 160km. USA gravel nationals was also 160. Mid South is 160. There are a handful of 150 mile (241 km) races, but those aren't the norm.

At the same time, it depends the prism you view it from. The World Championships should be more of an accomplishment than an interchangeable race, being a decent % longer than a "normal" event is an easy quantifier of that. Just like how there are very few (some, but few) road races of the same kind of length as the Monuments, and the World Championship and Olympic Games road races tend to ape the same kind of length as those races too. A shorter race is fine if it is sufficiently challenging, the impression given of this course does not suggest that is the case however.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

I don't think the men's race distance is an issue, though having a shorter race for the women is silly.

Plenty of major US pro gravel races are 200km or shorter. Of the LifeTime Grand Prix events, only Unbound is longer than 160km. USA gravel nationals was also 160. Mid South is 160. There are a handful of 150 mile (241 km) races, but those aren't the norm.

We're talking about a world championship course. Yes, there's plenty of gravel events around that distance, but many also include MUCH more climbing. The long cours at Heart of Gold Gravel, which is only 119km, but has 3300meters of climbing, is a far harder course, and that is just a small gravel event that is mostly ridden by locals. Sorry, but that course is not comparable to many US gravel events, in terms of elevation and elevation gain. That is a gravel path WC, which I do not believe is representative of the discipline (if you can call it that, which I submit you can)

And I will reiterate that my biggest complaint is that they are treating women like they are fragile wives, doing the short course while their husbands to the tougher ride. It's complete BS. They don't need a shorter course, particularly if this is the type of course they are using.

And per usual, Libertine nails it with the 24 Hours of Le Mans (which is one of the best events I've ever attended), and 24 Hours of Daytona comparison.

I do think there needs to be a bit of an underbiking element to any gravel race, particularly the WC's. That's the fun of gravel races, for me, and I think a lot of people. There needs to be a point where you know for certain that you should be on an XC race bike, but are going to have to pick your way through anyway.

 

[Barkintheeye]

I do think there needs to be a bit of an underbiking element to any gravel race, particularly the WC's. That's the fun of gravel races, for me, and I think a lot of people. There needs to be a point where you know for certain that you should be on an XC race bike, but are going to have to pick your way through anyway.

Not sure I get it but what you're saying is that there needs to be some (a few) really gnarly sections where a normal gravel (road) bike isn't really the best choice?

My personal appreciation of a gravel race compared to a road race or a MTB race is the speed and drafting similar to a road race paired with some technical aspects of a MTB race. Too much of either spoils it for me. I really liked last year's course in Leuven.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Not sure I get it but what you're saying is that there needs to be some (a few) really gnarly sections where a normal gravel (road) bike isn't really the best choice?

My personal appreciation of a gravel race compared to a road race or a MTB race is the speed and drafting similar to a road race paired with some technical aspects of a MTB race. Too much of either spoils it for me. I really liked last year's course in Leuven.

That, yes.

 

[jono]

The reality is that UCI European and mostly unsanctioned American gravel have evolved into somewhat different sports, and it is the European version that has more pro-level riders competing more often. I won't say one is better than the other, but we shouldn't be surprised when a UCI WC course is one where road riders can drop in and do well.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

The reality is that UCI European and mostly unsanctioned American gravel have evolved into somewhat different sports, and it is the European version that has more pro-level riders competing more often. I won't say one is better than the other, but we shouldn't be surprised when a UCI WC course is one where road riders can drop in and do well.

The UCI sanctioning anything gives 0 legitimacy to me and many. For them, it's a "Hey, we can make money off of this" equation, solely.

I do agree with your point, as it is exactly what I am talking about. It isn't a separate discipline if WT roadies can just show up an win. Is MVDP more physically talented than any gravel pro? By miles. Could he just show up and win Unbound, absolutely, but I think the odds are much more against him than with him. His day ends when he follows someone's wheel too closely, hits some flint, and slahes a tire and drops out of the lead group , has to plug the flat or more likely put in a boot and tube and then get jackhammered because of the tire pressure for the rest of the race. There isn't a team car or pits to wipe your butt for you. There's two aid stations, and he'd better hope *** goes bad very close to one. Past that, I bet he shows up with 2 bottles on his bike, and some gels in his pockets...good luck fueling and hydrating sufficiently...and you've got guys around you who know enough to put their nutrition in their hydration bladder..and to carry a hydration bladder. And lets not even get into the fact that he'd want to run 35 mil tires...there is a lot more to doing well in a proper gravel race than just bringing the biggest engine to the party.

Many of those unsanctioned races are much more challenging for a variety of reasons, than the WC course. If it's going to be a separate discipline, then make it a separate discipline, not just a partial road race, with some bike paths thrown in.

 

[Barkintheeye]

Another course recon video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PjTi7SCApU


Dry conditions I would easily opt for semislicks 40 mm. Really wet conditions could be sketchy, would probably go for something with major side knobs.

 

[Barkintheeye]

I do agree with your point, as it is exactly what I am talking about. It isn't a separate discipline if WT roadies can just show up an win. Is MVDP more physically talented than any gravel pro? By miles. Could he just show up and win Unbound, absolutely, but I think the odds are much more against him than with him. His day ends when he follows someone's wheel too closely, hits some flint, and slahes a tire and drops out of the lead group , has to plug the flat or more likely put in a boot and tube and then get jackhammered because of the tire pressure for the rest of the race. There isn't a team car or pits to wipe your butt for you. There's two aid stations, and he'd better hope *** goes bad very close to one. Past that, I bet he shows up with 2 bottles on his bike, and some gels in his pockets...good luck fueling and hydrating sufficiently...and you've got guys around you who know enough to put their nutrition in their hydration bladder..and to carry a hydration bladder. And lets not even get into the fact that he'd want to run 35 mil tires...there is a lot more to doing well in a proper gravel race than just bringing the biggest engine to the party.

Now that's a little harsh on the skills of MVDP. Not only is he one of a beast in terms of physical prowess. There aren't many (if any) that can measure up to him when it comes to bike handling and riding intelligence, but probably you have a point when it comes to assistance. It seems like participating in US gravel requires you to be more of a bike MacGyver than a bike racer?

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Now that's a little harsh on the skills of MVDP. Not only is he one of a beast in terms of physical prowess. There aren't many (if any) that can measure up to him when it comes to bike handling and riding intelligence, but probably you have a point when it comes to assistance. It seems like participating in US gravel requires you to be more of a bike MacGyver than a bike racer?

Bike handling in a CX race is not the same as bike handling in a gravel race like Unbound. We've also seen that MVDP is not the greatest at bike handling and riding intelligence, as it relates to XCO.

And no, you sitll have to be a bike racer, you just have to also know how to take care of your bike mechanically, if there is an issue, and MVDP doesn't have to do that. Sure he could train for it, but he would need to take some time to do so. I will always point to Mohoric's experience, as being one more likely to be MVDP's experience if he ever decided to ride here.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Another course recon video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PjTi7SCApU


Dry conditions I would easily opt for semislicks 40 mm. Really wet conditions could be sketchy, would probably go for something with major side knobs.

Looking at it, it is definitely a better course than my initial assessment...I guess I should have waited before deeming it a bike path race. Those are farm roads, and are more beaten than a groomed road. The course actually looks pretty fun. I'd definitely want to ride it if I were there. Lots of horse poop...I'm used to dodging horse poop, as well.

 

[jono]

Bike handling in a CX race is not the same as bike handling in a gravel race like Unbound. We've also seen that MVDP is not the greatest at bike handling and riding intelligence, as it relates to XCO.

And no, you sitll have to be a bike racer, you just have to also know how to take care of your bike mechanically, if there is an issue, and MVDP doesn't have to do that. Sure he could train for it, but he would need to take some time to do so. I will always point to Mohoric's experience, as being one more likely to be MVDP's experience if he ever decided to ride here.

First bolded point: he is not the best, as in not one of the top 10 in the world, at XCO handling and descending though is still world class (compare his descent times to riders outside of the top 10 in XC) and better than a good chunk of the professional gravel field.

Second bolded point: you don't need to be a rocket scientist to learn how to plug a puncture or clean mud with a paint stick. Nobody who suffers a more serious mechanical is winning a highly competitive race like Unbound these days, no matter how practiced.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

First bolded point: he is not the best, as in not one of the top 10 in the world, at XCO handling and descending though is still world class (compare his descent times to riders outside of the top 10 in XC) and better than a good chunk of the professional gravel field.

Second bolded point: you don't need to be a rocket scientist to learn how to plug a puncture or clean mud with a paint stick. Nobody who suffers a more serious mechanical is winning a highly competitive race like Unbound these days, no matter how practiced.

Fair points, though I would say not in the top 50, if you include professional women. He's slow downhill, and has eaten his share of dirt in sketchy sections. I don't think he can be counted at all as one of the better XCO technicians. He could practice up to that, but the guys who ride regularly (and there are US gravel pros with better skills on an MTB, for sure), are far better. It isn't even close, actually. He's clumsy, and there isn't much finesse.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

I'd be totally stoked if Pidcock wins.

 

[Barkintheeye]

I'd be totally stoked if Pidcock wins.

The start list has yet to be released. Do we know any other big hitters that can challenge for the victory? Florian Veermersch?

 

[jono]

The start list has yet to be released. Do we know any other big hitters that can challenge for the victory? Florian Veermersch?

UCI gravel worlds courses have to date favored riders with strong teams, either national teammates or trade teammates riding for each other (MVDP/G. Vermeersch in past editions, for example).

With MVDP likely not racing, you'd expect the winner to come from the Belgian squad. if they can work together.

 

[Barkintheeye]

UCI gravel worlds courses have to date favored riders with strong teams, either national teammates or trade teammates riding for each other (MVDP/G. Vermeersch in past editions, for example).

With MVDP likely not racing, you'd expect the winner to come from the Belgian squad. if they can work together.

That’s right. And obviously no MVDP.

Last year however the Belgian squad really didn’t get their act together. Gianni was questionable in his effort for Belgium and Florian seemed to have a go for himself at least after MVDP caught up with him. There was apparent frustration in the chase group but in the end the Belgians at least managed to hold Mohoric off. Still I suppose no WVA, no Pogacar, no Mohoric, no Pedersen? Is Pidcock the favorite?

 

[YellowSocks]

I think Romain Bardet is in