The World Championships for gran fondo and Gravel have become a major goal for many riders in recent years. This was evident multiple times this year in Aalborg (road) and Leuven (gravel), where all records for participants, spectators, and especially nationalities were broken.
© UCI Gran Fondo World Series
The UCI's push for globalization is clear not only from the calendars of the gran fondos and gravel qualifiers, but also from the organization of the World Championships in the coming years. It's time to plan ahead and take a look at the World Championships locations through 2029. We’ve listed them for you.
In 2025, October will be a pivotal month for both gran fondo and gravel riders, featuring World Championships in both disciplines. One event, the Gran Fondo World Championships, will take place in the spring (southern hemisphere) and the other, the Gravel World Championships, in the fall (northern hemisphere). How is that possible?
In Lorne, Australia, from October 16 to 19, spring will be in full swing during the World Gran Fondo Championship. The road races will be held on familiar terrain, with the course largely following the route of Amy's Gran Fondo.
Following the relatively flat edition in Aalborg, participants in 2025 will face a more challenging 130-kilometer course with nearly 2,000 meters of elevation gain. Featuring climbs to Mount Benwerrin and Mount Sabine, rolling intermediate sections, and a punchy finale, the course in Lorne is unlikely to result in large groups battling for the rainbow jerseys. Full details are available here. Want to preview the course? Visit FulGaz for a virtual reconnaissance.
© Amy's Gran Fondo
Later, in the European fall, gravel riders will face an even more grueling World Championship test in Nice, France. The mountainous course, designed by former professional cyclist Nicolas Roche, features over 3,300 meters of elevation gain. Riders will ascend Mont Férion, reaching over 1,250 meters above sea level, before tackling four more climbs and descending into Nice. The race concludes with a technical city pass before finishing on the iconic Promenade des Anglais.
The (preliminary) course is available on our Komoot channel. While the exact date is not yet confirmed, speculation points to the weekend following the Tour of Lombardy. This could coincide with the Gran Fondo World Championships, meaning riders may have tough decisions to make!
In 2026, both the Gran Fondo and Gravel World Championships will venture to the Far East—at least from a European perspective.
The Gravel World Championship, following the 2025 Gran Fondo World Championship, will also take place in Australia. Nannup is the place to be. This host city of the UCI qualifier Seven Gravel Race has crafted a challenging course with significant climbing. Set for October 3 and 4, 2026, the event could feature a grueling race through the outback, covering over 120 kilometers with 3,000 meters of elevation. You can already test the Seven Gravel Race course on FulGaz.
© Seven Gravel Race / Patrick Boere
Following the cancellation of Victoriaville in Canada, the Niseko Classic in Japan stepped in to fill the gap on the 2026 calendar. Niseko, a renowned ski resort on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, will host the Gran Fondo World Championships from August 26 to 30, 2026. With Mount Yotei as a backdrop, the riders will tackle a hilly course featuring 2,500 meters of elevation over 150 kilometers as they race from Niseko toward the sea and back. The Niseko Classic has a proven track record, having hosted UCI qualifiers for nearly a decade. For more details, visit our info page.
Following the success of the first Super World Cup in Scotland, the French region of Haute-Savoie will host the second edition of the Super World Cycling Championships in 2027. While the Gran Fondo World Championships were already part of the inaugural event in Scotland, the Gravel World Championships will make their Super World Cup debut in September 2027.
Details about the courses are still scarce, but given the region’s history of hosting prestigious cycling events, including the Road World Championships in Sallanches (1964 and 1980) and the MTB World Championships in Les Gets (2022), the terrain will undoubtedly challenge climbers and mountain specialists. The Super World Cup will span three weekends between September 11 and 26. The exact dates for the Gran Fondo and Gravel World Championships are yet to be confirmed.
In 2028, the world titles for road and gravel cycling will be decided on the Arabian Peninsula. The Gravel World Championships will take place in the Saudi desert oasis of Al-`Ula on September 30 and October 1. Meanwhile, the Gran Fondo World Championships will be held in Abu Dhabi. Whether these events will coincide with the World Road Cycling Championships, also in Abu Dhabi from October 14 to 22, remains to be seen.
Photo: the desert of Abu Dhabi. © YouTube / @Rochellecyclinglife
Details about the courses are still scarce, but it's almost certain that the road race will feature flat terrain, favoring hard, fast racing. However, Arab builders have a history of surprising the cycling world, so there's still time to create an innovative and challenging course by 2028.
Al-`Ula’s desert landscape offers a mix of sand dunes, canyons, dramatic rock formations, and ancient historical sites. While it’s uncertain how much of this will be incorporated into the gravel race, the challenging desert conditions will undoubtedly add a unique and demanding element to the competition.
During the last UCI Congress in September, the 2029 Gravel World Championships were awarded to Switzerland. The event will be hosted by the organizers of the UCI Gran Fondo and Gravel qualifiers Granfondo Suisse and Alpine Rendezvous. The race will take place in Villars-sur-Ollon, nestled in the Alpes Vaudoises, offering a climber's paradise. The current qualifier already features 3,500 meters of elevation over 105 kilometers, promising a challenging event for the world’s best. The exact date has not yet been announced.
Photo: suffering and enjoying in the Swiss Alps.
The location for the 2029 Gran Fondo World Championships has not yet been officially decided, but the Austrian region of Burgenland is a strong contender. If chosen, Mörbisch will be the event’s epicenter, a town well-known for hosting the Neusiedler See Radmarathon. Organizers promise a selective and classic course, where the wind could play a decisive role. The event will likely take place during the first weekend of September.
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