Gravel Earth Series, UCI Gravel World Series, Steamboat – The gravel racing scene is booming. What began as an anarchistic antithesis to established road racing is becoming more competitive, but also more conformist and targeted toward the masses. How much professionalisation can the sport tolerate before losing touch with its roots?
It’s often the undefined that fascinates us. A forgotten dirt road, an overgrown trail, a pothole-ridden track. The longing to find new paths and go on adventures away from the asphalt has turned the drop bar world on its head over the past 10 years. With the introduction of gravel bikes, our cycling fantasies have new objects of desire, with fatter rubber and curvy flared bars. Gravel riding presents a big promise of freedom and it’s become a big sport too. And what started out as gravel riding is turning into gravel racing. The roots of modern gravel racing lie in the USA, but it’s become a truly global sport with races attracting thousands of participants all around the world.
Ever more road, cyclocross and MTB professionals are taking the plunge, new teams are emerging, and brands are racing to keep up with the development of the market. With the Gravel Earth Series and the UCI Gravel World Series, two ambitious racing series are currently being established and further fuelling the hype.
But what is this focus on performance, commercialisation, and marketing doing to the character of gravel? Or, put differently, how much perfection can a sport tolerate, whose roots lie in improvisation?
After the success of our gravel race bike group test, we didn’t have to think twice before packing our gravel bikes and heading to the races ourselves. So, we rode together with some incredibly beautiful people; in the incredibly beautiful gravel mecca of Girona, with incredibly fast people at THE TRAKA gravel race, with the incredibly successful founders of the Danish label Pas Normal Studios, and with Valtteri Bottas at the premiere of FNLD GRVL. In doing so, we ate plenty of avocado toast, swallowed a lot of dust, and drank a lot of flat whites, as befits any roadie worth their salt. 😂
Gravel racing – A dusty old sport
The English Rough-Stuff Fellowship (RSF) first organised trips into the unknown back in the 1950’s. However, the men in Tweed had little in common with today’s stereotypical, aero-optimised gravel racer. The focus was on discovering new places and making new experiences, escaping the mundanity of grim industrial towns to explore beyond clearly defined routes and rules. The ladies and gentlemen trundled along on mud roads aboard their touring bikes in their everyday clothing, revelling in the sense of freedom. From the beginning, gravel riding was associated with freedom, unconventionality, and anti-authoritarianism, leaving the conventions of the road and of everyday life far behind in the dust.
At around the turn of the millennium, enthusiasts in the USA tried to adopt the anarchy of the European spring classics on their own terrain. Cobbles became hardpack, and Paris–Roubaix became Barry–Roubaix.
The Belgian Waffle Rides are also based on the desire to bring the madness of a spring classic in Flanders to life on the gravel roads of California. At some point, frustrated by the harshness of the course, some of the participants threw their skinny-tired road bikes aside and came back the next year with fatter tires. So, gravel riding has always been challenging and competitive. However, it was not just about strong legs, but also about mental fitness. Being able to cope with frustration, to improvise and tolerate uncertainty were indispensable parts of the required skill set. Gravel racing was adventure racing.
The development of gravel racing is best illustrated by the development of UNBOUND Gravel. The mega-event attracted just a handful of hobbyists and adventurers to the Midwest when it first launched as the Dirty Kanza in 2006. Today, over 4,000 riders blast through the Flint Hills on rugged farm tracks, turning the small town of Emporia into the epicentre of global gravel racing. UNBOUND Gravel is THE icon of gravel racing. A win here can make your gravel career. It’s no longer just about having fun, but also about money – UNBOUND Gravel has become a serious matter. And as hotly contested the racing has become, so heated are the debates around it. How much room does a race like that leave for adventure and improvisation?
The 2023 edition was marked by heavy rain, which turned parts of the dirt roads into mud slides that defeated both man and machine. Torn off derailleurs, mud-caked frames, and a high rate of riders stepping out of the race gave rise to the call for a less brutal track. Would that still be gravel racing? Or is facing the elements what gravel racing is all about?
Kimo Seymour, Vice President of the umbrella organisation of UNBOUND Gravel, has taken a clear stance by recalling the event’s roots.
“The ethos of this event is that it has always been an adventure ride that has now turned into an adventure race.”
If UNBOUND is already too much racing and too little adventure, you can still find the unpredictability that provides the breeding ground for emotional highs and lows, and epic stories in multi-day gravel events like the Silk Road Mountain Race or Atlas Mountain Race.
But how much room will be left for unpredictability if the sport continues to be professionalised, riders compete for ever bigger pots of money, events compete for media attention, and organisers look for sponsors? A professional sport needs conditions that allow us to compare performances and minimise DNFs. So, the trend is moving away from the originally adventurous gravel spirit, towards the age-old measuring of performance.
Gravel in Girona – Welcome to graveldise!
If you’re looking for the great gravel adventure in Europe, you will inevitably end up at THE TRAKA in Girona – and ending up in Girona is quite the experience for first timers. Tanned legs form part of powerful works of art in burgundy-coloured bibs, spinning custom-built, lightweight wheelsets through the picturesque historic district. There, painfully hip cycling cafés with equally picturesque breakfast bowls vie for the attention of influencers, and noble boutiques take bike couture to record levels of aesthetics and prices.
Girona’s rise to the European bike metropolis began when WorldTour pros chose the city as the starting point for their winter training grounds. Meanwhile, part of the professional road cycling peloton has moved on to Andorra, creating space for a new tourism mainstay: gravel.
However, there is nothing left of the anarchy, rebelliousness, and non-conformity that first made gravel great. The Girona gravel scene represents perfection from the first gravel kilometre to the last basil and mint ice cream. Damn tasty, but also a little empty.
THE TRAKA – The European gravel throne is in Girona
Once a year, Girona becomes the stage for the largest European gravel festival. THE TRAKA attracted more than 2,000 participants in 2023, who migrated there to tackle the dreamlike trails between the Pyrenean foothills and the Costa Brava with their knobbly tires, with courses ranging in length from 50 to 360 kilometres.
THE TRAKA is part of the Gravel Earth Series. The series is a combination of eight very different events. From a stage race in Kenya, to a day ride through Iceland’s spectacular volcanic landscape, and a rally covering 8 Swiss mountain peaks – it’s about experiencing gravel in all its facets. At first glance, it’s not about competitive gravel racing. Instead, the series conveys a respectful approach to nature and propagates courtesy among the participants in its codex.
If you want, you can opt against the obligatory event T-shirt at registration and have a tree planted instead, and you’re handed a reusable enamel cup upon finishing, which you can fill with freshly squeezed OJ. Walking around at THE TRAKA in Girona, you will somehow get the feeling that almost all the problems of this world can be solved by riding a gravel bike.
The road to OJ and saving the world may be long and gravel strewn, but it gets ridden damn fast. THE TRAKA is an extremely competitive race, at least on the 200 km route. The shaven-legs ratio at the starting line is at about 95%, and the thumping music, frantic clicking of the pedals, and nervous beeping of Garmins makes your heart race long before the race kicks off. The first climbs break up the field into small groups, which later haggle for slipstreams along the gravel roads, and it’s only 120 kilometres in that the main climb of the day turns stubborn gravel racers back into friendly bikepackers.
On the days before the race, riders diligently load up on carbohydrates, devise nutrition plans, and optimise their bike setup. For most of them, it’s about more than just finishing. It is about pushing their limits, giving it their best, and being as successful as possible. It’s not all that different to a classic cycling marathon through the Alps.
But the riders look different. There are no neon-coloured team jerseys from the late 90s, no vests with borderline motivational slogans, no jerseys from local cycling clubs. Instead, all you see are incredibly well colour-matched kits in earthy pastel tones, folks who look like they just walked straight out of an Instagram account, and you see Pas Normal Studios.
Where will the gravel road end? Gravel is a goldmine
Pas Normal Studios – The kit that unites the community, or uniforms for former anarchists?
The Copenhagen based label is like the Girona of the bike clothing industry. Their rise to success was meteoric, and gravel has long been in the crosshairs of the premium Danish brand. We met the founders Peter and Karl-Oskar the day before the race. The fact that they compete themselves is just as self-explanatory as the design of their collections. Pas Normal Studios rely on simple designs, featuring clear lines and single colours with minimalist lettering. This design ethos has brought the brand success on the streets, and when you look around Girona, you can’t shake the feeling that the Pas Normal look also defines the aesthetics of the global gravel community.
This development is both interesting and peculiar. As a brand, PNS have managed to transcend their products. Aesthetically, the Danish brand set the standard as riders want to wear the brand to feel like they belong – regardless of whether the bibs or jerseys are technologically and functionally superior to those of competing brands. It’s the style that counts, and Girona provides the perfect setting for this. Between flat whites and avocado toast, the Instagram-inspired generation of drop bar riders looks like it’s been copied and pasted a thousand times over. We’re a part of it, but this development raises questions, nonetheless: does gravel need a uniform look? Or is this conformity killing the wild gravel spirit?
The amount of potential the Scandinavian company see in going off-road becomes clear when you look at the brand’s commitment to gravel. They’re not just one of the main sponsors of THE TRAKA, but also partners of the UCI Gravel World Series. UCI and gravel? No, that’s not a typo! The thought that the often-criticised world cycling federation is launching its own Gravel World Series is unlikely to go down well amongst the OGs of the scene. Pas Normal Studios, however, have embraced the idea fully, even designing the winner’s jerseys of the series. In general, getting involved is a crucial aspect for the boys and girls from Copenhagen. Unlike the road sector, it’s easier to bring your own ideas to the still young and wild gravel scene and make yourself visible as a brand.
In that vein, Pas Normal Studios have started supporting gravel teams, one of which is the ENOUGH CYCLING COLLECTIVE. The idea of teams and gravel racing takes some getting used to – gravel riding was always a sport for individualists. But with the increasing economic relevance and professionalisation, the pressure to succeed also increases – to the point where it makes sense to have teammates to provide a slipstream, extra water, or a new bike. But that’s not the idea behind ENOUGH CYCLING.
The ENOUGH CYCLING COLLECTIVE only partially defines itself based on victories and placements. The team’s manifesto is about experiencing things together and inspiring each other. And it’s about happiness. But anyone who confuses the light-heartedness and joy that the team conveys on their social media channels for a lack of ambition is mistaken. They ride their bikes, train, and suffer at a high level. But unlike in pro-peloton road teams, they don’t do this in a bubble, but in the heart of the community.
Perhaps, the character of ENOUGH CYCLING can be understood best by accompanying the rider Mattia de Marchi on the weekend of THE TRAKA. On Saturday, the former professional wins the 360-kilometre race for the third time in a row, and on Sunday morning he changes tires for his teammates. On Sunday afternoon, he finishes the 100 km race in the top 10. Later that afternoon, you can find him with a beer in his hand at an after-party, as relaxed as can be, and you can follow it all in real time on Instagram.
ENOUGH CYCLING is a gravel team and content machine in one. The team manages to strike a balance between performance, light-heartedness, and happiness. For Pas Normal Studios, that makes them the perfect brand ambassadors for gravel riding as a ticket to happiness.
FNLD GRVL– Gravel, lakes, and saunas
In the light of the endless midsummer evening, Amy Charity also seems pretty happy as she looks back on the premiere of FNLD GRVL. Together with Canyon-SRAM rider Tiffany Cromwell, and Finland’s Formula 1 icon Valtteri Bottas, she managed to lure over 1,000 participants into Lahti’s forests. However, Amy is no stranger to the gravel scene.
She has already launched one of the hottest gravel races in the USA, called the Steamboat Race, or SBT GRVL. Steamboat has the reputation of combining gravel racing with good vibes and a festival atmosphere. In addition, the prize money is considerable by gravel standards. Some of the participants in Lahti, however, didn’t come for the vibes or the prize money. For some, FNLD GRVL is their first encounter with bike racing. That’s thanks to a distance of just 40 km and a moderate elevation profile on the forest route.
But despite its beginner friendliness, FNLD GRVL is one of the fastest gravel races you can find. Although Valtteri and Co. have managed to get every metre of elevation out of the rather flat landscape, the course is very flowy, allowing you to go full speed on the descents.
According to Valtteri, the tracks around Lahti are the “happiest gravel roads” in the world, in one of the happiest countries in the world. With so much happiness around, I almost feel bad when I silently curse the first 10 undulating kilometres of the 177 km main event. We follow impressively steep cross-country skiing trails as they meander around the ski jump before finally heading out into the woods. It’s at that point that I start feeling a little happier, and I can’t help but smile at the first sightings of red picture book farmhouses amid lupine covered fields. But the momentary euphoria is cut short. I get a fly caught in my throat.
The makers of Steamboat place a high value on being allowed to make the rules at their events. As such, they deliberately chose not to have their events annexed by the UCI Gravel World Series. That’s allowed them to keep it so that the pro riders start with everyone else, and everyone has the chance to pocket the prize money. The latter is a bit of a controversial topic. At first glance, the monetary incentive doesn’t suit Steamboat’s festival character, but Amy believes that it’s only by rewarding great sporting achievements financially that we can bring the discipline forward.
After 100 kilometres, all I can do to bring me forward is grab a handful of liquorice from my top tube bag. I find a merciful rear wheel and instead of watching the light play in the pine forests, I place my focus on the mixed tread pattern of a 40 mm tire that persistently shovels dust in my face for the next few kilometres.
From hardpack to loose gravel, sand, forest trails, and paths mowed through lush green meadows, FNLD GRVL offers just about everything the gravel heart desires. The route is clearly marked, road crossings are patrolled by volunteers, and the locals along the route seem delighted about the fact that so many people have come to visit their woods.
If Amy has her way, FNLD GRVL is just the start of a series of European Steamboat events. It’s not just for bike and apparel brands that gravel racing has become a cornerstone, but also for organisers. Gravel race event organisers typically don’t have to deal with the bureaucratic nightmare of road closures and traffic light deactivations, while also offering tourism boards the chance to position their region as a gravel riding mecca. For a winter sports destination like Lahti, this is a particularly attractive proposition. On the one hand, some of their outstanding cross-country skiing infrastructure can be integrated into the route planning and, on the other hand, hotels don’t stand empty in the summer.
I certainly look forward to the hotel and a shower as I turn onto the final 10 km stretch, provide the photographer with a few scenes of epic suffering on the last climb, and finally roll across the finish line at the foot of the ski jumping facility. Of course, a gravel race in Finland doesn’t end there. It ends in a sauna. Between food trucks, live music, and the screeching seagulls is a beech wood-fired sweat lodge where you can look back on the day’s events.
Conclusion
Today, gravel is both a sport and a lifestyle. And gravel racing also tries to be about more than just competition. It’s about meaning, values, and happiness. But gravel racing has become too big to have anyone believe it’s all just fun and games. The gravel pros now have their own starting blocks at many events, supported by their own crews, and soon they might even come in teams as they pursue podiums and prize money. The big brands have managed to turn non-conformity into brand loyalty, and make former anarchists pitch up in uniforms at global mega events. Right now, we’re having a blast riding this wave. But the higher the wave, the further it will fall when it breaks.
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Words: Nils Hofmeister Photos: Nils Hofmeister, Guillem Casanova, Jordi Isasa, Marc Rius, Oriol Batista, Orial Gonzalvo, Sixt Visuals, Roger Salanova, Wil Ohmann, FNLD GRVL, THE TRAKA, Felusch
