RIDING WITH THE PROS AT THE GRAVEL EUROPEAN AND BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN OUD-HEVERLEE ON 1 OCTOBER
On Sunday 1 October, the Bolero UEC Gravel European & Belgian Championships will take place in Oud-Heverlee. This race for the European and Belgian gravel titles is open to both pros and amateurs. Every passionate gravel biker can sign up from now on and ride with the best pro riders (m/f) of Belgium and Europe on 1 October.
Het Zoet Water, the tourist attraction of Oud-Heverlee, is the start and finish location of the Bolero UEC Gravel European & Belgian Championships. The course consists of a 28 km local loop through the Heverlee woods, and Mollendal and Meerdaal forests. The big loop of 47 km takes you past Vossem and Tervuren to Jesus-Eik and back along Loonbeek and Sint-Agatha-Rode to Zoet Water. The Brabant Woods are a true paradise for those who love unpaved gravel roads, monumental trees and hollow roads that cut deep into the landscape.
Participants in the European and Belgian Championships complete the loops once or several times, depending on the category they entered. There are 13 different (age) categories for both men and women, with the top category, of course, being the elite. The Bolero UEC Gravel European & Belgian Championships are open championships, which means that anyone who wants to can participate. Professionals and amateurs compete together. However, to qualify for a Belgian or European title participants must have an official licence.
The European and Belgian Championships in Oud-Heverlee on 1 October will also serve as a qualification race for the 2024 Gravel World Championships, which will go from Halle to Leuven and will even briefly use the same course as the Bolero UEC Gravel European & Belgian Championships. Those who have the ambition to win a World Championship ticket in their age group but do not have a UCI licence can apply for a day licence from the KBWB (Royal Belgian Cycling Federation) when registering for the European/Belgian Championships. A day licence allows you to qualify for the World Championships, but not to compete for the European or Belgian gravel titles.
Grit Gravel Fest and VIP
As part of the Bolero UEC Gravel European & Belgian Championships, there will also be a Grit Gravel Fest in Oud-Heverlee on Saturday 30 September and Sunday 1 October. This two-day expo introduces the latest gravel products on the market to gravel enthusiasts and they can test the latest gravel bikes. The setting will also be top-notch with gravel-themed public catering with delicious food and drinks.
Those who like things a bit more luxurious on 1 October can sign up for a VIP package. The Spaans Dak offers VIP Deluxe and De Roosenberg will serve a VIP Lunch. You will be able to watch the start and finish of the elite races and four passages of the local loop up close. The whole race can be followed live on big screen.
