The Gravelking UCI Gravel World Series spans two continents this weekend, with qualifiers in Roden (NED) and Fayetteville, Arkansas (USA) offering two completely different racing challenges.
Roden, Netherlands – Gravel One Fifty
Roden hosts one of Europe’s fastest early‑season gravel races, with 1499 riders from 17 nationalities already confirmed so likely to surpass 1500 for the weekend. The elite fields are strong: 93 men and 22 women. Olympic speed skating champion Antoinette Rijpma‑de Jong is a remarkable participant alongside gravel specialists Carolin Schiff, Tessa Neefjes, and Wendy Oosterwoud, while the men’s field has Belgian Champion Niels Vandeputte at the start next to local favorites Adne Koster and Rick Ottema, and fan‑favorite Jan‑Willem van Schip. The course is entirely flat and exposed, with windforce 4 expected — a recipe for echelons, high speed, and constant fighting for position. The main distance is 150km with a shorter 92km as qualifier for the older categories.
Fayetteville, USA – Highlands Gravel Classic
In the United States, the Highlands Gravel Classic in Fayetteville delivers a high contrast with a hilly, technical route through the Boston Mountains of the Ozarks. Riders tackle 95% gravel, rolling ridgelines, and more than a dozen climbs, including a decisive 3 miles ascent, with the long course covering 67 miles and 4,850 ft of elevation and a shorter 53 miles variant as qualifier for the older categories. The terrain rises to 2,200 ft, mixing forested gravel, exposed ridge sections, and constant elevation changes. As the first UCI‑designated Bike City in the U.S., Fayetteville offers a demanding, scenic, and rhythm‑breaking course that rewards climbing strength and technical handling.
Two Races, Two Styles
Roden will be a battle of wind and speed, while Fayetteville tests climbing skills.
