Header image courtesy of The Gralloch/Joe Cotterill
Despite women making up nearly half the global population, they’ve long been underrepresented in gravel racing. With more and more women now signing-up to race at the highest levels of the sport you would hope that race organisers would do everything in their power to make the experience for female racers as good as possible, but this hasn’t always been the case. Elite racer Caroline Livesey reports back from The Gralloch, an event which is attempting to buck the trend and set the gold standard for women’s gravel racing.
Image courtesy of The Gralloch/Angus MacKinnon
If you were at The Gralloch this year then you probably are nodding in agreement with the title of the article. The event was such an overwhelming success on all fronts that it would be hard not to have it in your top ten race experiences of all time. I have raced endurance sports for 25 years but even I was impressed by the attention to detail of the race organisers, RedOnSports.
Images courtesy of The Gralloch/Joe Cotterill
But aside from the clear pre-race information, fantastic course, the buzzing atmosphere, the weather (totally planned), the brilliant media coverage and the great camping/parking/catering facilities – it is actually something else that I am referring to.
Image courtesy of The Gralloch/Joe Cotterill
"What The Gralloch organisers did better than any race I have been to, is that they created a safe and fair race for the women."
The gold standard I am talking about is something which needs to be shouted about, because the majority of gravel races are still getting it wrong. What The Gralloch organisers did better than any race I have been to, is that they created a safe and fair race for the women. I am going to talk mainly about the Elite female race, because that is my experience. But this is not just about elites. This is about all the women who line up for gravel races and it is about encouraging more women to participate. What the organisers of The Gralloch have shown is that it is possible to organise a multi-category event while still ensuring safety and fairness for all competitors.
Image courtesy of Sportograf
Perhaps if you are a male gravel competitor you have no idea what I am talking about. If you are a strong rider racing regularly, you may even have mixed it up in the elite female race, jumped into (or ridden through) their bunch, or had elite female riders draft you back up to a group of women ahead on the road, or just draft you for the whole race. You maybe haven’t considered the impact.
Image courtesy of The Gralloch/Joe Cotterill
When I started gravel racing, I was immediately struck that hiding the female race amongst the male race was a lazy way to approach this growing sport. In a male dominated industry which has historically not valued female participation (ask the women’s World Tour road racing teams), it felt like this new sport of gravel had an opportunity to be the place that welcomed women. Instead, women were mostly treated as an afterthought and I am not the only elite rider speaking out about this.
Image courtesy of The Gralloch/Joe Cotterill
"Being swamped by a male peloton who are high on race-start-adrenaline when riding offroad in limited space is not an experience I ever want to have again."
Now in 2025, elite female riders are making a full time living from racing on gravel. And yet, despite this, it is hard to find an event where the race dynamic is not disrupted by male riders. Women are either a “hare” to the “greyhound” of the elite and age-group men starting behind and riding “through” us. Or we are scheduled somewhere in the middle with some men in front and some behind. Believe me, being swamped by a male peloton who are high on race-start-adrenaline when riding offroad in limited space is not an experience I ever want to have again. I’ve been screamed at, elbowed out of the way and in one extreme example, knocked off by a male competitor resulting in an injury that required surgery.
Image courtesy of The Gralloch/Joe Cotterill
Neither answer leads to safe and fair racing for the female riders. Gravel racing is a sport where huge advantages are gained from drafting. Not just the obvious speed benefit evident in road riding, but also in efficiency following lines. So, there is no argument which can persuade me that having elite women ride in groups of men is in anyway allowing a fair competition. And there is nothing more annoying than when you have worked hard as a group, dropped other female riders and then they are quickly back riding with you along with a group of men they have drafted back up to bridge the gap.
Images courtesy of The Gralloch/Joe Cotterill
"Top elites were announced to the line and spectators came just for the women. It wasn’t an afterthought - in that moment our race was the star attraction."
What the Gralloch did to answer this was give the women their own race. Not a token effort of three minutes, but a big enough gap (two hours behind the male elite start and one hour behind the final age-group male start) that not only led to safe and fair racing, but also offered a number of other benefits. Firstly, it meant that as we were arriving at the venue, setting up bikes, warming up etc – all the other athletes doing the same were also women. I found it refreshing to be able to see the other strong women I would be racing alongside when typically they are invisible in the crowd of men. Secondly it meant that the female start was given attention. Top elites were announced to the line and spectators came just for the women. It wasn’t an afterthought - in that moment our race was the star attraction.
Image courtesy of The Gralloch/Joe Cotterill
Then from the outset we knew that the course ahead was clear and that no male riders would be charging through from behind. Riders knew the race dynamic could develop fairly and women rode accordingly. Dropped riders could not be helped back up to the bunch ahead and groups could not be split by men riding through or trying to latch on as you pass. It also meant that a dedicated motorbike could follow the race, get good photos and the event media crew could grasp and post about the female race dynamic. At the finish there was space for a sprint between the final three women, uninterrupted by men within the group. It is crazy that I even have to say it, but all of these things are so important for the elite female gravel riders and so rare. They are important for learning the craft, for showing form, for being safe. But they are also important for visibility of female riders, for generating sponsorship opportunities and for growing the sport.
Image courtesy of The Gralloch/Joe Cotterill
"The Gralloch has set the bar high and this is something that the UCI and other race organisers can learn from. "
The Gralloch has set the bar high and this is something that the UCI and other race organisers can learn from. I do appreciate that work has been done by many organisers in this area and the Gravel Earth Series are working towards better scheduling for the women. But currently UCI rules only give UCI Gravel World Series organisers two start order options. If we want to grow female gravel cycling, these rules need to be changed.
OPTION 1
- Elite men start In front, followed by elite women with a small interval (minimum 1 minute). Both elite starts should have a priority start box with maximum 25 riders. Only Elite riders can apply to be a candidate to be put in the priority start box with the organizer and it’s the organizer who allocates the 25 spots for the priority start box.
- Age group categories must start with minimum 2 minutes interval to the elite women and can be combined in one big start or in separated starts per age category with small intervals (always minimum 1 minute), depending on the size of the total field.
OPTION 2
- Men Elite start in front (with priority startbox) followed by men 19-34, 35-39, 40-44 and 45-49 age categories with a minimum of 1 minute interval. Men age groups can start together or with small intervals depending on the size of the field, but always lined up per category.
- Women elite (with priority startbox) start with the women age groups behind the men age groups 19-49.
- All different starts will have different gun times.
- Organizers may request to apply a different starting procedure if the given event has been run in a different way in previous editions. The technical delegate of the UGWS will study the request and confirm the procedure which will be applied.
Taken from Regulations - UCI Gravel World Series on 24 May 2025.
Image courtesy of The Gralloch/Markus Stitz
Option 1 is downright dangerous as well as ridiculous. But neither are respectful to the female race and they are also not great for the men, specifically those in the older age groups. A quick look at any of the UCI race results will show you that the front runners in the male 50+ age group are riding similar or faster times than the elite women. Setting them off a few minutes behind the elite women, as has been the case at both World Championship events I have done, is never going to be a good solution for either category.
Image courtesy of The Gralloch/Joe Cotterill
"Specifically at the UCI Gravel World Championships, the organisers must demonstrate their commitment to the women’s field. Not just the first 10 athletes, the whole of the women’s field."
What The Gralloch organisers have understood is that to make the female race safe and fair and to allow the women to demonstrate the standard in their sport, they have to completely adapt the running order and have longer road closures in place to allow this. While I understand this high standard may not be able to be met by all race locations, it should be the norm rather than the exception. Specifically at the UCI Gravel World Championships, the organisers must demonstrate their commitment to the women’s field. Not just the first 10 athletes, the whole of the women’s field. Men should not be playing any part in the female race and I can’t believe I have to repeatedly say it.
Image courtesy of Sportograf
"The organisers of The Gralloch raised the female race, showed it off and made us feel not only welcome but respected too. It was a joy to be there."
I was once told by a UCI official that he believed that the elite women all end up in the right finish position anyway, regardless of the men racing around them.
What I loved most about The Gralloch was that this attitude, this assumption that women will shut up and put up with a less than fair race, was nowhere to be found. They celebrated having us there. They raised the female race, showed it off and made us feel not only welcome but respected too. It was a joy to be there, it was an incredible day and it has shown me what gravel racing could be like at all events.
We contacted the UCI for comment on Caroline's story and will update it to include their responses as soon as we hear back from them.