The countdown to the 2025 Bolero UCI Gravel World Championships has officially begun with today’s launch of the event.
This prestigious championship will kick off in the picturesque town of Beek, nestled in the Limburg region. Competitors will face a demanding 50-kilometer local lap that’s 70% gravel and winds through the scenic landscapes of Beek and Beekdaelen. This loop will be tackled multiple times depending on the category:
- Saturday: All women and men over 50 will complete 1.5 or 2.5 laps.
- Sunday: Elite men and age groups men 19-49 will ride 3.5 laps.
Riders can expect a challenging course. The first 5km will be on wide-open paved roads, including a steep climb designed to stretch the peloton before riders hit the first gravel section. Subsequent laps will bypass this initial paved stretch, heading directly onto the gravel. The terrain is relentlessly rolling with climbs that seem to keep going even after you think you’ve reached the top.
After these loops, the race will proceed via a steep climb towards the historic city of Maastricht. The final stretch will unfold on the city’s innovative “Groene Loper” (Dutch for Green Path). This remarkable urban transformation saw the former A2 motorway, which once bisected the city, brought underground in 2016 and replaced with a green gravel promenade and park on top.
In a historic first for the UCI Gravel World Championships, which began in 2022, the finish of the race will take place on hardpacked gravel.
Full course details will be communicated later!
