The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has revealed that this year's UCI Gravel World Championships will take place in Zuid-Limburg, the Netherlands on 11 and 12 October 2025.
The Championships, which attract the best pro and amateur gravel cyclists from around the world to compete for the rainbow stripes, were originally set to be hosted in Nice, France on 18-19 October.
However, Nice pulled out in late February citing logistical difficulties, leaving the UCI scrambling to find a new venue.
The province of Limburg, of which the Zuid (South)-Limburg region is a part, has recent history in organising events of this scale which likely made it appear a reliable candidate for hosting this year's Championships at relatively short notice.
Limburg was awarded the UCI Bike Region label by the UCI in 2016 and has already hosted a number of major UCI events, including the 2018 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships and five editions of the UCI Road World Championships, held in Valkenburg in 1938, 1948, 1979, 1998 and 2012.
The 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships will be the fourth staging of the event after two editions in Italy - Veneto (2022) and the Province of Treviso-Veneto (2023) - followed by last year's event in Flanders (Forest of Brabant) Belgium.
Gravel is one of cycling's fastest growing disciplines, combining elements of road and mountain bike, and takes place mainly on unpaved roads (gravel, forest tracks, farm roads and cobbles). The UCI World Championships in the discipline are open to both professionals and amateurs of all ages and experience levels, all of whom have the opportunity to qualify for the event via the UCI Gran Fondo World Series and then compete for the coveted rainbow jerseys awarded to the UCI World Champions.
Qualifying events for this year's UCI World Championships, which come under the banner of the UCI Gravel World Series, began in late 2024, with another 30-plus events scheduled to take place before October 2025, including Marly Grav, a race held in Valkenburg.
The reigning UCI Gravel World Champions are Mathieu Van der Poel (NED) in the Elite Men category and his compatriot Marianne Vos (NED) in the Elite Women.
More information about the routes and event programme will be communicated in the coming weeks. The organiser Golazo, the province of Limburg and the three host municipalities are doing everything possible to minimise the ecological footprint of the riders, their teams and the fans. The route will be designed to minimize the impact on the most vulnerable natural areas.
"I'm delighted that the South-Limburg region, in the province of Limburg, will be involved in the organisation of the 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships and would like to thank them for submitting their bid after the city of Nice withdrew," said UCI President David Lappartient.
"By hosting the UCI Gravel World Championships, the province of Limburg has further enhanced its standing as a leading cycling region at international level, while contributing to the development of gravel, a discipline that is still quite new and has considerable potential for growth," he said.
Maurice Leeser, President and Director of the Dutch Cycling Federation KNWU, was no less pleased, saying: "We're absolutely delighted that the UCI Gravel World Championships can still go ahead and will now take place in the Netherlands, specifically in the stunning province of Limburg.
"This presents a unique opportunity to experience the breathtaking beauty of the Limburg landscape, while at the same time offering an exciting and challenging World Championships for both men and women riders."
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