UCI Confirms New Gravel World Championships Format for 2026
The Union Cycliste Internationale has officially confirmed an expanded format for the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships, adding a mixed team relay event to the programme while significantly increasing athlete quotas across all categories. The announcement comes as gravel racing continues its rapid integration into the professional cycling calendar, with the discipline now commanding prime television slots and attracting sponsorship investment comparable to traditional road racing disciplines. The 2026 Worlds in Ica, Peru, will represent the most ambitious Gravel World Championships event in the discipline's brief Olympic history.
The new format will feature solo men's and women's races — maintaining the traditional championship structure — but introduces a mixed relay category where two men and two women per nation compete on a shorter course format, encouraging tactical innovation and team-based strategy previously unseen in gravel racing. UCI officials indicated the relay event was designed to increase gender representation at Worlds while providing a more accessible format for smaller cycling nations without deep elite gravel programmes. The mixed format aligns with the UCI's broader push toward gender parity across all disciplines, following successful mixed events in track and road racing.
"Gravel cycling has captured the imagination of cyclists and fans worldwide," said UCI President David Lappartient in a statement. "The expansion of our World Championships reflects this explosive growth. The mixed relay format brings new strategic dimensions to the sport while ensuring that more riders from more nations can compete at the highest level. We're excited about the future of gravel as a pillar of professional cycling alongside road, track, and mountain bike." The decision reflects market realities: gravel-specific equipment manufacturers have reported year-on-year growth of 23%, and viewership of gravel World Tour events has increased 156% since 2023.
Nations including Belgium, France, Australia, and Denmark have already begun assembling relay squads, with several recruiting former road racers to bolster their rosters. Analysts suggest the mixed relay could prove more unpredictable than solo races, creating compelling television and potentially disrupting the traditional power structure dominated by Belgian and American riders. The 2026 Gravel Worlds will be held in Ica, Peru, at an elevation of 1,360 metres, providing significant altitude adaptation challenges and potentially reshaping which nations may emerge victorious. Early predictions suggest the Dutch could dominate the relay format given their strong female talent pipeline and proven male gravel racers.