# The UCI Jumps into Gravel Racing with Both Feet



## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Uh oh... this should be interesting. Where did I put that popcorn again? I literally cannot think of a culture the UCI is a worse fit for.









UCI-sanctioned gravel series, world championships will be contested in 2022


The booming gravel discipline will see its first UCI-sanctioned race series and rainbow jersey next season.




www.velonews.com













UCI announces gravel series and official world championships


Federation partners with Golazo to establish new discipline




www.cyclingnews.com


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## Finx (Oct 19, 2017)

s/ OH GOODY /s


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## mtbnut87 (Sep 14, 2021)

UCI (over)reaching into Gravel Racing. The answer to the question no one asked.


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## 202cycle (Sep 13, 2011)

So much for lace up shoes.


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## thatsmybush (Mar 12, 2002)

Gravel racing is losing it already and the UCI will only hasten that. 

Local event scheduled for March--they want $160.00 to ride the 50 miler. A bit over three bucks a mile.

But you get socks, and a tshirt and 1 aid station.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

..... and you are not even on a paved road, HA!


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## mtbnut87 (Sep 14, 2021)

thatsmybush said:


> Gravel racing is losing it already and the UCI will only hasten that.
> 
> Local event scheduled for March--they want $160.00 to ride the 50 miler. A bit over three bucks a mile.
> 
> But you get socks, and a tshirt and 1 aid station.





duriel said:


> ..... and you are not even on a paved road, HA!


They did the same thing to Ultramarathon trail races in the 90's. The USATF jumped in and entry fees tripled and fields quadrupled... but those of us who raced low-key with our friends for the love of the trails... we continued to run, but not compete... it's sad to see history repeated.


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## thatsmybush (Mar 12, 2002)

mtbnut87 said:


> They did the same thing to Ultramarathon trail races in the 90's. The USATF jumped in and entry fees tripled and fields quadrupled... but those of us who raced low-key with our friends for the love of the trails... we continued to run, but not compete... it's sad to see history repeated.


It isn't everywhere yet, but it is growing for sure. Thankfully we have some that are bucking this trend and some that are going ala carte. One company in Western NC, you can have a cheaper race (40-50 bucks) or you can spend a bunch more and get a jersey, shirts, (still not close to 160 even with the swag) etc. 

That 160.00 was shocking and I have done Mdot races (at least you get something and understand the expensive logicstics of pulling off a 3 section race, in three different venues up to 140.6 miles) 

The race in question has a "race cap" of 850, that is $136,000 in revenue. Lots of gatorade and orange slices I guess.


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## Grog McCog (Jan 19, 2020)

Well, it was good while it lasted.


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## Coney Hall (Sep 28, 2021)

Wow. lots of short memories here, or is it there aren't so many of us old dogs here.

When the UCI "took over" Mountain Biking, much the same comments here were already said back then by the "purists" in the early/mid-90s: "Mountain-biking is going to lose its way", "there goes the fun", "they have no idea where this has come from," etc. No-one had a good thing to say about it. "Kill it off, why don't you, UCI?" But it doesn't seem to have affected it much at a grass-roots level.

Yeah, yeah, there'll be a bit of F***-uppery while standards are set, rules implemented, thrown out and adjusted, and new better(?) things become the norm, but in the end gravel-biking will explode, and really, who doesn't want the chance to watch a Gravel bike race at the 2032 Olympics. Or have the opportunity to ride through rankings to represent your chosen demographic one day?

Gravel-biking will be fine. Stop it with your Chicken Little routine.


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## Grog McCog (Jan 19, 2020)

Coney Hall said:


> rules implemented


This is the essence of the problem.


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## Princeton_Tiger (Dec 5, 2009)

Rashadabd said:


> Uh oh... this should be interesting. Where did I put that popcorn again? I literally cannot think of a culture the UCI is a worse fit for.


I can. How about a fixed gear road race. Fixie riding seems like a fad that has faded. Or better yet, a fixed gear gravel road race. Then the UCI could kill two fads with one bullet.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Man, stretching out a peloton on gravel looks like fun if you are toward the back... Do you wear a respirator? 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

thatsmybush said:


> Gravel racing is losing it already and the UCI will only hasten that.
> 
> Local event scheduled for March--they want $160.00 to ride the 50 miler. A bit over three bucks a mile.
> 
> *But you get socks, and a tshirt and 1 aid station.*


An entire aid station?

Gravel Worlds here in town is $100USD. You get a bib number, public roads, no SAG, no aid stations, and no cell service....and a drink glass.



Coney Hall said:


> Wow. lots of short memories here, or is it there aren't so many of us old dogs here.
> 
> When the UCI "took over" Mountain Biking, much the same comments here were already said back then by the "purists" in the early/mid-90s: "Mountain-biking is going to lose its way", "there goes the fun", "they have no idea where this has come from," etc. No-one had a good thing to say about it. "Kill it off, why don't you, UCI?" But it doesn't seem to have affected it much at a grass-roots level.
> 
> ...


No. The difference...MTB events and what not were unaffordable back then. With the cost of 'home grown' events were already egregiously high without UCI team involvement and UCI culture/tactics--they're going to price themselves out of relevance for amateurs.

Seriously $100-200 for a morning/day of fun with no support and just a bib number on open roads is a f'ing joke.


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