On to the first clay court World Cup: “The only rule was that there were no rules. Hopefully it stays that way!” | cycling

Say “gravel” and any cycling enthusiast will think of the Strade Bianche. That course on the Tuscan gravel roads, which in no time became a classic, is indeed close to a gravel course.

“But the riders ride it on their regular racing bike, not on a gravel bike. The proportion of gravel roads is too small for that.”

Speaking is Maxim Pirard (25). Ultra-cyclist and ex-granfondo world champion, who has recently focused on gravel riding. He explains the difference between a gravel and a racing bike.

“A gravel bike is a kind of combination between a racing bike and a mountain bike, but without suspensions.”

“The fork is also slightly wider, which allows for wider tires. This gives you more comfort than with a racing or cross bike. Because of that comfort, and because you can go “off-road” with a gravel bike, gravel is on the rise.”

(Read more below the photo.)

That advance is no surprise to Jonas Heyerick. Still, the editor-in-chief of Bahamontes was skeptical at first. “I thought: “The umpteenth hype, blown over from America.” Until I started doing it myself and noticed that it is really fun.”

“You are in nature and take jobs that you would never take otherwise. And also important to me: on my racing bike I often look at my average speed and I want to be fast. On a gravel bike you don’t look at speed, you only look at which lane you can take. It’s much more about having fun.”

“And also not unimportant: graveling includes a beer and socializing afterwards. I also think that is an aspect that should not be underestimated”, Heyerick laughs.

Heyerick is therefore a real gravel enthusiast, Pirard will participate in the World Championship as an amateur this weekend.

By the way, you may know Pirard from his stunt two years ago. On the day of the canceled Tour of Flanders at the beginning of April, he then cycled the “real” Tour of Flanders: a tour along the borders of the Flemish region, good for more than 1,000 kilometers.

Did he do that stunt on his gravel bike? “No, on my racing bike. I chose speed over comfort, but afterwards I sometimes regretted it,” Pirard laughs.

Back to that World Cup. Gravel has “in itself” become a popular sport, why is the UCI getting involved, some wonder.

“I understand the discussion,” Pirard says. “But with the official World Cup, among other things, there will be more visibility and you will still reach a wider audience.”

“But some riders who participate in the gravel races in America are quite negative. There the “fun part” takes precedence, although the level is also high. They are disappointed that the UCI is getting involved.”

Heyerick adds the thought of ex-pro Peter Stetina (who became a fervent “graveler” after his professional career).

“”The only rule in gravel riding is that there are no rules: you wear your stockings as high as you want, your tires and how your bike is set up, you choose, you lie on your handlebars if you want to… If the UCI If it is difficult, there will be rules and categories. We are not waiting for that,” said Stetina.

“I think it’s positive for the appearance, if you get more people to play clay in this way. In this way, more jobs can be opened for clay courts, especially if the World Cup comes to Flanders in 2024,” says Heyerick. “But I follow Stetina and hope that gravel will remain without too many rules.”

Not only the UCI, also the brands jumped on the bandwagon. “The manufacturers see a new market: they can start selling a new kind of bicycle. You already had the cross bike, but the sales were negligible. The gravel bike sells very well,” said Heyerick.

By sending well-known pros such as Mathieu van der Poel, Peter Sagan and Greg Van Avermaet to the World Cup, those manufacturers hope for even more visibility.

“Maybe some riders will be pushed by the manufacturer, although I mainly hear from many pros that they just like to do it. Thomas De Gendt for example, just think of his adventure in Spain with Tim Wellens, that was with the gravel bike.”

Due to the popularity and the fact that there are also more competitions, under the impulse of the UCI with the World Series as well as the World Championship, there are already different types of gravel bikes, Pirard points out.

“Now you have some that evolve more towards a cross bike, that are more focused on performance and therefore speed. That is to say: more stiff bikes and less comfort.”

(Read more below the photo.)

Back to the World Cup then, for the men on Sunday from Vicenza to Cittadella. Pirard rides in the amateurs – anyone who isn’t a pro could qualify at a World Series race. They are subdivided by age, Pirard rides with the 19 to 34 year olds. With what ambition?

“I wanted to be there anyway, at that first World Cup. But I’m aiming for at least the top five. My year was less due to illness, so it remains to be seen whether my basis is sufficient. But I’m really looking forward to it, we’re going to have a blast!” Pirard laughs.

His course is 166 kilometers, for the pros there is one more lap, good for 194 kilometers in total. “There are few altimeters, but the start is quite tough with a short climb straight away. There are also some “tricky” descents and the wind may play a role.”

“I expect a battle of attrition, with someone arriving alone, or a sprint with a small group”, Pirard thinks after a first reconnaissance of the course.

And what will the riders get at the finish, Heyerick wonders. “Because when you cross the finish line at the races in America, someone is immediately ready with a beer – which you also have to drink or you haven’t really finished. It probably won’t be like that, unfortunately,” he laughs.