UCI Gravel World Championship 2023: Preview, route & elevation profiles

Gravel World Championship 2023: The schedule

As in the previous year, the Gravel World Championships will begin in their second year with the start of the women's elite. This will be followed by the men's and women's age groups. On Sunday, it will be the turn of the elite men, followed by the men's age groups from 19 to 49.

Saturday, 7 October 2023

• 10:30 am, start women's elite
• 10:33 Start Men age group 50-54
• 10:34 Start men age group 55-59
• 10:35 Start Men age group 60-64
• 10:36 Start women age group 19-34
• 10:37 Start women age group 35-39 km
• 10:38 Start women age group 40-44 km
• 10:39 Start women age group 45-49
• 10:40 Start men age group 65+
• 10:41 Start women age group 50+
• 15:00 Finish Women Elite in Pieve di Soligo on the Piazza Balbi Valier

Sunday, 8 October 2023

• 10:30 Start men's elite
• 10:33 Start men age group 19-34
• 10:35 Start men age group 35-39
• 10:37 Start men age group 40-44
• 10:39 Start men age group 45-49
• 15:30 Finish Men Elite in Pieve di Soligo on the Piazza Balbi Valier

The routes of the 2023 Gravel World Championships

Same region, new location and new routes. There will be a total of five different routes for the individual World Championship races at the 2023 Gravel World Championships:

• Elite women: 140 kilometres, 1660 vertical metres
• Elite men: 169 kilometres, 1890 vertical metres
• Men age groups 19-49: 163 kilometres, 1890 metres in altitude
• Women's age groups 19-49 & men's age groups 50-64: 136 kilometres, 1660 metres of elevation gain
• Women's age groups 50+ and men's age groups 65+: 93 kilometres, 1030 metres of elevation gain

There were three routes at the first Gravel World Championships. All races start at Lago Le Bandie, which lies to the north of Trevisio, and finish in Pieve di Soligo. While the routes were still flat last year, new routes with a few metres of elevation gain and climbs were created in 2023. The women's elite has eight climbs to tackle, the men's elite even has nine.

The women's elite and men's elite begin with a small start loop, all other distances do not run this first loop. Then it's the same for all courses towards the finish, with the route partly running along a riverbed before the first climb awaits. The Collato has a length of 2.4 kilometres with an average gradient of 4.8 percent. It goes through vineyards and past old castles. Overall, the route seems to be more varied than at the debut event. Trails, gravel roads, tarmac and cement roads - cement always means it's steep here - await the participants.

>> To the race report of the women's race

Climbs Gravel World Championship 2023

Regulations for the 2023 Gravel World Championship

Qualification for the Gravel World Championship

Qualification for the Gravel World Championships was possible at every one-day race of the UCI Gravel World Series. Based on the results of each race, the top 25 per cent of each race in each age group qualify for the UCI Gravel World Championships. The 25 per cent is based on the number of starters in each age group and not on the number of riders who finished the race.

It is also possible to be nominated by the national federation. Each national federation has a quota of 20 starters for all classes that it can nominate. The country in which the Gravel World Championships take place can enter 40 riders. The allocation of wildcards is only possible at the discretion of the UCI.

Riders who belong to a team registered with the UCI must start in the Elite category (i.e. World Tour, Pro Continental, Continental, Mountain Bike, Cyclocross and Track teams).

While in 2022 it was still possible to start with any bike - except e-bikes - there are now more restrictions: Mountain bikes, e-bikes and recumbents are prohibited. Only bikes with dropbar handlebars are permitted; triathlon trailers and other aerobar handlebar attachments are prohibited.

What happens in the event of a breakdown?

Mechanics are on hand to help in the tech and catering zones. Between the zones, you will have to repair a puncture yourself. It is therefore advisable to take a spare inner tube, tools, CO2 cartridge and air pump with you. It is permitted to change the wheels in the designated zones. A complete change to a second bike is not permitted. Riders must finish with the frame they started with.

Favourites for the 2023 Gravel World Championship: Which pros are taking part?

Last year, the first gravel world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. Gianni Vermeersch became the first world champion of the elite riders. However, Ferrand-Prevot had to cancel her start shortly before the race following a Covid infection. Instead, Tour de France Femmes winner Demi Vollering, the newly crowned European Gravel Champion Lorena Wiebes and Katarzyna Niewiadoma have announced their participation.

The list of favourites in the men's race is headed by Wout van Aert. Matej Mohroic, off-road specialist Keegan Swenson, former pro Alejandro Valverde and last year's winner Vermeersch are all hoping to challenge the Belgian superstar for the title.

Gravel World Championship 2023: TV broadcast & live stream

Television coverage in Germany is not planned. However, Discovery+ and GCN+ will offer a paid live stream of the men's race of the 2023 Gravel World Championships on Sunday from 14:00 to 15:30 run.