Aachen, Germany: UCI Gravel World Series

In the 8th century AD King Charlemagne decided to place the small spa town of Aachen in the heart of the Holy Roman Empire; and build his palace there. The story goes that he fell in love with the hot thermal springs present in the region and the small chapel built in the heart of the town.

He wanted to make Aachen a leading political and cultural centre. Located along the borderland of Holland and Belgium, this German enclave can still be considered today at the centre of Europe, and it will in any case be at the centre of Planet Gravel for a weekend.

Aachen, Germany: UCI Gravel World Series

‘Three Rides’ in Aachen is the UCI accredited event for the Café du Cycliste GT to attempt qualification for the World Championships. The big race will once again take place near Veneto (Italy) at the beginning of October, a grand finale to a season of undoubtedly true and testing grit. The rules are simple, to qualify athletes must be ranked in the top 25% of their age category. The increase in the number of participants in the discipline is proportional to the rise in the level of performance. So going for a qualification this year is more difficult than ever.

The topography of the Aachen course contrasts radically with the other events of the Gravel Earth Series that the Gravel Team will be embarking upon in the 2023 season. Aachen takes our four warriors around seven laps of 19 kilometres each, on an undulating course. It totals 130 kilometres with 2000 metres of elevation that “the girls” will play their qualification.

The heavy rain that has fallen in the region over the past few days will spice up the proceedings. With the terrain particularly greasy, conditions only get worse with the passage of the 800 racers competing. So after their reconnaissance lap, the Hutchinson tyres mounted on the Lauf Seigla are switched from Touareg to Tundra, as gripping the ground is a priority.

Racing here at Aachen is also rubbing shoulders with the best in world cyclocross. Belgians, Dutch, and German off-road specialists appear en masse, and from the first lap of the course it will not take long to understand that the race is going to move at a hellish pace. Today it will be necessary to grit the teeth just to finish, pure concentration not to slip, and guts to hang on at all costs and keep the rhythm of the linked laps.

Once out of the ‘washing machine’, the girls tell us that they had no respite, that this race, shorter than usual yet at a different intensity, turned out to be exhausting.

Usually when a group is formed, riders quickly become companions in the chain, taking turns one after the other to progress collectively. A state of mind that we will not find here, each for himself, in search of the opportune moment to place an attack. A dogfight.

The pro cyclists in attendance will share the podiums today, the qualifications will be fiercely contested. On the side of the Café du Cycliste Gravel Team Annabel Fisher won her qualification and a very good fourth place in the GC.

A real accomplishment at the end of a demanding race and an unfavourable starting grid. If there are to be qualifications for the UCI race in October, our other three riders will have to pick them up individually at the remaining events this season.

For now, all eyes are on the next encounter in a few weeks, the Migration Race in Kenya. Until then, long training sessions will follow to shine under the African sun.

The Lauf Life

Conceived on the windswept and desolate trails of Iceland, Lauf are the bike sponsor of the Café du Cycliste Gravel Team. Having begun their journey as a suspension fork manufacturer, this fledgling brand now also produce beautiful carbon fibre bikes for gravel racing across varied terrain.

The Café du Cycliste Gravel Team

A new year and new season on the horizon for the Gravel Team. The all-female squad will once again test their endurance, spirit and commitment on an international circuit.

Gravel Advice: Women of the CDC GT

We sat down with the CDC GT, our female trio of Gravel racers, to talk about women’s racing and community, and how it feels to be a female athlete in a traditionally male-focussed sport.

The Traka: The reference for European gravel

For the Café du Cycliste Gravel Team, arriving at The Traka is a little like visiting an old friend. There’s a familiarity born of previous experience and two of the team were winners last year (Annabel Fisher in the 100km and Lydia Iglesias in the 200km).