This is where cycling’s tribes meet. The road racers come armed with watts, the MTB riders bring scars and suspension, and the cyclocross crowd just seems thrilled to have a race longer than an hour. For many, this is the final shot at a rainbow jersey… or at least a chance to prove that their discipline’s suffering translates well to gravel. It’s the dream come true for anyone who holds both MTB and road dear. This is the arena where the titans of both disciplines clash.
Naturally, the field is stacked: Tom Pidcock chasing more hardware, Marianne Vos returning to her all-terrain roots, Lorena Wiebes testing her power against dust and stones. Add in gravel specialists, ex-pros, and weekend warriors who somehow qualified, and you’ve got a recipe for beautiful, unpredictable carnage.
But this isn’t just about who crosses the line first. The Gravel Worlds have become a celebration of everything that makes cycling great – the fans, the scenery, the shared madness of riding too far on surfaces that don’t quite qualify as roads. The stage is set, the cowbells are polished, and the Dutch countryside is ready. So, let’s make sure you’re ready too.
Welcome to South Limburg
If the UCI was looking for a place that could make gravel look cinematic, they found it. South Limburg is a cycling country with a capital “C”. Nestled in the far south of the Netherlands, it’s where the land forgets it’s supposed to be flat. The result is a patchwork of rolling hills, narrow lanes, cobbled climbs, and gravel paths that connect picture-perfect villages, forests, and vineyards.
The 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships will unfold here, looping through the municipalities of Maastricht, Beek, Meerssen, Beekdaelen, and Valkenburg – all names that sound pleasantly harmless until you’re halfway up one of their climbs. The elite men will cover around 181 kilometres, the women 131, with enough elevation to ensure no one forgets this is a UCI World Championships race. The mix of limestone, dirt, and tarmac means no one discipline will dominate. Road specialists will love the fast sections, MTB riders will pray for rain, and the rest will simply hang on and hope their tyres survive.
The fans, however, will be the real winners. You can watch from castle courtyards, quiet farm lanes, or the final stretch on Maastricht’s Groene Loper, where the champions will sprint to glory. The region is small and well-connected, so it’s easy to hop between viewpoints by bike or public transport.
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And when you’re not cheering, there’s plenty to do. This is the Netherlands’ most scenic corner, filled with vineyards, abbeys serving local beer, and enough charming cafés to undo all the climbing you just did. Indeed, South Limburg lives and breathes cycling. The Amstel Gold Race runs through here, after all. Gravel is simply the latest excuse for locals to line the roads, wave flags, and shout encouragement in three languages at once.
So whether you’re coming to watch legends suffer, ride the same roads yourself or just see how much cowbell one region can handle, South Limburg is ready. Bring your bike, bring your camera, and be prepared for the dust and/or mud. We’re still waiting to see what the weather will be.
How to get around
The 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships start in Sportlandgoed De Haamen in Beek, looping through Beekdalen, Meerssen, and Valkenburg before heading back into Maastricht for the big finale along the Groene Loper boulevard. The finish line will, without a doubt, be the hottest place during the weekend, with fan zones, podium ceremonies, and after parties. There will also be a VIP zone, which most of us will only look at from the outside. However, if you want to get a taste of the action, Beek is where you want to be. At Sportlandgoed De Haamen, there will be exhibitions, an opening ceremony, and a chance to mingle with the pros before they set out to become mud monsters.
Finally, if you want to see the riders in action, Wijnandstrade Castle is where you should go. There will be a fanzone, where you can watch the race like a king… literally. I mean, you will be in a castle.
Still, Maastricht is the obvious base. It’s stylish, bike-friendly, and full of good food. Well, it depends on what your food standards are. If you’re Italian, don’t expect much. It’s Northern Europe after all. But, still, Maastricht offers everything you need for a comfortable stay. More importantly, it’s relatively close to all the action, as the starting point in Beek is just 15 km away, which is about half an hour by train or by bike.
On the other hand, that doesn’t mean you should fight with the thousands of other fans to get accommodations precisely in the city. Wherever in South Limburg you decide to stay, you can’t go wrong. You can even go international. Aachen in Germany, Liège, Hasselt, and Genk in Belgium are all within about 30 kilometres. In other words, roughly an hour’s ride at a relaxed pace… unless you get distracted by cows, windmills, or the smell of Belgian waffles wafting across the border.
And honestly, your bike is the best way to get around. Many streets will be closed for the races, public transport will be unpredictable, and Dutch trains, while generally solid, have a tendency to take unscheduled breaks exactly when you need them most. A bike gives you freedom. You can move between viewing spots, escape traffic, and pretend you’re part of the race, getting some of those sweet, sweet cowbell rings for yourself.
So skip the car, skip the stress, and just stick to two wheels. It’s faster, simpler, and far more fun than explaining to a Dutch police officer why you thought you could “just sneak through” a road closure.
Where to ride yourself
Watching the pros is fun, but at some point, you’ll think, I could ride that. You probably can’t, at least not like them, but South Limburg makes it easy to pretend. Start with the Ground of Gravel Ride, a 60 km fan route that covers parts of the World Championships course. It starts and finishes in Oirsbeek, taking you through the same hills, farm roads, and gravel paths the pros will tackle a day later. Same views, fewer spectators, more snacks.
If you want to explore on your own, ride toward Valkenburg, Gulpen, or Beekdaelen. These areas mix tarmac, cobbles, and endless gravel lanes that always seem to end at a café. Follow your instincts or a Komoot route. Either way, you will end up somewhere worth stopping for a photo.
If you want a ride that feels like a postcard in motion, follow the Maas River. Especially on the Belgian side, the path is smooth, scenic, and just a few minutes’ detour from small towns with cosy cafés that will destroy your plans to “just take a short break”. It’s five-star cycling at a tourist’s pace, and a perfect way to make the most of your time between races.
Bring your bike, check for road closures, and just ride. In South Limburg, even getting lost feels like part of the plan.
Where to watch and what to do
If you want to catch the action up close, you’re spoiled for choice. The course starts from Beek and passes through Beekdaelen, Meerssen, and Valkenburg before finishing in Maastricht, which means you can set up at a climb, a village square, or a café terrace and still feel part of the race.
For pure atmosphere, head to Valkenburg. The locals know how to cheer, and the narrow climbs create the kind of noise that makes even the calmest rider panic-shift. Wijnandsrade and Bronsdalweg are also perfect spots if you like your cycling with a side of shouting and cowbells.
The finish zone in Maastricht will have the biggest crowds, screens, and fan events, including the expo, food stalls, and the usual mix of enthusiastic fans and people who clearly just came for the beer. It’s a great place to end the day, even if you only understand what’s happening by who raises their hands first.
When you’re not chasing the race, there’s plenty to do. Maastricht is packed with cafés, bakeries, and historic streets worth wandering. Valkenburg has its caves, castle ruins, and a chairlift for when you decide you’ve seen enough hills. And if you need a recovery plan, the local breweries and vineyards are both scientifically proven to make you forget how much your legs hurt. Gravel may be messy, but in South Limburg, it’s also a celebration. Wherever you stand, ride or sit with a beer, you’ll feel like part of it.
A weekend worth getting dirty for
Gravel has always been the place where cycling’s rules loosen up a bit. No radios, no team buses blocking half the street, no pretending that sweat looks elegant. It’s raw, unpredictable, and as close as racing gets to what most of us do for fun.
The 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships in South Limburg capture that perfectly. The roads are tough, the climbs sting, and the atmosphere feels more like a festival than a finish line. You can ride the same paths, meet the same fans, and end every day tired, dusty, and happier than you expected.
Whether you’re there to watch the best in the world or to see how your legs handle a few Dutch “hills”, this weekend is the reason gravel keeps winning hearts. It’s beautiful, loud, chaotic, and absolutely worth every grain of dust you’ll take home.
So pack your sunscreen, your sense of adventure, and a clean pair of socks for the trip back. You’re riding with legends now, even if it’s just to the nearest café.
