"Gravel needs that buzz. but UCI fails to create level playing field" - Gravel rider Nathan Haas on why US gravel pros decline to start at the World Championships

The 2024 gravel World Championships come quickly after their road counterpart this year. With road stars such as Mathieu van der Poel, Lotte Kopecky and defending champion Matej Mohoric at the start, the cycling fans are up for a treat. And while many road pros take on the gravel, many specialists from overseas have turned down the option to start in Belgium. In his Cyclingnews blog, ex-road pro and now gravel rider Nathan Haas from Australia tries to see the situation from both banks of the river.

To begin with, Haas stresses out that having Worlds in such cycling-crazed nation as Belgium is a privilege. "Belgium is inarguably the hub of cycling, no other nation loves cycling like Belgium, and the vibe at the Flanders Road World Championships in 2021 was wild. Gravel needs that buzz, that's the whole reason to race/ride/live for in gravel. So Belgium hits the sweet spot right there."

The first gravel World Championships received such a warm reception from the fans... What went wrong in 2024 that the public is so polarized about the route that features a bit of everything, including cobbles, city roads and various gravel sectors? Haas doesn't really see the reason.

"I think the bigger issue/consideration is the fact that the course needs to fit so many people," Haas points out to the 300 competitors, all with ambition to win. Many overseas gravel purists downplay the 50% road course in Belgium as "disgrace to USA gravel" but Haas comes to defend the designers. "The course it seems has been designed to be fun, challenging, but open enough to have space to ride through the group without being stuck in the back of a long, long line."

"It isn't because of the course though, or a lack of federation support, it's because of a lack of voice we have to be on a level playing field. The start box arrangement is based on a combination of points: from UCI gravel races, 50% road race points, 50% MTB disciplines, 50% CX points and any points from the previous year's world championships. It's literally impossible for a dedicated gravel rider to match even 50% of the UCI points from a road season."