'Fantastic entertainment' or 'slapstick comedy'? How gravel has infiltrated WorldTour racing, and what the pros really think of it

Sterrato, ribinoù, caminos de olivos. Call them what you like, the gravel sectors we see littered into road races are simultaneously an eye-catching feature, a hazardous obstacle, and an opportunity to flex some multi-disciplinary bike handling skills during the road racing season.

While races that feature cobbled roads have formed a mainstay of the road racing calendar throughout the sport's history thanks to the significant influence of French and Belgian cycling culture, gravel (with the odd exception) is a more contemporary addition to the ever-broadening menu of surfaces on which to do battle on two wheels.

Gravel racing as a discipline itself is enjoying a massive uptick in interest globally, and a discipline which was historically contained largely within a thriving North American scene has in recent years been embraced in Europe, with off-road events growing in number and popularity. Recent years have seen a growing number of road racers move onto gravel following their time in the professional peloton, but opportunities for riders who thrive on surfaces other than tarmac are increasing during the road season, in unique one-day races such as Strade Bianche, Tro Bro Léon and Paris-Tours that mix smooth asphalt with many kilometres of rough gravel or countryside tracks.

The crossover between disciplines cuts both ways. With the appeal of gravel burgeoning, there's been a blending of boundaries between the discrete world of gravel racing and other disciplines, with stars from the world of road and cyclocross taking part in gravel events; the UCI-sanctioned Gravel World Championships have attracted marquee names from Marianne Vos and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney to Mathieu van der Poel and Matej Mohorič (indeed, with the exception of the women's event in 2022, the podium of every single edition of the men's and women's UCI Gravel World Championship has been entirely populated by professional road riders).

It's not an easy road for all involved though: loose road surfaces are replete with hazards, and winning a gravel-heavy race involves a good dose of luck and causes untold headaches for sports directors and mechanics. With increasing numbers of riders choosing to take part in multiple disciplines, are gravel-based races the perfect balance for riders who feel the call to adventure, or do they represent a bumpy road for teams as they try to manage the difficulties that are part and parcel of off-road events?

Following the trend

It's not just the riders who are enamoured by races which feature gravel sectors. These races provide excellent entertainment for fans, not just because of the thrilling action, but also thanks to the stunning backdrops – gravel roads are often a feature of the kind of undulating, picturesque land perfect for wine-making and farming, and when these intersect with the heat of battle the results are often breath-taking to witness.

Perhaps the flagship gravel-based event of the year, there's no finer example of the beauty and brutality of this kind of race than Strade Bianche, the curtain-raiser to the Italian classics season. A significant proportion of cycling fans have long been calling for the race to be recognised as 'the sixth Monument', despite its relative youth – the race first appeared on the men's calendar in 2007, with a women's edition added in 2015.

There is no denying that the stunning sight of the white dust being kicked up by a snaking peloton speeding through the rolling, verdant Tuscan landscape is not only aesthetically pleasing, but produces electric racing. Many cycling fans have fallen in love with the race following memorable editions including the highlight-reel battle up the Via Santa Caterina in 2021, which saw Mathieu van der Poel take victory, and 2023's dramatic edition in which Tom Pidcock attacked on a downhill section of gravel to take his first major Classics victory.

Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto's Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney has competed in every edition of the women's race since its inauguration, recording six top-five finishes including a trio of second places between 2016 and 2018. She explains how she "fell for" the white roads during her days with Rabobank.

"It definitely holds a special place in my heart," she says. "Some people develop a special feeling for Flanders; Strade was the first classic that I just always knew I wanted to win. It comes with a lot of fight, but also a lot of suffering. There's always this huge feeling of satisfaction when you're finished, because it's brutal and hard, and then you make it over the final climb, and you arrive in a beautiful, iconic square. I feel like all the emotions come together and make it so special."

She is unequivocal about the emotions the race evokes: "Once I win that race, I'm ready to retire because my goal is completed."

Smoothing the surface

So what does it take to succeed in such demanding and unique races? Another fine exponent of gravel skills, Groupama-FDJ United's Bastien Tronchon, winner of a chaotic edition of Tro Bro Léon in 2025, considers the factors that influence success.

"On gravel sectors, instinct matters just as much as the legs," he says. "The technical aspect is crucial: bike-handling adds another dimension to the race, beyond physical endurance alone."

His teammate Valentin Madouas finished second behind Tronchon in that race, and second behind Pidcock in Strade Bianche in 2023, and emphasizes the part endurance plays.

"These races are extremely demanding, with the action starting very early and the intensity never dropping," Madous tells Cyclingnews. "By the end, everyone is exhausted — they're true races for tough riders. I enjoy these hard events where the most enduring riders can really shine. Resilience is key in these races, and that suits me well."

When it comes to strategy, Niewiadoma-Phinney summarises the kind of approach that can be universally applied in one-day gravel races. "Everything has to go perfect. You need to have great legs, but also so much luck not to puncture, not to crash, and then to have the right race composition, so everything just has to flow in the right direction in order to be able to win the race."

Mindset is key for success for the Polish rider, who chooses to view the gravel as opportunity rather than obstacle. "I will never let myself feel stressed or nervous about sections that are more risky. I see it as somewhere I can actually make the difference."

Tronchon advocates the need to be a good all-rounder. "Mechanical choices make a huge difference — especially tyre pressure. Then you need physical endurance of course, but also technique and a good dose of instinct. Being able to handle the bike, anticipate, and read the terrain is essential."

Above all, the success of multi-discipline riders such as Vos, Pidcock, Van der Poel, and Puck Pieterse is testament to the importance of bike-handling skills, which can be transferred across surfaces. All three riders agree.

"Being confident on the bike is essential," states Madouas. "The mental aspect is important too: you have to anticipate the stones, the holes, and manage the tricky sectors."

Niewiadoma-Phinney goes a step further, suggesting this kind of racing offers the opportunity to become a more complete athlete. "I feel like it's great for the young riders to realise that they need to work on skills other than only power output."

Off the beaten track

Strade Bianche may be the flagship gravel-based race on the calendar, but there are a clutch of others which could arguably claim to more accurately replicate the spirit of gravel. Flying under the radar, events such as Clásica Jaén and Tro Bro Léon may be more lowkey in terms of their relative importance on the UCI calendar, but for the dedicated fan, they provide unmissable entertainment, particularly on the men's side where they offer a refreshing change from the more predictable outcomes of the major WorldTour races.

Highlights from last season include a strategic success for former Strade Bianche winner Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) at Clásica Jaén, a head-to-head fight for French glory at Paris-Tours (ultimately won by Matteo Trentin), and possibly the race of the year, at Tro Bro Léon in May, where eventual winner Tronchon, then riding for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, combined physical resilience with mental toughness, returning from every kind of spill and setback to forge clear ahead of stiff competition to take the win.

It's not always a picture postcard – add rain to a loose road surface and the results can be a grubby soup which coats equipment, making gruelling sectors even more difficult to navigate and rendering riders indistinguishable from one another. Where treacherous, slippery pavé can lead to traumatic crashes in the cobbled classics, fans have less to fear when watching these grimy gravel-based epics, where crashes may sting but are usually recoverable.

Beset with the almost compulsory weather woes peculiar to the Brittany region in late spring, Tronchon's tumultuous day – which included a puncture, a crash, and a wrong turn – was intertwined with sketchy coverage from the host broadcaster, creating the perfect storm of frustration and excitement that has come to define the experience of the hardcore cycling fan.

Tronchon recounts his eventful day in the saddle. "It was definitely a major moment of my season, in almost apocalyptic conditions. I actually like that kind of weather, because it makes the race harder and the most motivated riders usually come out on top — and that day, I really was motivated.

"I didn't expect to win at all. I had plenty of issues during the race, yet paradoxically I don't think I had ever felt so strong in my career. I managed to stay calm from start to finish."

As a Breton rider, Madouas may have been more accustomed to the unsettled conditions than Chambéry native Tronchon, yet it was his first time riding the race in his home region.

"Knowing the local roads was definitely an advantage for me. Despite the difficult weather, I really enjoyed discovering the race, especially with my family and friends there. Finishing on the podium made the day even better."

As the highest placed Breton rider, Madouas took home the traditional piglet as a prize. Named Léon, the piglet now lives at home with Madouas, proving that not only are these races quirky, but the riders that excel in them also seem to be a rare breed.

Tronchon concludes with a more light-hearted reflection on the conditions. "A fun anecdote: it was the first time my girlfriend came to see me race… and I won. I wasn't exactly presentable at the finish line because of all the mud, but in moments like that, emotions matter far more than how you look."

Tough at the top

The chaos, unpredictability and everyone for themselves spirit of these unique races seems to stand apart from the controlled confines of road racing, with the teams and riders involved understanding what they're signing up for. That doesn't mean it's an easy task for those responsible for the smooth running of the logistics around the riders.

EF Education-EasyPost sports director Tom Southam describes his experience of the chaos from the team car at another iconic French race, Paris-Tours: "As soon as you hit the gravel, service from a team car is impossible. You could never get anywhere near the riders as there were so many flats, the convoy was miles away. I had the genius idea to have someone come on a 'cross bike and ride through the fields between sectors with wheels on his back, to cover as many sections as he could. In the end he punctured the 'cross bike and was no use to anyone anyway."

Opinions become divided, however, when gravel is added to races that don't necessarily need it. Southam draws a clear distinction between races that have developed around their gravel, such as Strade Bianche and Tro Bro Léon, and those which have been altered to add sectors to change the dynamic of the race.

"The standalone races are a challenge in the same way that the Roubaix cobbles are a challenge," Southam says. "You look forward to the race being different. Everyone gets on board, the riders know the skills and the type of race they are getting involved in and with all of that comes a degree of acceptance that things can happen - crashes, flat tyres and so on."

Grand Tour gravel

A Grand Tour is a different story. With an increasing number of events that offer the opportunity to grapple with the unique demands of riding on gravel, team bosses including Richard Plugge and Patrick Lefevere have argued against the inclusion of gravel stages in Grand Tours, where they represent a threat to GC campaigns that have been months in the preparation. Riders are divided on the topic. Following the 2024 Tour de France stage in Troyes, Jonas Vingegaard described them as "an unnecessary risk," while Tim Declercq says the day "ruined my race", calling it "slapstick comedy" to Cycling Weekly.

Niewiadoma-Phinney notes the downsides, but is positive overall, stating that gravel stages "build excitement and add extra dynamics to the race. Maybe it's a bit more stressful for the team in general, other riders or helpers, but as a viewer, it's really cool to watch."

Gravel featured twice in the very first Tour de France Femmes in 2021, with a stage through the Champagne region and its gravel tracks, won by Marlen Reusser, and with the final climb up to unpaved top of the Planche des Belles Filles, won by Annemiek van Vleuten. Niewiadoma-Phinney acknowledges that regardless of the road surface, the cream rises to the top.

"Of course, the strongest riders win. If you're a full package, then you can get rewarded, for your technical skills and the way you handle the bike. At the end of the day, you still have the strongest riders up there, because they actually have the technique to make it through."

From a team perspective, Southam agrees that it's tough.

"There is a lot of work that goes into preparing for as many eventualities as you can; drafting in a whole load of additional people and material, often for just one part of one day, creates a lot of work behind the scenes, and an untold amount of stress!"

He recalls the Tuscan gravel stage from the 2021 Giro d'Italia, when Hugh Carthy was riding GC for the team. "We did two recons of the stage, we had a van drive down with wheels and drafted in the entire Bettiol family to come and help standing by the side of the road with spares just in case, we also had an extra DS come in. Things are a bit more manic as it feels like more is on the line so people race in a different way. I remember that as soon as we hit the gravel our team doctor quietly just put medical gloves on, knowing he was going to be jumping out of the car sooner or later."

Broadening horizons

Despite the challenges associated with these kinds of races for the team staff, Southam remains enthusiastic. "It's fantastic entertainment. I don't think that we aimlessly need to throw gravel in every race but I think it has a place, and the more we do it the more that we – in the teams and organisations – can make things work around having it as a part of the sport."

Niewiadoma-Phinney is an enthusiastic supporter of the addition of more of these kinds of races to the women's calendar, which currently does not feature as many as the men's. "If there were more classics with gravel sectors or off-road sectors, then I would be super down to do it. The more extra challenges, the better."

Another attractive bonus of developing gravel skills during your road career is that it opens up a whole world beyond road racing. Tiffany Cromwell, Romain Bardet and Greg Van Avermaet are among the road riders choosing to continue their competitive careers in a discipline that represents freedom, community, and a connection with nature that road racing is more isolated from. It offers a viable future that doesn't necessitate giving up the bike completely – something more laid-back and inclusive, a transition that Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney is open-minded about.

"If you finish your road cycling career, and you don't feel satisfied or happy with what you achieved, maybe gravel is this window of opportunity to get the best out of yourself, and then you can hang up the bike and feel at peace."

Ultimately, she is philosophical about the meaning of such a transition. "I think that if I were to do gravel, it would be for the pure enjoyment of seeing the world, and less for the need to be winning races, or to be the best. I feel like I would have a different mindset, like my mission in the sport is to become a better person by seeing the world. I feel like if you see more world, you become more humble and modest, and that's quite important in life."