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TIER 1

UCI Gravel World Championships

Nannup, Western Australia, Australia · 2026: October 10-11; elite men and men 19-49 race Sunday, October 11

VERDICT The only gravel start line where 12,182 feet of Nannup climbing is merely the price of getting to race for a rainbow jersey.

83
LAB SCORE
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RIDER SCORE · RATE IT →
[05]

The Ratings

Course verdict

The long course packs 3,713 metres of climbing into 143 kilometres.[1]

Course Profile ratings for this race. Select a point for its explanation. LOGISTICS4/5LENGTH3/5TECHNICAL4/5ELEVATION5/5CLIMATE2/5ALTITUDE1/5ADVENTURE5/5 24/35
Course Profile
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[01]

Course Overview

The rainbow-jersey race comes to Nannup: steep, closely spaced climbs on Western Australia's Blackwood Valley gravel.

88.9 mi
Distance
12,182 ft
Elevation
Nannup, Western Australia, Australia
Location
October 10-11; elite men and men 19-49 race Sunday, October 11, 2026
Date
Not published
Field Size
$2,000
Entry Cost
+ Google Calendar Download .ics
MORE IN AUSTRALIA: Gravelista · Marys Mayhem · Great Otway Gravel Grind
Facts & History

The UCI Gravel World Championships began in Veneto in 2022. The event returned to Veneto in 2023, moved to Flanders in 2024 and South Limburg in 2025, and reaches Nannup in 2026 for its first edition outside Europe. Elite and qualified age-group riders race for rainbow jerseys. Founded in 2022. By UCI.

Reputation: UCI World Championship. Fastest field in gravel. Rainbow jersey. Elite + age group. Rotating international locations.

2022 Veneto: Inaugural. Vermeersch (M), Ferrand-Prévot (W)
2023 Veneto: Mohorič (M), Niewiadoma (W)
2024 Flanders: Van der Poel (M), Vos (W)
2025 South Limburg: Florian Vermeersch (M), Wiebes (W)
[03]

The Course

The long course packs 3,713 metres of climbing into 143 kilometres. The organizer describes wide gravel roads, varied unpaved surfaces, and climbs that are seldom long but arrive steeply and in quick succession. All categories share the same start, finish, and final 27 km southern loop.

Signature challenge: Absorbing 3,713 metres of ascent when the climbs are short, steep, and too tightly spaced to offer meaningful recovery.

SURFACE COMPOSITION
overall
gravel 80%
pavement 20%
gravel 80%pavement 20%
6
MILE
End of the paved opener
Nine undulating paved kilometres invite a fast, nervous start before the race commits to the gravel.
48
MILE
Long-course eastern loop
The 143 km course adds an eastern extension to the already climbing-heavy 125 km medium route.
72
MILE
Final southern loop
Every category finishes on the same final 27 km loop, including two more climbs after the long course has already accumulated most of its 12,182 feet.
RACER

Racer Reviews

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[07]

Training

October 10, 2026 UCI GRAVEL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
[08]

Train for UCI Gravel World Championships

RACE DEMAND PROFILE

Durability
4
Climbing
10
VO2 Power
10
Threshold
8
Technical
8
Heat
0
Altitude
2
Race Specificity
10
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[09]

Race Logistics

Packet Pickup
Registration is at Saltwater Busselton from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM Thursday, October 8, with late registration at the Nannup race village from 3:00-5:00 PM Friday, October 9.
Parking
Final race-village parking instructions are pending the technical guide.
OFFICIAL SITE
[10]

Tire Picks

45mmTECHNICAL
1
Schwalbe G-One Bite
45mm · $70 · 38W
excellent wet grip
2
Maxxis Reaver
45mm · $80 · 35W
Technical all-rounder. EXO+ casing shrugs off rocks and roots.
3
Pirelli Cinturato Gravel S
45mm · $74
excellent wet grip
FULL TIRE GUIDE & PRESSURE TABLE
NEWS

Latest Coverage

[—]

Similar Races

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[—]

Frequently Asked Questions

The organizer lists average October temperatures from 10°C to 21°C (49°F to 69°F). A cool start and long day require layers, but the published climate is only slightly challenging rather than extreme.[1]

Nannup is roughly three hours by car from Perth Airport, while the nearest regional airport is about 45 minutes away. Busselton is the event hub rather than the race town, so flights, ground transport, and split-location race-week logistics require deliberate planning.[3]

The first Gravel World Championships outside Europe sends a qualified international field into the remote forests and farmland of Western Australia's Blackwood Valley. A rotating world-title course in this setting makes Nannup a bucket-list assignment.[5]

This is the discipline's UCI World Championship, awarding elite and age-group rainbow jerseys. Its champion list includes Ferrand-Prévot, Niewiadoma, Vos, Wiebes, Van der Poel, Mohorič, and both Gianni and Florian Vermeersch.[5]

If you qualified, yes—but train for the course you actually have: 143 kilometres, 3,713 metres of climbing, at least 80 percent gravel, and almost no recovery between steep efforts. If you did not qualify, this is not an open-entry bucket-list race.

[11]

Sources & Citations

Research sources used to build this race profile. Always verify details with official race sources before making travel or registration decisions.

  1. Official 2026 organizer — provisional category courses, climbing, surface share, terrain, and climategravelchampswesternaustralia.com/courses/
  2. Official 2026 organizer program — category race days, start times, and registration schedulegravelchampswesternaustralia.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/...
  3. Official 2026 organizer FAQ — qualification, travel, lodging, and pending technical guidegravelchampswesternaustralia.com/riders/faq/
  4. Official UCI — official Nannup dates and championship classificationwww.uci.org/competition-details/2026/GRA/78584
  5. Official UCI — 2025 champions and event historywww.uci.org/competition-hub/2025-uci-gravel-world-champio...
  6. Other Sources Cycling-Infocycling-info.com/discover-the-champions-of-the-uci-gravel...
  7. Other Sources Granfondodailynewsgranfondodailynews.com/2025/10/11/results-2025-uci-gravel...
  8. Other Sources Neurojoyneurojoy.net/blog/ucigravelworldsracereport/
  9. Other Sources Offoff.road.cc/content/feature/dodgy-tactics-and-dutch-domin...
  10. Community Redditreddit.com/r/gravelcycling/comments/uci-gravel-worlds
  11. Media & Press Velovelo.outsideonline.com/tag/uci-gravel-world-championships
  12. Other Sources Grallochgravelwww.grallochgravel.com/uci-gravel-world-championships
  13. Other Sources Paigepoweredwww.paigepowered.com/post/uci-gravel-world-championships-...
  14. Community Redditwww.reddit.com/r/gravelcycling/comments/1731sys/uci_grave...
  15. Community Redditwww.reddit.com/r/gravelcycling/comments/xzlrrg/uci_gravel...
  16. Community Redditwww.reddit.com/r/ucigravel/comments/15wyq3y/uci_gravel_wo...
  17. Other Sources Rouleurwww.rouleur.cc/en-us/blogs/the-rouleur-journal/the-inaugu...
  18. Other Sources Veloukwww.velouk.net/2024/10/07/report-result-world-gravel-cham...

Last updated September 2026