The routes in Belgium for the 2024 UCI Gravel World Championships lead from Halle to Leuven throughout the rolling terrain and slim paths of the Flemish Brabant, with near 55% of the course thought-about to be unpaved, together with gravel, filth and cobblestones.
The elite ladies race 135km on Saturday, October 5, with a begin circuit round Halle and one cross of a end circuit of 47km. The next day, the elite males’s class will race 179km on the identical route, with two passes on the Leuven circuit.
The routes for all elite races and age-specific divisions start in Halle with a brief 8km loop to the northwest as an appetizer after which traverse 80km to Leuven. This part zig-zags by the Forests of Brabant, one among 4 nationwide parks within the nation, and the race route connects 4 sections of previous woodland areas: Lembeekbos, Hallerbos and Zoniënwoud. The part by Hallerbos has a succession of the longest climbs of the whole route, however none greater than 1.5km.
Relying on the class, riders will both conclude on the Martelarenplein, the sq. in entrance of the Leuven railway station, or proceed with one or two laps to resolve who earns the rainbow stripes. This 47km loop has a number of twists and turns of undulating small paths that undergo the Meerdaalwoud forest space, with 60% of the native lap the identical because the one used for the 2023 European Gravel Championships.
As soon as again into town of Leuven, there’s a 300-metre cobbled climb on the very slim Ramberg, a back-alley lane which is simply 1.8km from the end. It’s so slim that if an assault occurs right here, solely two riders may journey side-by-side. Throughout the highest, riders will cross Donatuspar, with a last ‘gravel’ part, then wind previous the beautiful College Library and it is signature tower for the 1km on pavement to the end.
Final 12 months’s battles for rainbow stripes topped Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland) because the elite ladies’s champion after 140km of racing and Matej Mohorič (Slovenia) because the elite males’s champion on a 169km course.
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Organised this 12 months by Golazo Sports activities, there will probably be spectator viewing areas arrange for the begins in Halle and finishes in Leuven, plus official fan zones arrange alongside the route, some places offering live-action video on big screens.
“The intention is to centralise spectators as a lot as potential in one of the best spots for watching the riders, whereas minimising the burden on the Forests of Brabant. There will probably be a Gravel Expo providing the most recent gravel merchandise and bikes in the course of the fan zone in Leuven,” mentioned Christophe Impens, head of biking at Golazo.
Along with the end circuit, a lot of the passage from west to east from Halle to Leuven within the Brabant forest space would be the identical as used for the UEC European Gravel Championships and Belgian Gravel Championships final 12 months.
Golazo will work with native companies and companions to “optimally shield nature’s worth” to assist sustainability initiatives.
“We’re elaborating an in depth Sustainability Plan. A key ingredient within the Sustainability Plan is mobility. Halle and Leuven each provide the perfect infrastructure to allow folks to return and benefit from the Bolero UCI Gravel World Championships by public transport. Each the beginning and end are inside strolling distance of a prepare station, and there may be additionally a direct connection between the 2 host cities,” mentioned Impens.
Qualification for the third version of the UCI Gravel World Championships proceed with nationwide champions, continental championships, nationwide group wildcard picks in addition to prime 25% in classes from one of many 25 occasions that make up the Trek UCI Gravel World Collection.
Begin grids based mostly on a factors system will probably be used for each elite races. The highest riders from Gravel World Collection occasions earned 200 factors for every win, 180 for second, 160 for third and all the way down to the twenty fifth finisher taking 5 factors. The highest 25 athletes within the elite world championships final 12 months earned as many as 1,000 factors for a win and all the way down to 10 factors for twenty fifth place. As well as, 50% of the factors within the system come from the UCI rankings in highway, MTB cross-country, MTB marathon and cyclocross.
