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The UCI Gravel World Championships are being held in Nannup, Western Australia, on a course featuring loose, pea-sized gravel. Rider interviews and a Cycling Weekly reporter’s experience suggest the surface may make braking, cornering and climbing harder, though race outcomes and the effect on different rider types remain unknown.
The UCI Gravel World Championships are being held in Nannup, Western Australia, on a course featuring loose, pea-sized stones that riders say can make braking, cornering and climbing difficult. A Cycling Weekly reporter who has ridden similar terrain, along with British gravel champions Maddy Nutt and Jenson Young after course reconnaissance, warned that the surface could challenge competitors unfamiliar with it.
The Cycling Weekly report describes the course as part of a network of trails around Nannup, where the surface is covered in small, rounded stones. The reporter says that, on this material, even mountain-bike tyres did not prevent skidding: braking could cause the wheels to slide, while standing to pedal on climbs could make the rear wheel lose traction. These are the reporter’s observations from riding similar trails, not results from the championship races.
Maddy Nutt, a former British gravel champion and Traka 560 winner, told Cycling Weekly that the course was more technical than she expected. She said riders needed to slow down before entering loose sections, because braking on the surface itself was difficult. Nutt also expressed concern about competitors who had not reconnoitred the route.
Jenson Young, the reigning British gravel champion at the time of the report, had inspected the first 30 kilometres and said the fine gravel offered less grip than it appeared to. He told Cycling Weekly he had chosen lighter wheels and a mountain-bike tyre to balance rolling speed and cornering grip. Young said riders needed to keep weight over the rear wheel to limit slipping on climbs.
Loose Gravel Tests Race Skills
The surface may reward handling and preparation as much as the climbing or endurance strengths commonly associated with top gravel riders. If riders brake late or stand to accelerate on the loose stones, they may lose speed or control; Nutt’s advice to scrub off speed before technical sections points to a different approach from riding on firmer gravel.
Young suggested that the course might not suit fast climbers and speculated that heavier riders could do well. That is his assessment, not a confirmed prediction or race outcome. The practical point for viewers is that conditions could influence tactics, equipment choices and which riders are able to maintain traction. The report does not establish how those factors will shape the results.
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Nannup Course and Rider Recon
The championships are taking place in Nannup, a small Western Australian town that the Cycling Weekly report lists as having a population of 538. The report describes the location as remote and says the influx of riders, teams, mechanics and fans depends on reaching the town. Its main focus, however, is the course’s distinct gravel rather than travel logistics.
The reporter’s observations draw on several years of racing the Cape-to-Cape mountain bike race in Western Australia, where riders encountered the same type of pea gravel on trails in the Margaret River region. Nutt and Young separately inspected the championship route before their races. Their comments provide early accounts of course conditions; they do not amount to a measured assessment of grip or a report on race-day performance.
““The pea gravel feels a bit sketchy, and I’m glad I’ve practised riding on it a bit as you can’t brake on the surface.””
— Maddy Nutt, former British gravel champion and Traka 560 winner
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Race-Day Effects Still Unknown
The report was published before the races, so it does not establish how the gravel affected competitors once racing began, which riders adapted best or whether equipment choices changed outcomes. The reporter’s experience and the riders’ comments are individual observations, not comparative testing across the field.
It is also unclear how consistently the surface behaves across the full route and under race conditions. The source does not provide measurements of the gravel, weather conditions, final equipment choices for all contenders or verified results. Young’s view that heavier riders might benefit remains speculation.
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Championship Races Provide Evidence
The immediate next step is the championship racing in Nannup. Race reports and results can show whether the loose surface disrupted expected tactics, produced traction problems or gave an advantage to riders with particular handling skills or equipment. Until those reports are available, the claims about who will thrive on the course should be treated as pre-race assessments.
Further reporting may also clarify how riders managed speed and traction on the pea gravel and whether their reconnaissance informed successful setup choices. The source does not give a subsequent race date or confirmed findings beyond the event taking place that weekend.
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Key Questions
Where are the UCI Gravel World Championships being held?
The report places the championships in Nannup, Western Australia.
What makes the Nannup course different?
The course features loose, rounded, pea-sized gravel. Riders interviewed by Cycling Weekly said it offered limited grip, especially when braking, cornering or standing to climb.
What equipment changes did Jenson Young report?
Young said he had chosen lighter wheels and a mountain-bike tyre intended to balance rolling speed with grip in corners. His setup is one rider’s choice, not a universal recommendation.
Is it confirmed that heavier riders will have an advantage?
No. Young suggested heavier riders might do well, but the report provides no race results or comparative evidence confirming that prediction.
Source: rss
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