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UCI Gravel World Championships 2024 tech gallery: Road, gravel and CX bikes, self-inflating tyres and incredible paintjobs
While opinions are still split on the UCI Gravel World Championships, it’s here to stay. This year’s edition added two big ticks for the CVs of two of the most decorated riders of our time, and as usual it showed off some of the most interesting bike tech in professional cycling.
Paris-Roubaix used to be the pinnacle of tech galleries but as road bikes have got more comfortable the choices at the Hell of the North have been standardised and it’s now disappointingly sponsor-correct. That’s where Gravel Worlds comes in, with a field consisting of riders from several disciplines. Most of the bikes and component choices are a surprise, and some of that old school Paris-Roubaix weirdness still remains. Peep Visma-Lease a Bike riders using an adjustable tyre pressure system.
We sent photographer James York into the thick of the action in Belgium this weekend to not only capture the racing – find that gallery here – but to get a closer look at what the road, gravel, cyclocross and mountain bike riders were using.
It’s about time we had some Tour de Tietema on this website. Sadly TDT-Unibet rider Lander Loockx’s day was ruined by punctures.
GB’s Connor Swift wasn’t riding a ‘gravel bike‘, he actually enlisted Pinarello’s Dogma X ‘endurance road bike‘.
The bike’s official clearance is 35mm, so these 40mm Continental tyres were tight. Thankfully the course wasn’t too muddy.
His shoes were even still white (ish) after his sixth place.
Jasper Stuyven’s new all-black Trek Checkmate is a stunner. Yes OK colour on frames is good but look at it.
He had the new SRAM Red AXS XPLR groupset with a single 52t front chainring and a K-Edge chain catcher. Just about every rider was rocking a chain catcher unsurprisingly.
He had blip shifters on his drops too. For a hometown Worlds, there’s no surprise Stuyven went to town on his setup. He ended up fourth.
There was an interesting mix of choices even from riders with access to the same equipment. Belgium’s Tim Merlier, who came eighth, got his choice of Specialized tech as a Soudal-QuickStep rider and went with a Diverge, but without the rear suspension. He’s also one of many riders with prototype Specialized tyres.
Mattia de Marchi’s Basso Palta was one of the blingest bikes on display.
It has Campagnolo’s Super Record Wireless road groupset rather than the Ekar gravel-specific groupset.
He’s also got a pair of the Fulcrum Sharq allroad wheels.
After riding the inaugural gravel worlds on a Canyon Ultimate, Mathieu van der Poel went full gravel for his win, with this shiny Canyon Grail.
Semi-slicks for a course with lots of smooth surfaces.
38mm tyres on the day for MVDP.
You wouldn’t have caught Van der Poel racing with those double-decker bars.
Tiesj Benoot was one of a few Visma-Lease a Bike riders using a Gravaa adaptable tyre pressure system.
It could only help him to 18th.
Mainly flagging this one because the frame makes the wheels look massive.
Insert meme of Jack Nicholson nodding. This is Lawrence Naesen’s bike and it’s very nice.
Lightweight Pfadfinder wheels and new Schwalbe G-One RS tyres – he’s gone for 45mm. Very bling.
Who could this Colnago G4X belong to?
Surprise. Now that is a proper jersey. Chapeau Simon.
Over in the women’s race, Lauren Stephens’ US champion’s bike isn’t quite as loud as Kristen Faulkner’s road bike, but it’s sleek. Great disappearing hands there too.
With a nice personal touch.
Puck Pieterse was on an all-black Canyon Grail to contract Van der Poel’s. She came fourth and could quite easily bag a rainbow jersey in four disciplines in her career.
Shimano-sponsored riders mainly went for Dura-Ace road groupsets rather than the GRX gravel groupset.
A small bike.
The GOAT and new World Champion’s bike. Vos’s first elite world championships could legally buy alcohol in the UK, and she’s still on top.
She was on Vittoria’s A Dugast cyclocross tyres.
Perhaps the secret is having race notes upside down? Perhaps that was preparation for her Garmin ending up by her knees.
Vos’s trade and country teammate, CX world champ Fem van Empel went for her cyclocross bike rather than a gravel bike, she finished back in 52nd.
British national champion Annabel Fisher sadly DNFed but the bike is very nice.
She rides for the Classified-Ridley team so has the Classified Powershift hub.
Danni Shrosbree was another British DNF with a lovely bike that includes Hunt’s new wheels.
Italy’s multi-discipline star Silvia Persico rides for UAE Team ADQ so had a nice blue Colnago with Enve wheels and some very high aero socks.
Lidl-Trek’s Shirin van Anrooij had the same setup as Jasper Stuyven.
Petition for this to be EF’s new team colours. Alison Jackson came in 37th alongside Tiffany Cromwell.
Cyclist tech editor Sam Challis’s favourite bike award goes too… Rosa Klöser.
The 2024 Unbound Gravel winner had a sensational looking Rose bike with gold details.
An extra 200km in this one may have helped, she finished 21st.
Sneaky bit of extra chunk in those handlebars.
She was running 45mm tyres. Stay tuned for more Rosa Klöser content coming to this website soon, she has a great story.
Last here but second in reality, it’s Lotte Kopecky’s S-Works Crux.
Fresh from her incredible road world title last week, Kopecky couldn’t outsprint Vos at the end but she’ll win this one year. Specialized can cover the label of its prototype tyres but when they say Pathfinder on them, it’s pretty obvious what they are.
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