This weekend, the global gravel peloton converges on Llucena del Cid, deep in the mountains of Castellón, for the Castellón Gravel Race, the European opening leg of the Gravelking UCI Gravel World Series calendar.
The event’s international stature continues to grow. A total of 838 riders have entered the race, representing 40 different nationalities from five continents.
Starting and finishing in the heart of Llucena, the course immediately heads into the rugged interior of the Comunidad Valenciana. Riders will tackle either the 97 km main distance or the 85 km shorter route, both designed around the surrounding mountain range. With 80% gravel roads and 20% paved sections, the race delivers classic Mediterranean gravel: fast forest tracks, wide agricultural roads and long, steady climbs rather than highly technical singletrack.
The profile is selective from the very start. The full distance packs approximately 2,500 metres of elevation gain, while the shorter course still totals around 2,100 metres with a finale facing a steep final kilometre at nearly 10%.
Adding further prestige to the 2026 edition is a top‑level international start list. Among the confirmed names are Alejandro Valverde, Romain Bardet, Thomas De Gendt, Keegan Swenson, Mads Würtz Schmidt, Carolin Schiff, Sofía Gómez, Morgan Aguirre, Rosa Kloser and Karolina Migon, underlining the race’s status as one of the most attractive early‑season gravel events on the calendar.
All eyes will once again be on Alejandro Valverde and Carolin Schiff, the defending champions after claiming victory in Llucena last year.
