Header image courtesy of Jorge Padrones

The UCI Gravel World Championships are the cherry on the top of the gravel racing calendar. Anyone who is even vaguely interested in gravel racing is likely to want to be there, but they have to earn their place on the start line. Jorge Padrones qualified earlier in the year and was racing in an age-group category, proudly wearing his Spanish team jersey. He reports back from what is arguably the pinnacle of the gravel racing year.

There’s not many gravel races that can awaken the feelings that a world championship can. First,  you are there among the best riders in the world, you are part of them, one of them. Second, this is one of the few races that not everybody can sign up for and be part of - you need to qualify and for that you need to be in the top 25 per cent of one of the qualifiers. And the last reason is how the race is organised - this occasion was organised by Bolero, organisers of many classics and they know precisely what they are doing! And you are part of it.

This year, South Limburg in The Netherlands was the area chosen to hold the worlds - Amstel Gold Race territory, even more, the first climb of the day, which was included to try and break up the peloton, is actually part of the Amstel Gold Race course. 

I have chosen to title this article GRAVEL in capital letters because it is what the course was. We are starting to get used to semi MTB courses – so rocky and technical that they make you feel as though you have been inside a washing machine the day after. We only have to see the evolution in tyres to find evidence for this - we started with 38mm, then progressed to 45mm and now 50mm seems to be the new normal. For this Worlds, the organisation had chosen and curated a pure gravel course - fast , but with some sections that made you want to put all your attention on the course. There were some small sections of singletrack, shady areas with some mud and there was even a bit of a cyclocross feel to the section right before the end. On our way to the finish line, we rode through the middle of an ancient castle, something really nice if you had enough breath to enjoy it. So it was fast but with some ‘spicy’ sections - perfect for a gravel race, even though it is not my preferred terrain. A more hilly and technical course would have been better for people like me, but it was not about me - it was about the sport.

I also would like to remark how competitive the other racers were – even when they were in the 100+ position of their category, they still fought every corner and every descent like they were going to win. Sometimes, this made it dangerous and they pushed against you and touched you in the sprint.

Another remark, this for the UCI, is they need to standardise the starting process and box order. This year people spent hours waiting in the boxes just to get a good position – some even took chairs and blankets. At this rate, we will get to the point of people spending the night there. The UCI should make a points classification also for age group riders – as well as helping with the start line gridding, it would be a good business model - as racers would benefit from gathering points, they would be likely to race more UCI gravel series events.

Apart from that, the organisation was spotless, with a well-marked course, all danger areas well signposted and the corners and trees covered with cyclocross type protection.

As a rider, all you had to do was enjoy, suffer and try to reach the finish line in the fastest possible time. Performance levels are going up year after year. My power numbers are better every year, but my final position is getting worse - you don’t easily forget that you are racing among the best in the world.

On the competitive elite side, it seems we now have the right formula to help make gravel racing develop and to grow the number of roadside spectators. The TV broadcast was fantastic and the course was perfect for it, showing us a very tight race with riders just getting dropped one after the other - an image you normally only get to see in the Spring Classics. 

If you like gravel racing, you definitely have to try at qualifying for a place at the World Championships. If you do it next year, you have a good excuse to go to Australia where the race will be held. The whole experience is worth participating in - you get to enjoy first the qualifying race and afterwards the training for the gravel Worlds event. I have collected so many sunrises and nice memories along the way. Unfortunately it’s unlikely that I will be able to race at next year’s Worlds, but I have plenty more adventures to look forward to instead. 

Gravel riding gives you many opportunities, from the casual daily ride to being part of the World Championships - probably that’s why we love it so much!

Image courtesy of Jorge Padrones

Elite Classification:

Images courtesy of Gravel Championships 2025, except where credited.