Sometimes the best things can be found right under your nose. That certainly applies to the 3RIDES Festival. Indeed, this three-day cycling festival is organized near the German city of Aachen. It is a versatile event that will delight cyclists, gravel riders and gravel racers with ambitions of becoming world champions. The organizers say it's the most versatile event in Europe. We couldn't agree more.
This year, it's only the second edition of the event. It's a festival, so there is all kinds of things to do. The festival and all the routes hero the three-country region of Limburg, Ardennes and Eifel. We'll list the the highlights for you.
On Saturday, May 13, there's the UCI Gravel Race. A real gravel race! Everyone is welcome. If you finish in the top 25% in your age category, you qualify for the World Gravel Championship in Italy. The course consists of several laps of 19.5 km each. The total length is (depending on your category) between 78 and 136 km. Our ambassador Rick Groeneweg already did his reconnaissance:
"It is a very varied course with a bit of everything. Climbs, very fast descents and very fast sections. If it is dry, the average speed will be very high. If the course is muddy, it will be a true battle."
Many European top gravel riders will be there, including Demi Vollering and Laurens ten Dam. And you can be there too.
On Sunday 14, it's time for the sportive for the road bike, the so called Radmarathons. What to expect? A beautiful ride through three countries in which, of course, not one meter is flat. The longest route has 200 kilometers with 3200 meters of elevation. The toughest climb in Belgium is in the course: Ferme Libert. If you haven't done this monster, this is your chance. Of course, there are also several shorter distances.
Also on Sunday, May 14, there will be the Gravel Rides: non-competitive sportives for the gravel bike. The distances are 120 and 80 km with 2000 and 1200 meters of elevation respectively. It is no secret that this region offers wonderful opportunities for gravel biking. If you do not have a gravel bike but do have an MTB, you are of course also more than welcome.
This is certainly not all. There's much more:
For an average European music festival, you'll pay well over €300. At 3RIDES you're considerably cheaper! The sportives come in at a very reasonable €40-45 depending on the time of registration. The UCI Gravel Ride is a bit more expensive because it takes a lot of staff to keep the lap car-free and safe. Still, €60 is still pretty fair in our opinion. You can find more info on the official website. Also be sure to follow 3RIDES on Instagram.
CycloWorld will be there this spring. Will we see you there?
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