The new UCI Gravel event in Luxemburg this weekend has been sold out with 1500 riders at the start in Vianden. The course is a combination of a Luxemburg loop and a German loop which are equally splitting the course in half.
The Luxemburg loop is the hardest part with lots of climbing in the first 10km, but also more paved sections while the German loop has more gravel and less elevation. Vianden is situated in the valley of the Our river and leaving town on both sides always requires climbing.
All younger categories do the full 46.8km course 2,5 times while the men over 60 and women over 50 finish after 1,5 lap totalling respectively 115 and 70km.
A strong field of riders have signed up with former Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet topping the men elite startlist, but also recent winners Niels Vandeputte and Petr Vakoc next to Hugo Drechou, Joris Nieuwenhuis, Laurens Sweeck, Felipe Orts, Toby Perry, Niki Terpstra and Paul Voss who are all keen to take victory.
In the women’s field, last week’s winners Axelle Dubau-Prevot and Larissa Hartog will get competition from Carolin Schiff, Marie Schreiber, Annabel Fisher, Tessa Neefjes, Wendy Oosterwoud, Annemarie Worst and Nicole Frain amongst many others.
