Ironing out the ‘growing pains’ – Plotting the rapid evolution of UCI Gravel

The UCI Gravel World Series has come to an end for another year and the crowning glory of the UCI Gravel World Championships is about to unfold, but the playing field looks considerably different this year as the event enters its third edition. 

The first time around no one knew what to expect from the series or the Championships – gravel after all was largely seen as a US discipline where the structure that comes with UCI racing was actively resisted. So back then the question seemed to be would a global series branching out from Europe spearheaded by an organisation that seemed to represent the antithesis of gravel even work?

It's a question that, three years in, has been unequivocally answered, as while it may not be gravel in the same form as US devotees of the sport know it, this new incarnation has proven its pulling power. To start with, the number of events and participants in the qualifying World Series has ballooned, but that is just the opening gambit.

“It has indeed been my focus, especially in the first two years, to concentrate on growing the series, to spread the knowledge of having a World Series and that worked out fine,” the series manager Erwin Vervecken told Cyclingnews in a phone interview in September. “I'm now finalising the 2025 calendar and if everybody confirms … we will have 35 events next year.”

That compares with ten rounds of the UCI Gravel World Series in the first year, growing to 16 and then 25 in 2024 before rising to an expected 35 in 2025, but while the change is expected to continue the rapid expansion may not.

“It's still growing but we are probably at the maximum we want to be, and then the focus has to be on improving the quality of the events and improving the concept," said Vervecken.

"We're quite flexible, not imposing too many regulations in the first years, in the spirit of gravel in general, but we also faced some growing pains this year, with events growing too quickly and with safety issues in some events. We have had to update a few of our requirements on safety … so that's the next focus.”

Elements foreshadowed include a lead moto five minutes ahead of the race to make sure the course is clear for riders and larger start separation intervals between groups. Regarding starts, there is also the potential for further steps toward separate women’s starts – which are now advised but not mandatory.

A bigger US presence for UCI Gravel

Further 'concept' improvements beyond the safety issues also include a realignment of locations, to make the series as truly global as possible. A limit of two rounds per country is now in place, although there are some exceptions – Australia, the United States and Canada – that can go up to three given how big those nations are.

There are already two events in Australia and one in both Canada and the United States, which seems low given that the vast nation is seen as the heartland of gravel. There may have been some scepticism and concern about the impost of a more regulated environment that drove this when the series started out, but the current reality seems to be wearing at least some of that away.

“They see that our events, especially the World Championships, are gaining a lot of prestige. You see the start lists growing and everybody wants to be part of that race so I think that has helped us a lot,” said Vervecken, who outlined that there were expected to be three UCI Gravel World Series events in the United States in 2025, with a fourth also having pursued a slot.

The growth in the qualifying series has gone hand in hand with what is expected to be a significant step up in scale for the UCI Gravel World Championships this year in Belgium, which is running from Halle to Leuven.

It is the first time riders have known exactly where the race will be and what course it will run on well in advance – with considerable organisational challenges making it a very last minute proposition in the first two editions. This year, however, riders even had the opportunity for a trial run in the area, with similar terrain to what will be found in the rainbow jersey race through the Forests of Brabant served up for the European Gravel Championships last year.

That certainty seems to have provided a significant boost in the depth of both the field of European-based professionals from across the disciplines and international riders in the elite category, plus overall numbers across the age group categories as a whole.

“First year was, I think it was 560 riders at the start total. Second year, we more than doubled that size … And this year, it looks as if we will grow to around 2,000,” said Vervecken in the weeks leading up to the event, with social media posts coming out more recently already outlining registration numbers at 2,100.

The list of big names attending the UCI Gravel World Championships, which is being held in Belgium on October 5-6, includes two-time road world champion Lotte Kopecky, Jasper Stuyven, Marianne Vos, Paul Voß, Alison Jackson, Carolin Schiff, Petr Vakoc, Matej Mohoric, Puck Pieterse and Lorena Wiebes. 

The spread of international riders across the board has also increased. It’s of course no surprise that the home nation will be delivering the biggest chunk, more than 500 followed in numbers by the nearby Netherlands, but registration numbers from further afield are also strong. The United States is expected to have well over 100 lining up across the categories, Australia around 50, Canada a little less and South Africa even more.

What's more the uncertainty and inconsistency surrounding the broadcast of the event is a thing of the past, with Vervecken clear that both the women's and men's races would be broadcast live this year. That means viewers from across the globe will be able to tune in and follow their home-nation favourites, with the increased visibility another move that could perhaps help drive even further growth in the years ahead.

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