{"id":54981,"date":"2023-10-09T18:11:51","date_gmt":"2023-10-09T16:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=749391"},"modified":"2023-10-09T18:35:54","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T16:35:54","slug":"uci-gravel-world-championships-2023-tech-gallery-unreleased-bikes-road-bike-pedals-semi-slick-tyres-and-hard-gears-dominate","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/uci-gravel-world-championships-2023-tech-gallery-unreleased-bikes-road-bike-pedals-semi-slick-tyres-and-hard-gears-dominate\/","title":{"rendered":"UCI Gravel World Championships 2023 tech gallery | Unreleased bikes, road bike pedals, semi-slick tyres and hard gears dominate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plus super narrow handlebars, puncture repair hacks and more <\/p>

By BikeRadar\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 09 October 2023 at 16:11 PM<\/p>

\n\n

The dry, dusty and relatively smooth course of last year\u2019s UCI Gravel World Championships threw up some major tech upsets, with both Canyon riders on the podium running the Ultimate road bike, road gearing and road pedals.<\/p>\n

For 2023, the UCI listened to the beleaguered gravel specialists and made some last-minute route changes, making this year\u2019s course rougher and tougher.<\/p>\n

Riders were split between excitement and apprehension over the change, with the tech looking \u2013 generally speaking \u2013 much more gravel-like this year.<\/p>\n

In this roundup, we\u2019ve got new and unreleased bikes, car park aero hacks, gearing that will make your knees ache and what we have to assume is the fastest tyre setup available.<\/p>\n

Words<\/strong>: Tom Hardie<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/div> <\/section>

New bikes from Canyon and Merida<\/h2>\n
\n
\"New\n<\/picture><\/div>
Canyon once again teased what is almost certainly the new Grail.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure> <\/div>
\n
\"New\n<\/picture><\/div>
The bike is obscured with a razzle-dazzle cammo paint job.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure> <\/div>
\n
\"New\n<\/picture><\/div>
The new bike features a one-piece cockpit.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure> <\/div>
\n
\"New\n<\/picture><\/div>
Kasia Niewiadoma rode the bike to victory in the women\u2019s race.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

Both riders on the top step of the podium were on new, unreleased bikes this year.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s winner Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon\u2013SRAM) rode the yet-to-be-released Canyon Grail<\/a>. This was first spotted at Unbound and has made regular appearances at headline gravel events since.<\/p>\n

\"Matej\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Matej Mohori\u010d rode an unreleased Merida Silex to UCI Gravel World Championships victory.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Men\u2019s winner Matej Mohori\u010d rode a new Merida Silex<\/a> \u2013 a bike we hadn\u2019t seen until this race.<\/p>\n

The new Silex has a redesigned fork, more tyre clearance and a completely redesigned frame shape.<\/p>\n

\"Pinarello\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
The Dogma X is instantly recognisable thanks to its unusual seatstays.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Third-placed Connor Swift also found himself on a brand new bike, the Pinarello Dogma X endurance road bike<\/a>. Unlike the 2022 UCI Gravel World Championships<\/a>, which was dominated by road bikes, this is the only road bike we saw.<\/p>\n

40mm semi-slick tyres dominate<\/h2>\n
\"Semi-slick\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Semi-slick tyres were the most popular option.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The dry, rocky course funnelled riders into a fairly narrow selection of gravel tyre<\/a> choices.<\/p>\n

40mm-wide file tread tyres, sometimes with a slick centre, were the order of the day.<\/p>\n

The Specialized Pathfinder and different variants of Schwalbe\u2019s G-One platform were, by far, the most popular.<\/p>\n

The Pathfinder has gained such popularity that it\u2019s often used as an off-sponsor choice by many riders.<\/p>\n

\"Andy\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Andy Lydic\u2019s bike was specced with a pair of Specialized Pathfinder tyres.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Men\u2019s under-23 winner and BMC-sponsored athlete, Andy Lydic was running them, along with\u2026 half of Alejandro Valverde?<\/p>\n

\n
\"Valverde\n<\/picture><\/div>
Valverde paired a Pathfinder Pro tyre up front with\u2026<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure> <\/div>
\n
\"...a\n<\/picture><\/div>
\u2026a Pirelli Cinturato out back.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

Valverde\u2019s bike was running a Specialized Pathfinder up front and a Pirelli Cinturato out back \u2013 almost certainly what the bike shop local to Valverde carries, rather than a conscious (or sponsor-correct) choice.<\/p>\n

On the road, WorldTour riders\u2019 bikes are maintained, wheeled out shiny and fresh for race days, with separate training bikes staying at home.<\/p>\n

The gravel scene isn\u2019t yet receiving that kind of attention or support from the WorldTour teams<\/a>, meaning maintenance is often left up to riders with little time to make changes before the start line.<\/p>\n

\"Garcia\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Garcia Cortina opted for an ebike-approved tyre for increased tyre protection.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Mohori\u010d\u2019s teammate, Ivan Garcia Cortina, was on the sponsor-correct Continental Terra Speeds, in the tougher, ebike-approved ProTection variant.<\/p>\n

Choose your tape wisely<\/h2>\n
\"Lorena\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Lorena Wiebes has a dedicated strap for her puncture repair kit.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Punctures are an unavoidable part of gravel racing.<\/p>\n

Forcing skinny tyres across mountain bike terrain at road bike speeds means punctures are ever-present \u2013 perhaps more so than in any other discipline.<\/p>\n

This, combined with the lack of team cars on course meant riders had to get inventive, with all manner of puncture repair hacks on show at the weekend.<\/p>\n

\"Dynaplug\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Dynaplug was the tool of choice for puncture repair.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Most popular was the taped CO2 canister, or all-in-one foam and air solutions, stuck on with whatever tape happened to be on hand, or occasionally a Velcro strap. For those intent on plugging their tyres, Dynaplug was the brand of choice, adorning the top tubes of both Mattia Di Marchi\u2019s bike and Ivan Garcia Cortina\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Freddy\n<\/picture><\/div>
Freddy Ovett went for electrical tape and a chalk pen. <\/span> <\/figcaption> Tom Hardie<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure> <\/div>
\n
\"Cameron\n<\/picture><\/div>
Cameron Mason rode with very detailed course notes.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure> <\/div>
\n
\"If\n<\/picture><\/div>
If you are a sticky tape enthusiast, the Gravel World Championships was the place to be. <\/span> <\/figcaption> Tom Hardie<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure> <\/div>
\n
\"We\n<\/picture><\/div>
We suspect this tape was salvaged from a first aid box just prior to the race.<\/span> <\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div> <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

Similar \u2018whatever-is-at-hand taping\u2019 applied to stem notes, with the exception of Cameron Mason\u2019s very neat, colour-coded stem notes \u2013 so detailed they\u2019d only fit on the top tube.<\/p>\n

Other bikes featured clear tape, masking tape or medical tape. For an extra sleek look, Freddy Ovett\u2019s electrical tape and chalk pen is hard to beat.<\/p>\n

Respect the car park wind tunnel<\/h2>\n
\"A\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
A number plate is about as un-aero as it gets, so many riders resorted to wrapping theirs around the head tube.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Many riders attempted to make their number boards ever so slightly more aero \u2013 a scene you wouldn\u2019t find anywhere outside of a gravel race.<\/p>\n

In the women\u2019s race, Canyon riders wrapped their numbers around the headtube, whereas SD Worx went for the more traditional approach of attaching to the bar.<\/p>\n

\"Taping\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Taping up the zip tie holes is a next-level marginal aero hack.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Given that Niewiadoma finished with enough time to walk across the line and lift her bike above her head, we can only assume the number placement wasn\u2019t a deciding factor in the race result.<\/p>\n

For the men\u2019s race, the trimming and preening stepped up a notch, with electrical tape filling in the gaps left by zip ties alone.<\/p>\n

Rane Roatta is back<\/h2>\n
\"Rane\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Rane Roatta\u2019s bike was the wildest on show.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Rane Roatta raced onboard this custom-painted Giant Revolt.<\/p>\n

As with his previous wild bike<\/a>, this sports his signature super narrow bars.<\/p>\n

\"Like\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Like his old bike, Roatta was running exceptionally narrow bars.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

In this case, he\u2019s specced Worx track bars, which are 23cm wide at the tops and 33cm in the drops.<\/p>\n

This is paired with a 130mm stem. Roatta says he would have preferred a 200mm-long stem but ran out of time to source a new one.<\/p>\n

\"Roatta\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Roatta ran an oval ring for a psychological performance advantage \u2013 more on that below.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Tune hubs are laced to shallow Protens rims with custom-anodised rainbow-finish titanium spokes.<\/p>\n

His mullet drivetrain comprises a 50-tooth oval chainring paired with a 10-52t cassette.<\/p>\n

\"Roatta's\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Roatta\u2019s saddle is handmade in Colorado.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Finally, his preferred perch is an unusual 100g saddle handmade by Dash in Colorado. This has two narrow and long wings joined with a carbon beam at the rear.<\/p>\n

No consensus on gravel bike groupsets<\/h2>\n
\"TOM04176\"\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Tiffany Cromwell and Niewiadoma\u00a0ran a mullet setup.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Gearing fell into mainly three categories: 2x road groupsets, 1x gravel groupsets, and 1x mullet setups.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, the mullet setup has been reserved for riders looking for better climbing gears to tackle ultra-endurance races such as the Tour Divide, or the Silk Road Mountain Race. They\u2019ve rarely been seen in top-tier gravel races.<\/p>\n

Riders were seen pairing big chainrings with mountain bike cassettes, providing a 1x setup with adequate climbing gears and huge top speeds for a small sacrifice in choice of cadence.<\/p>\n

The top spots of the podium were spread across these categories too, with Niewiadoma running a 1x ring with a 10-52 mountain bike rear cassette and mech (as did teammate Tiffany Cromwell).<\/p>\n

\"We\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
We only saw one Campagnolo Ekar groupset at the event.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Men\u2019s silver medalist Florian Vermeersch rode a 1x Shimano\u00a0GRX setup, but Mohori\u010d and Connor Swift both ran road groupsets with compact and semi-compact cranksets respectively.<\/p>\n

\"Road\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Road groupsets are common in top-tier gravel races.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

There was also a smattering of oval rings.<\/p>\n

Ribble Collective\u2019s Metheven Bond prefers them for smooth power delivery.<\/p>\n

Rane Roatta prefers them as he reckons they help his Quark power meter read slightly higher numbers \u2013 the ultimate in-race morale boost.<\/p>\n

Road pedals dominate<\/h2>\n
\"DSC01980\"\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Most riders were on three-bolt road bike pedals.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

While the jury appears to be out on gear combinations and round versus oval rings, most racers have settled on 3-bolt cleat road pedals as the go-to system for gravel racing (at least for the dry, dusty course in Veneto).<\/p>\n

\"Valverde\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Valverde was one of few riders using two-bolt pedals.<\/span><\/figcaption> Tom Hardie \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Valverde\u2019s 2-bolt Look mountain bike pedals with cages was a notable exception to the rule.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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