UCI Gravel World Championships 2025

Words by James Ion - Photography Sonam Gotthilf

Limburg, Netherlands – another year, same questions

The 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships took place in the Limburg region of the Netherlands, a location known more for road racing than the rough stuff. The start was in Beek, the finish in Maastricht, and the course was a 50-kilometre circuit ridden several times — 131 km for the elite women on Saturday, 180 km for the elite men on Sunday. Around 2,500 riders took part across all categories, from WorldTour professionals to age-group qualifiers.

The terrain was fast and tidy, roughly 70 percent unpaved by the organisers’ definition, though much of it resembled firm farm roads or compact dirt. There was little of the unpredictable, loose, or technical surface that defines gravel racing elsewhere.

The Racing

Florian Vermeersch (Belgium) finally claimed the men’s rainbow jersey after two consecutive second places. He attacked early, more than 120 km from the finish, and held off all chasers for a solo win. Frits Biesterbos (Netherlands) took second, with Matej Mohorič (Slovenia) in third — all three riders with full-time road racing contracts.

In the women’s race, Lorena Wiebes (Netherlands) won the sprint ahead of defending champion Marianne Vos, with Silvia Persico (Italy) rounding out the podium. A late solo move from Shirin van Anrooij was caught inside the final 500 metres, setting up a finish that looked more like a road classic than a gravel race.

Across the two days, 23 world champions were crowned: two elites and 21 age-group winners, covering categories from 19–34 up to 85+.

The Criticism

The event once again raised familiar issues about what a “Gravel World Championship” should look like.

Not enough gravel. Riders and media described the course as too manicured and too much like a road race. Even on the roughest sectors, tyre choice and line selection hardly mattered. For many, it felt like a missed opportunity to show what European gravel could really be — challenging, mixed, and unpredictable.

WorldTour dominance. The top ten in both elite races were made up entirely of WorldTour riders. Wiebes, Vos, Mohorič, Vermeersch — all full-time professionals from the road scene. Dedicated gravel specialists were largely absent from the fight for medals. The message was clear: the balance of power still sits with road teams who drop in once a year for the rainbow stripes.

Unequal distances. The women’s race was nearly 50 kilometres shorter than the men’s, despite UCI Gravel World Series qualifiers offering equal distances for both. Many riders have questioned why equality stops at the championship level.

Race interference. Age-group men once again caught sections of the elite women’s race, creating confusion and the possibility of drafting advantages. Riders and commentators have called for stricter separation — either through time gaps or completely separate race days — to ensure the elite competitions stand on their own.

The Verdict

Limburg delivered winners and rainbow jerseys, but little progress. The course was fast, the racing predictable, and the same criticisms echoed as last year: too road, too safe, too familiar. Until organisers commit to true off-road courses, equal distances, and cleaner race structures, the Gravel World Championships will remain an uneasy hybrid, for the pros.

However, for the mass participants it provides not only a focus for their season but a reward for all the sacrifices they made to get there.

But does it truly a “gravel” race? What does it even mean? It will get there eventually but until then congratulations to everyone!