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The UCI Gravel World Championships are being held in Nannup, Western Australia, on trails featuring loose, pea-sized gravel. Riders Maddy Nutt and Jenson Young say it offers limited grip, particularly when braking, cornering and climbing; how the surface will affect the elite races remains to be seen.
The UCI Gravel World Championships are being held in Nannup, Western Australia, on trails covered in loose, pea-sized stones that riders say are difficult to brake and climb on. In a course report for Cycling Weekly, riders Maddy Nutt and Jenson Young described the surface as a distinctive technical challenge, though its effect on the elite races is not yet known.
The report’s writer says they previously rode similar terrain while competing in the Cape-to-Cape mountain bike race in Western Australia. They describe the stones as small, rounded and loose, and say that even on mountain-bike tyres, cornering and braking can prompt skidding. Standing to pedal on a climb can also make the rear wheel lose traction. Those are the writer’s observations, not a published course measurement or an official assessment of race conditions.
Maddy Nutt, a former British gravel champion and Traka 560 winner, told Cycling Weekly she had reconnoitred the route before the elite women’s race. She called it harder and more technical than she had expected, and said riders need to reduce speed before entering sections where braking on the loose stones is difficult. Nutt said she was concerned about competitors who had not practised on the surface.
Jenson Young, the reigning British gravel champion, had recce’d the opening 30 kilometres after arriving in Western Australia. He told Cycling Weekly the fine stones looked as if they might offer grip but did not, and that his rear wheel slid when he stood to pedal uphill. Young said he chose lighter wheels and a mountain-bike tyre intended to balance rolling speed with cornering grip. He also suggested the surface might suit heavier riders better, while the report’s writer said their own experience did not settle that question.
Loose Gravel Could Shape Race Tactics
The surface may influence how riders manage speed, traction and effort, not just which tyres and wheels they use. If braking and standing to climb both risk a loss of grip, competitors may need to carry momentum through sections, keep weight over the rear wheel and adjust how they approach corners. These are implications drawn from the riders’ descriptions; the report does not establish how any tactic will affect results.
The course also puts the meaning of “gravel” into focus. The report contrasts Nannup’s fine, loose stones with the chunkier gravel familiar to some British riders. For viewers, the difference could make the racing less predictable, especially for competitors arriving without experience on this type of surface. The race outcomes, and whether the terrain creates a particular advantage, remain unconfirmed.
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Nannup’s Western Australian Course
Nannup is a small town in Western Australia. Cycling Weekly reports a local population of 538 and expects the championship to bring an influx of riders, teams, mechanics and fans. The report also notes the practical remoteness of the region, but does not detail travel arrangements or their effects on participation.
The championship course uses trails in a network of community-built singletrack in the region. The report says local organisers and residents have promoted the event as a race on “real gravel.” That phrase is their description of the terrain, rather than a formal category or technical standard. The writer’s earlier experience on Western Australian trails and the two competitors’ recent course reconnaissance provide the firsthand accounts behind the report.
“The pea gravel feels a bit sketchy, and I’m glad I’ve practised riding on it a bit as you can’t brake on the surface.”
— Maddy Nutt, former British gravel champion and Traka 560 winner, speaking to Cycling Weekly
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Race Effects Still Unknown
The report was published ahead of the elite races, so it does not show how riders ultimately handled the course or whether the gravel changed the results. It also provides no measured data on traction, course conditions or the amount of pea gravel across the route. Young’s view that heavier riders might do well is a prediction, not a confirmed competitive advantage.
It is also unclear how consistently the surface behaves across the course. Riders’ accounts describe loose gravel and limited grip, but the report does not set out how weather, tyre choices or differences between course sections might change the riding conditions. Those details would affect how broadly the firsthand observations apply.
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Race Results Will Test the Predictions
The next evidence will come from the championship races in Nannup. Results and riders’ post-race accounts can show whether the loose surface influenced tactics, handling or performance. Until then, the warnings from Nutt and Young are informed pre-race assessments rather than proof that any particular group of riders will struggle.
Further reporting would also be needed to establish whether the course conditions changed during the event and how competitors’ equipment choices performed. The source material does not provide a later race update or specify when results and follow-up accounts will be published.
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Key Questions
Where are the UCI Gravel World Championships taking place?
The report places the championships in Nannup, Western Australia, on trails that include loose, pea-sized gravel.
What makes the Nannup gravel challenging?
Riders quoted by Cycling Weekly say the fine stones provide limited grip. They describe difficulty braking, cornering and keeping traction when standing to pedal uphill.
Which riders described the course?
Maddy Nutt and Jenson Young both spoke to Cycling Weekly after exploring the route. Nutt had reconnoitred the course before the elite women’s race; Young had ridden the first 30 kilometres.
Is there evidence that heavier riders will have an advantage?
No confirmed evidence is included in the report. Young suggested heavier riders might do well, but that is his prediction, not an established outcome.
Are the race results or effects of the gravel known?
The report describes conditions and riders’ expectations before the races. It does not report results or confirm how the terrain affected the competition.
Source: rss
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