The UCI Gravel World Championships are the newest addition to cycling’s Worlds, and follow the Mountain Bike and Road Worlds in the calendar. Now in its fourth year, the event sees elite races with rainbow bands on offer for the winner, as well as races for amateurs in age groups.
This year’s event will take place in Limburg, the Netherlands, so expect the Dutch contingent to be set on home glory. The elite women’s race is on Saturday 11 October, with the men’s equivalent on Sunday 12 October.
The start lists are packed with big names, from Tom Pidcock (Great Britain), Matej Mohorič (Slovenia) and Marianne Vos (Netherlands) to Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland) and Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands). Vos is the defending elite women’s champion, while fellow Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel will not defend his crown.
Quick guide to watching the Gravel Worlds
How to watch the Gravel Worlds in the UK
In the UK, the UCI Gravel World Championships will be shown on TV on TNT Sports and online on Discovery+, like pretty much all pro cycling now. Both platforms are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and require a subscription.
The elite women’s race is live on TNT Sports and Discovery+ from 12:30pm on Saturday, and the elite men’s race is live from 1:15pm on Sunday.
Discovery+ costs £30.99 a month since the price rise one month ago. TNT Sports is also £30.99 a month, but is cheaper with certain TV packages.
How to watch the Gravel Worlds in the US and Canada
For North American viewers, this year’s coverage of the UCI Gravel World Championships is on FloBikes.
FloBikes will be broadcasting in the US and Canada. Subscriptions cost $30 or CA$39.99 a month, with big savings for long-term plans. The Flobikes TV app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android.
Can I watch the Gravel Worlds for free?
There are many places around the world where you can watch the UCI Gravel World Championships for free.
As with all its World Championships, the UCI is providing free streaming live on YouTube for the Gravel World Champs. Geo-restrictions apply, on the basis that the stream is blocked in countries that have a licensed broadcaster, so that includes the UK and the US.
To check availability in your area, the UCI has a list of blocked territories.
How to watch the Gravel Worlds while abroad
Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions in place, meaning they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN, so you can continue to watch the Gravel Worlds while on the move.
A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device’s location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you’re abroad.
Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations…
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?
When are the Gravel Worlds on?
The UCI Gravel World Championships take place over two days, with the elite women’s racing beginning at 11am CET on Saturday October 11 and the elite men’s race beginning at 11:45am CET on Sunday October 12.
UK coverage of the Gravel Worlds begins at 12:30pm on the Saturday and 1:45pm on the Sunday.
In the US and Canada, coverage begins at 7:30am EDT on the Saturday, and 8:45am on the Sunday.
See also: Cycling TV and streaming guide
What to expect from the Gravel Worlds
The elite races are shorter, faster and less technical than what is expected in American gravel, where the 200-mile (322 km) Unbound Gravel is considered the pinnacle of off-road racing.
The women’s course is 131km-long, with 1,190m of elevation, while the men’s is 180km with 1,650m of climbing. Therefore, it has the flavour of a Spring Classic over the gravel races people are used to in other events.
Road racers have been dominant in the past, with previous winners being: Gianni Vermeersch and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (2022);Matej Mohorič and Kasia Niewiadoma (2023); and Mathieu van der Poel and Marianne Vos (2024).
Read our full guide to the event and courses here.
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