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The 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships will be organised under the Regulations of International
Cycling Union, and in particular:
Part 1 Chapter III: Equipment
Part 9 World Championships
Part 12 Discipline and Procedures
Part 15 Cycling for all
The Union Cycliste Internationale has entrusted the organisation of the 20232 UCI Gravel World Championships to ACD PEDALI DI MARCA – Via Forlani 42 – 31032 Casale sul Sile (Tv)
The 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships will be held from Saturday 7 to Sunday 8 October 2023.
The UCI Gravel World Championships are the pinnacle for elite and amateur cyclists of all ages across all the five continents. These championships are in line with the tradition of the UCI World Championships and must present the same quality of organization and sport considerations. Therefore, the LOC must pay great attention to the quality of the courses selected and the security of all participants. Considering the number of participants coming from all part of the world, these championships create a considerable economic impact for the host city or region.
The UCI Gravel World Championships consist of one event.
Standard Schedule:
the riders’ package one week before the race days
The Organiser will establish with the UCI the timetable of the UCI Gravel World Championships (including the format and dates of each competition). The final timetable and other relevant details of the event will be agreed in writing between the UCI and the Organiser as soon as possible but no later than 90 (ninety) days before the start of the Championships.
A standard schedule should be
(The men age groups can start separately with a small interval or can be combined depending on the number of registered riders. All world titles will always be awarded separately even if age groups start together)
At least 5 minutes interval should be taken between the elite and the age groups starts on both days. The interval between the different age group starts can be shorter with a minimum of 2 minutes and should be agreed between the LOC and the technical delegate.
Each UCI Gravel World Series event grants qualification rights for the UCI Gravel World Championships. This is only related to one day UCI Gravel World Series events, multi day races part of the UCI Gravel World Series will not grant qualification rights for the UCI Gravel World Championships. Based on the results of each race, the first 25% of athletes in each age group will be qualified for the UCI Gravel World Championships. The 25% is calculated based on the number of starters in each age group, and not on the number of riders having finished the race.1
In addition, the first three riders of each official age category will qualify directly for the UCI World Championships, independently of the number of starters in that age group. Riders must finish the race to gain qualification.
As per article 15.6.016 of the UCI Regulations, the age categories of the UCI Gravel World Championships are:
Next to the age groups, also an Elite World title will be awarded. In order to take part in the Elite category, riders should be part of a UCI registered team (Worldtour UCI team, Procontinental UCI team, Continental UCI team, UCI Mountain Bike Team, Cyclocross UCI team, Track UCI team). Their name should appear in this overview : https://www.uci.org/riders/road-riders-teams/4uEfOErsvL4hkRJriqkdiw
Riders who are not part of a UCI registered team can be nominated by their respective national federation if the national federation considers them high level who belong in the elite category for Gravel. Riders part of a UCI registered team can never take part in the age groups categories.
Any rider who has a masters, amateur or cycling for all license should always take part in the age groups categories.
IMPORTANT: A national Elite license doesn’t give automatic access to the Elite category! You then need to be nominated by your national federation!
Age groups are defined by riders’ age on December 31st of the year of the UCI World Championships. At the UCI Gravel World Championships, medals and titles will be awarded for men and/or women as soon as 1 rider is registered in the respective 5-year age category.
N.B: The names of riders having gained qualification through the UCI Gravel World Series will be communicated on the UCI Gravel World Series website and will receive an official invitation to register for the UCI Gravel World Championships via the dedicated online registration portal.
Outgoing UCI Gravel World Champions
The outgoing UCI World Champions may take part in the first UCI Gravel World Championships following their title.
Gravel National Champions
All Gravel National Champions from the current year may enter the UCI Gravel World Championships without qualification via the UCI Gravel World Series.
National Federation – Quotas
Each National Federation can enter for Elites and age groups 20 quotas in total across both genders.
National Federation of the country of the UCI Gravel World Championships – Quotas
The National Federation of the country of the UCI Gravel World Championships, can enter 40 quotas in total for elites and age groups across both genders.
Wild cards
Wild cards can be given at the discretion of the UCI only.
Gravel discipline is a form of cycling that combines elements of both road and mountain-bike disciplines and consisting mostly of distance riding over unpaved roads.
Once the courses are chosen, the UCI Technical Delegate makes a recon visit to check and approve various aspects (compliance with the UCI Regulation, safety, road conditions, possibility to close the road to traffic, parking possibilities close to the circuit, and so on). If necessary, modifications must be made or another course found. It is therefore important that this visit takes place early enough to allow the Organising Committee to look for other options if necessary.
Gravel events are competitive mass-participation events with a mass-start (or in waves with intervals between the start groups) fully timed for all participants and split results per age group and gender.
Men and women must have a separate start and be considered as separate races. Collusion or any assistance (pacing, feeding, mechanical assistance, etc.) between riders in separate races is forbidden.
The course must be one big loop with the same start and finish venue. The racecourses must be tested during the UCI Gravel World Series qualifier event in the season leading up to the UCI World Championships.
Gravel events shall have the following course characteristics:
Course distances should be a minimum of 50 km and a maximum of 200 km, considering course difficulty and elevation gain. Race organisers can propose a shorter distance for older age categories. There shall only be one official distance for elites and the different age categories per event.
The course must be approved by the UCI before the event.
Signposting is very important to allow those involved in the UCI Gravel World Championships to find their way around the competition venue easily.
Signposting must be put in place by the Monday at the latest to assist the various groups of people arriving at the World Championships.
All signposting bears the logo of the UCI Gravel World Championships. This reinforces the visual identity of the event.
Signs are written in the language of the host country and English.
Clear and accurate signposting is used at regular intervals, both outside the venue of the UCI Gravel World Championships (from the host town) as well as inside the site.
The local organizer must provide feed zones where participants have access to drinks and food every 25-30km. In this feed zone, food and drinks should be served by the organization but also helpers/assistants and coaches can give food and drinks as well as external mechanical assistance in the determined zone. Providing food or drinks outside the feed zones will result in disqualification.
The location of the feed zones should be chosen so that it’s easy accessible by car for helpers and coaches without having to cross the course.
All feed zones must have:
The local organizer must provide in between each of the feed zones also a tech zone. In this zone, riders can change wheels or have external mechanical help or can take food and drinks from a helper/assistant/coach. The difference with a Feed zone is that the organizer doesn’t provide food and drinks in tech zones.
All riders should bring their own tools and spare tire or tubular to the race. Tools have to be foreseen in the feed/tech zones to give riders the opportunity to fix other problems.
The location of the tech zones should be chosen so that it’s easy accessible by car for helpers and coaches without having to cross the course.
The tech and feed zones should be positioned alternating so that riders first approach a tech zone -> feed zone -> tech zone -> feed zone …
Riders can only get external technical assistance in the feed and tech zones and can only change wheels during the race, but should finish the race with the same bike frame they started with. External help outside the feedzones and/or tech zones will result in a disqualification.
Assistance outside the feed/techzones between teammates is allowed during the race.
In addition to standard signs warning participants about dangers along the course or indicating the direction to follow, specific panels must also be installed on both sides of the road as follows:
Mandatory helmet: The UCI takes a very hard stance on the use of helmets in competition. Wearing a helmet is mandatory for all competitions, throughout the whole race. Participants are informed in advance by the organization that they will be barred from the start or that their race number will immediately be withdrawn if they are caught by a member of the organization without their helmet. If any specific regulations apply in the host country, the LOC must inform the UCI in advance.
Medical certificate: To confirm the physical capability of a cyclist to take part in the event, the organizer must provide one of the following guarantees:
A medical certificate is not required for riders taking part in the Elite category
Accident and third-party liability insurance: The organizer must ensure that all cyclists who take part in the event event possess appropriate medical and third-party liability insurance.
Each rider is responsible for ensuring that they possess adequate medical insurance. This can be ensured either through an individual race license (from a National Federation affiliated to the UCI) covering races abroad or through a private insurance policy.
Riders are placed in start boxes at the starting line, in accordance with their starting order with Elites first followed by the different categories per start group. The entrance to each box must be placed at the back of each box, with riders entering from the side. The start boxes must be large enough to accommodate high numbers of participants (up to 500 riders).
ELITES
At the UCI Gravel World Championships, riders of the Elite category will be lined up at the start based on a points system which is a cumulation of the following points.
AGE GROUPS
Riders of the age groups will be positioned on a first come, first serve base at the start of the World Championships. This system will be evaluated year per year.
The signs to indicate the start boxes for each category must be installed the day prior to the race to allow riders to understand where they need to be placed the following morning.
Different age groups start at different start times in the race. If age groups merge, they can ride together. The only exception in which a commissaire will interfere is when a rider specifically waits to help another rider in a later start group. Drafting is not allowed.
Only bikes with dropped handlebars are allowed during the UCI Gravel World Championships. Mountainbikes, E-bikes and recumbents are forbidden.
Handlebars can be of any shape but must be of a one-piece construction with no bar ends or clip-on extensions allowed (triathlon handlebars and any other handlebars extension system are forbidden).
The wearing of national team clothing is mandatory.
It is forbidden to wear the rainbow stripes or any variation of their design on the jersey (sleeves/collar), bike, helmet, shoes or overshoes during the UCI Gravel World Championships.
It is essential that signs are placed to warn riders of any dangers along the course, as well as indicate the course direction which must be followed. In addition, specific panels must be installed on both sides of the course with the following objectives:
All such boards and panels must respect the branding guidelines provided by the UCI.
All signage on the UCI World Championships course must be placed at least the Monday before the event to allow riders to train on the course. It is the organizer’s responsibility to ensure the necessary authorizations are obtained to place these signs. A check of all signage must be undertaken the morning of the Gravel race in order to replace signs which may have been removed.
The course must be signposted to a very high standard. The LOC should provide an example of the signage and dedicated locations for the signage prior to production to the UCI Technical Delegate for approval. This should be provided prior to the preliminary course visit.
The direction arrows should not leave any doubt about the direction to follow. Each course is signposted several days before the start of competition. The signposting must be checked by the Organising Committee every morning before official training and competitions.
As well as signage; where necessary the LOC should provide Marshalls with a yellow flag and a whistle to be positioned at appropriate distance before hazards to prevent incidents. The security plan must be approved by the UCI Technical Delegate.
All dangerous points must be protected (traffic islands, central reservations, bends, etc.) by straw bales (wrapped in plastic), mattresses or other appropriate safety padding, in accordance with the directions issued by the UCI at the time of the technical inspection.
The calendar to carry out any works on the course is drawn up at the time of the candidature. The organiser agree to abide by the site and the circuits as approved by UCI and shall undertake all changes or constructions, if any, required after.
The LOC will also provide a marshal plan to the UCI Technical Delegate prior to the course visit to ensure adequate staffing along the full distance of the course has been planned.
Radio or mobile telephone links: Radio or mobile telephone support is essential during the event. The organization will therefore put in place a system which permits rapid and efficient communication between the people involved in the organization. For the well-being of the cyclists (who are increasingly prone to carry a mobile phone during the race), their families and also the marshals spread out over the race, an emergency number will be available (and made public) throughout the event.
Security is a key element in the organisation of the UCI Gravel World Championships. An event without incident presents a positive image of the Championships as well as of the host town and country. Security issues must be planned and managed in collaboration with the local, regional and national authorities. With this in mind, the LOC appoints a security coordinator who acts as the contact person for any matters concerning security. Security considerations include the safety of people (riders, team staff, officials, guests, spectators) as well as the security of property and locations (vehicles, start/finish area, training locations, competition locations, equipment, telecommunication installations and transmitters, press equipment, etc.). The security of people and property must be ensured from the time of arrival at the competition venue.
Furthermore, the LOC shall take out third-party civil liability insurance covering the LOC’s and UCI’s civil liability for cases of personal and material damage to a minimum of CHF 5,000,000. A copy of this insurance contract must be provided when the LOC signs the organisation pre-contract.
The LOC submits security plans to the UCI three months before the start of the UCI Gravel World Championships, consisting of:
Finally, the security coordinator undertakes to actively participate in training security representatives employed at the competition venue. The security coordinator, in conjunction with the technical manager, oversees the positioning of security representatives, who have a good knowledge of English, at strategic points.
General overview
The event must be timed for all the participants, for the entire length of the course. The timekeeping provider must produce an overall ranking for elites and per age groups and gender.
The timing of the event must start with the gun, and not when each individual rider crosses the starting carpet (GUN time principle). For events with very high numbers of participants, an exception to this rule may be requested to ensure that riders in later waves are timed by applying the NET time principle (from the moment they cross the start carpet to the moment they cross the finish line).
The winner of the different age groups can only be defined using Gun time.
Timing area
An area is made available to the timing company. Ideally this is a room overlooking the finish line, or a
container. It must not be a tent. The office is exclusively for the use of the timing service and is not available to any other services. It must be located within 40 metres of the finish line. The office must be sealed and lockable. It must also be heated/climatized. The facilities provided in the office must be negotiated with the timing company. The following minimum equipment is provided:
Publication of results
Organizers must use the official UCI names of the age groups in their communication and official results: Elite Men, M19- 34, M35-39, M40-44, M45-49, M50-54, M55-59, M60-64, M65-69, M70-74…, and for women Elite Women, W19-34, W35-39, …, W60-64, W65-69…
Official results should contain the following information:
The official results do not feature additional information such as club name, country of residence, etc.
All results may be featured live on screen or online, and on-site in hard copy on a results wall, but must always carry the mention of “unofficial live results” until the results have been signed off by the relevant UCI commissaire.
The link to the live results page should be communicated to the UCI in the days prior the event to ensure this information may be shared via the UCI Gravel World Championships digital channels.
The registration page should not be visible or accessible from the event’s website, but should be a private link only communicated by the UCI directly to the riders.
The registration page should have two options
– I want to register for the ELITE category (see data required below but no payment in the end)
– I want to register for the AGE GROUPS categories (see data required below with payment in the end)
