South Africa’s premiere gravel race, the Swartberg 100 Gran Fondo, has officially achieved Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) accreditation for the 2023 Gravel World Championship Series.
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This historic achievement makes the Swartberg Gran Fondo South Africa’s first and only UCI-accredited gravel race. Set to take place on 29 April 2023, the 171km gravel race, covering a total of 3,000m of climbing, will join the ranks of other world-class gravel races throughout Europe and the United States.
Starting in Prince Albert, the 171km route covers a combination of tar and gravel sectors, with the gravel comprising a total of 79km. Riders can expect a course that traverses steep mountain passes, gruelling gravel and tar stretches, and fast scenic descents. Its founder, John Swanepoel, describes the Swartberg 100 Gran Fondo as “arguably one of the toughest Gran Fondo’s in the world.”
UCI launches worldwide gravel series
Since originating in the American Midwest about 15 years ago, gravel races have grown in popularity worldwide. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) describes gravel racing as being “popular with riders seeking new challenges,” and adds that the cycling “combines elements of both road and mountain biking, and takes place mainly on unsealed roads (gravel, forest tracks, farm roads, cobbles, etc).”
The concept of the new gravel series is based on that of the existing and very successful UCI Gran Fondo World Series, where riders can earn their spot in the annual UCI World Championships. 2022 saw the inauguration of the first ever UCI Gravel Championship.
UCI President David Lappartient declared: “I am thrilled that we now have an exciting and rich calendar of gravel events for riders with an adventurous spirit who enjoy cycling on unsealed roads and paths. The best among them will earn the right to compete in the inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships. The UCI Gran Fondo World Series is incredibly popular, and I am convinced that this concept will be equally successful for the gravel format.”
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Picture: Supplied
