The Trek UCI Gravel World Series is headed to Victoria’s High Country, and race day is just over a month away.
Gravelista, held in Beechworth on September 3-4, is the second event in Australia for the inaugural Trek UCI Gravel World Series, which includes both new and existing races around the world where competitors can qualify to race the Gravel World Championships in Italy in October 2022. Gravelista is going to be a belter of an event whether you’re joining us to race for the podium, qualify for the World Champs, roll some of Australia’s best gravel backroads at party pace with your crew, or kick back in the event village to enjoy the atmosphere.
Beechworth is one of the High Country’s must-visit destinations for cyclists, especially if you’re searching for adventure on the roads less travelled. Stunning gravel roads meander through thickly forested valleys, tilt skywards over the hills of the High Country and undulate across farmlands and ridgelines. The gravel north of town is smooth and fast on the roads of the Mt Pilot National Park and around Eldorado, while south of town the surface is rougher but the scenery’s just as good.
No matter where you ride, though, Beechworth’s relaxed “bike town” vibe will stay with you long after you leave. In fact it’ll stay with you until you return, which, we’re pretty sure, will be fairly soon.
The 115km Gravelista course is for Men (19-59) and Women (19-49). The course starts and finishes in the heart of Beechworth, and, after the paved 3.7km start, you leave town and enjoy over 100km of rolling, wide open gravel roads and quiet backroads. The elevation ranges from 180m above sea level right up to 837m at the highest point, and you’ll gain more than 1,700m of vertical before finishing back in the centre of Beechworth.
The 75km course is for Men (60+) and Women (50+), and is also open to anyone (16-99+) simply looking for a great day out on the gravel. The shorter course skips 25k of loop in the Mt Pilot National Park and turns left after 68km directly to back to Lake Sambell and Beechworth, rather than heading to Stanley.
While the racing and riding is on Sunday 4 September 2022, there’ll be a host of activities and festivities surrounding the event, making for the perfect weekend. Early September usually sees fine, calm weather in Beechworth – the spring flowers will be blooming, the wattles will be out, and the scene will be set for you to treat yourself to a getaway and enjoy all that Beechworth and the region has to offer.
To enter Gravelista, head over to the Gravelista website.
For Beechworth accommodation see the Beechworth destination page, either here on the Ride High Country website or the Victoria’s High Country website.
