The Belgian city of Turnhout has been awarded the 2030 UCI Gravel World Championships, following the decision announced during the UCI Congress in Montreal, Canada. The championship will bring the world’s best gravel riders to the north of Belgium, further strengthening the Benelux region’s reputation as one of the world’s premier destinations for gravel cycling.
Turnhout welcomed the Belgian Gravel Championships in 2024 and subsequently hosted a Gravelking UCI Gravel World Series qualifier in both 2025 and 2026. Both editions sold out well in advance, attracting the maximum field of 2,500 participants from across Europe and beyond.
A Course Made for Gravel Racing
Located in Belgium’s Campine region, Turnhout offers a gravel experience that is distinct from the hilly courses often associated with championship racing. The route combines speed, tactics and endurance across an extensive network of gravel roads and nature reserves.
Riders will race through the spectacular Vennengebied, north of the city, where wide-open gravel sectors and exposed landscapes can make wind a decisive factor. The course then enters the expansive Ravelse Gewestbossen, a vast woodland area featuring long gravel stretches beneath dense forest canopies.
The final kilometres run alongside the canal, where the predominantly flat terrain can become surprisingly challenging. Depending on weather conditions, the finishing sectors may demand precise bike handling and tactical positioning before riders battle for the coveted rainbow jerseys.
Proven Championship Credentials
Turnhout has already demonstrated its ability to deliver world-class gravel events. The sell-out editions of the Gravelking UCI Gravel World Series races showcased both the growing popularity of the discipline and the region’s capacity to welcome large international fields.
The award further strengthens the position of Belgium and the wider Benelux region within the international gravel calendar. While the neighbouring Zuid-Limburg region in the Netherlands has become famous for its gravel racing and hosted the 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships, Turnhout offers a contrasting style of racing based on fast, flat and open terrain. Golazo, host organizer of the past two edition of these World Championships will take up that role again in Turnhout.
Looking Ahead
Before the world’s best gravel riders head to Turnhout in 2030, the UCI Gravel World Championships will continue to visit a variety of iconic destinations around the globe. The 2031 UCI Gravel World Championships have already been awarded to the Italian region of Trentino, where the event will form part of the combined UCI World Championships, bringing multiple cycling disciplines together in a single host region, similar to the model that will be used in Haute-Savoie next season.
The consecutive appointments of Turnhout and Trentino underline the growing stature of gravel cycling within the UCI family. While Trentino will showcase the mountainous landscapes of the Italian Alps, Turnhout will offer a very different challenge, one rooted in speed, positioning, endurance and the unique character of Belgian gravel racing.
