[Words by Steve Thomas - Photography from SWpix]

They say it’s “nice in Nice,” although as far as the UCI Gravel World Championships for 2025 are concerned things have turned out not so biscuity sweet – or at least the races will not be held in Nice this year. In an official press release on 25 February 2025, the UCI said, “The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that the 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships will not take place as planned in Nice (France) on 18 October.”

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“The UCI and the City of Nice acknowledged the difficulties of organising the event in the capital of the French Riviera on that date, and given various constraints, technical and regarding the calendar, it was mutually agreed not to organise the fourth edition of the UCI worlds for gravel in Nice.”

“The UCI is currently studying various options to find a new organiser and a new venue. These, along with the date for the event, will be announced as soon as possible.” 

Taking the rough with the smooth

It has to be noted that the UCI’s venture into gravel goodness hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride (although, in some ways, it was exactly that at times – a smooth entry in terms of terrain), and perhaps seemed to lack some “intent” when it came to the “dirt kermess” like first 2022 World Championships in Veneto, Italy. We understand that the UCI had agreed on a second year/term with the original organisers and the region. However, a lot was being muttered about the nature of the race, and, in particular the gravel-lite terrain. Wisely so, a change of organisation and slight move of race location was figured out for the following year, all be it at the 11th hour. Right up until the final weeks before that second race, it was unclear as to whether or not it would even happen, let alone where it would be held.

2023 UCI World Gravel Championships Italy SWPix17.jpg, by SWpix.com

That left many entrants somewhat disgruntled, especially those who had booked or scheduled travel and holiday time around riding. Luckily, the UCI struck gold that second time with a smaller but experienced organiser for that race around the Barolo Hills in Northern Italy. Hands up; they did a great job and saved the day – all be it with tinges of frustration around TV coverage and rights. It seemed that gravel had finally got a championship and course worthy of its growing status in 2023.

When it came to the third edition of the World Championship, in October 2024 in Belgium, some of the biggest names in pro road racing, cyclo-cross, and mountain biking had signed up for a tilt at the title race, and what a battle that turned out to be – had gravel become mainstream? Well, the course itself was not of the same rough cut and lumpy ilk as the previous year’s race, and we had what many might describe as a fast but dirty and rough road race around Flemish Brabant.

Sure enough, it was a great race to watch, and yet it was stretching, or rather blurring, the lines between road and gravel somewhat. With two of the sport’s all-time greatest racers and all-rounders, Matthieu van der Poel and Marianne Vos of the Netherlands taking victory, all looked rosy in terms of the profile and significance of the race and sport. Even if the terrain and style of racing didn’t sit so sweetly with some of the pure and original gravel devotees, even Unbound, one of the oldest, the biggest, and one of the longest single-day gravel races around had also evolved into a “marginal” gains style and very close and fast run race by 2024, where Lachlan Morton took victory. It seems inevitable that the sport will head more in a similar direction moving ahead, or at least at the Elite end of racing.

Where does it go from here?

The pulling of the Nice race has come as a surprise to many, as Nice has a long association and affiliation with cycling and bike racing. Nice also hosted the grand finale of the Tour de France last year. Even though the exact route and race details hadn’t been finalised, we understood that this was going to be a very hilly race and that it would use many of the trails covered in the Monaco Gravel Race, a UCI Gravel World Series round to be held in April.

The race starts in Peille, a French hilltop town between Nice and Monaco (and home to Nicolas Vouilloz). Many contenders considered it a virtual dress rehearsal/simulation of the Nice Championships. Given the World Championship timing, the location, and the hilly nature of the race, it was widely anticipated that a bunch of top road pros - many of whom live in Monaco - would turn out to race. 

Needless to say, the change of location and date for the race will come as a frustrating blow to many, and especially for age groupers and amateur riders who have planned their year around qualifying for the race, and who have also spent their hard-earned cash in with that. So what comes next? For this we asked Erwin Vervecken of GOLAZO, who is the series manager, and also in charge of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, this was his reply;

2023 UCI World Gravel Championships Italy SWPix12.jpg, by SWpix.com

“There were two issues on the Nice World Championships. The date: the projected date of 18-19 Oct was together with the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships date on the same weekend.  In the age group riders, 40-50% of the participants usually do the double, combining the Gran Fondo and Gravel World Championhips in the same year

The complex traffic situation that comes with a Gravel World Championships. Combining with age groups and spread over two days, you need to close down a major city like Nice for several hours as the last age group rider crosses the finish line up to 2hours behind the first elites!” -  Erwin Vervecken of Golazo

 
“The World Championships will be organized this year, no worries. Plenty of candidates to take over.  We have been working behind the scenes for several weeks on that!”

Our old and trusted crystal ball tells us that there will indeed be a Gravel World Championship this year. We expect some form of venue and date announcement by spring. It is possible that an existing race will be used as a replacement, and Monaco Gravel would seem like a viable alternative – or at least a second version of it might. However, we very much doubt that this would go down too well in Nice.

We’re not sure how long the undercurrent of uncertainty had been running on the Nice event; if it’s been around for a while, then we would imagine – and hope, that the UCI have a plan B in place, or at least close enough. If they haven’t, then it could lead to a last gap calling in on a familiar region; perhaps Tuscany, Belgium or even Scotland.

On the positive side, this could be an opportunity to take the title race to a different level or rather to a different continent. There are a couple of good potential options/venues here, should they wish to collaborate with the UCI at such short notice that is; North America would be a viable option, and should they hook up and agree on terms with one of the major gravel race organisers there, it would be most fitting to hold a title race there. The other left-of-field option would be South Africa, where there are organisations and infrastructures in place that could pull off a truly amazing race – Cape Epic/The Epic Series and Gravel Burn.

2023 UCI World Gravel Championships Italy SWPix11.jpg, by SWpix.com

Both of these regions would be great options, although their location and the cost of travelling would be major hurdles for regular riders, who, unlike pros, pay their own way. This would probably impact age group numbers and nationality variation, and any further-flung locations could also deter some top road riders and their busy season-ending schedules.

There is, of course, another gorilla in the UCI tent, that is the on-going conflict between Rwanda and the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), which is causing a few jitters as the UCI World Road Championships are due to take place in Kigali, Rwanda, this September and yet the UCI say they have no plan B for this one. On that score, we would guess that the races will happen, as the Tour of Rwanda, a major UCI road stage race, is currently mid-flow. If this rolls out sweetly, could this Championship week also add a gravel race? Unlikely, we think at this stage.

Bottom lines from the dregs of that crystal ball? Although it would be fitting for the USA to host the race, and it would be epic for South Africa to step in too, we can well imagine that a European venue and similar date will follow shortly – with Italy/Tuscany slightly edging out France and Belgium; it would make practical sense at this stage - and be fairer on the age groupers - who are, after all, in the vast majority.

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