At the beginning of August 2022, the RSC Überherrn organised its first Gravelfondo. After a long period of heat with tropical nights above 20 degrees C, the temperatures on the day of the event had become noticeably cooler. At the 8am start time it was only 13 degrees. The route was structured in such a way that there were three loops in different directions. After each lap, you passed through the start and finish again and so had plenty of opportunity to stock up on food and drink.
I headed out onto the first loop, called "Saargau" by the organisers, together with my gravel-riding friend Markus. The first climb took us up to Berus, well known for its European Monument. The route included some narrow singletracks trails on the heights of the German-French border area. At one point we even crossed a freshly ploughed field here - our gravel bikes jumping over the ground like mad bulls! We met almost nobody here and only passed a few small villages and farms that looked like they have come from times gone by. The tracks in this area were very varied and there were new views around every corner.
The route led us over the Druidenweg and then along the valley of the Nied, the small river that has its source in France and flowed into the Saar not far from here. After the last ascent to the Felsberg, we briefly left the track and rode over a lumpy gravel section to arrive at the "Teufelsburg".
This castle bore the vernacular name "Teufelsburg", which can be traced back to a legend. According to this, a knight of the castle is said to have made a pact with the devil before a duel and sold his soul. Even today, according to the legendary tradition, his screams can sometimes be heard when he goes to hell. From here we had a fantastic view of the Saarlouis basin with its Saarland landmark, the Polygon.
We finished the first loop after 47 kilometers and over 800 meters in altitude gain. The refreshment station offered a wide range of food and drinks.
The second loop took us east with plenty of headwind. The trails were now constantly alternating fast climbs and descents. We quickly reached the highlight, the Polygon, the well-known landmark of the Saarland. I already knew this climb from “Saarvertical”, which I rode almost two months ago. With a gradient of 16% and a strong side wind, it was uphill on loose gravel. However, the 110 meter climb was quickly mastered and the hikers who climb the summit looked at us with pity. In bright sunshine we enjoyed the beautiful views in all directions and the fresh breeze. After crossing the "Saar" river, which gave the region its name, we were quickly back at the aid station and strengthened ourselves for the third and final loop.
The third loop took us first in the direction of the French border. At the "Warndter Weiher" we rode on the old Huguenot path. Here in the "Warndtwald" the landscape was particularly worth seeing. The "Warndtwald" is the largest contiguous forest area in Saarland. It stretches as far as Lorraine and with its meadows, clearings and small villages, covers a total of 50 km² of land.
The route led us over some beautiful trails to France to the edge of an old opencast mine. From here it was almost all downhill to the finish. Time passed very quickly on such fast trails.
The organiser gave each participant one ticket per loop for the raffle, which took place afterwards. But that was not the only reason why participation in the Gravelfondo Überherrn was worthwhile for us. A great route, lovely landscapes with lots of nature were the highlights of the tour. Next year we will come back!
If you would like to recreate Timo’s ride, you can see his route here