Relive the 2024 Bolero UCI Gravel World Championships
In October 2024, Flanders hosted the Bolero UCI Gravel World Championships. You might remember the brutal attack by Mathieu van der Poel on the last gravel climb leading to his victory, or the nerve-racking sprint between Lotte Kopecky and Marianne Vos, won by the Dutch all-rounder.
Eager to relive the course? Good news! With this route, designed by our colleagues at Tourism Vlaams-Brabant and Golazo, you will ride 95% of the race course that the riders covered in the race. After starting in Halle, you ride through the Forests of Brabant National Park -a unique landscape with old forest cores and open landscapes- to then finish in Leuven. The region is a true paradise for those who love gravel roads, monumental trees and tough climbs along hollow roads that cut deep into the landscape.
You will pass through beautiful but fragile natural areas. Respect nature and people enjoying other leisure activities. Give priority to walkers, runners and people on horseback and moderate your speed where necessary. And most of all: enjoy this beautiful and challenging ride!
If you feel this route is too long for you, you may also consider to ride one of the shorter loops from Halle or Leuven that were designed by Tourism Vlaams-Brabant. Looking for gravel bike rental options? Check out Plan your stay
Start
Just like the riders during the World Championships, you will start your ride in the city of Halle, close to Brussels. You can easily reach the city by train. Taking your bike on the train is easy peasy and will only cost you 4 euro.
Although the region is well known for its sour Geuze beer, you might prefer to kick-off your ride with a coffee. Falco Coffee & Cycling is an excellent choice for that. After leaving the city and its basilica along the canal, you'll find yourself in the rolling fields that are typical for this region. Soon after that, you'll hit the canal again before you ride into the town of Lembeek, home of the Boon brewery. This could be your chance to try one of their famous Geuze or Kriek beers before the route really kicks-off. Up next: the Hallerbos forest.
Hallerbos
Every year in April, the Hallerbos is covered in bluebells. Trust us, the gravel roads are awesome too. This is also where the main climbing starts.
Sonian Forest
Time to hit the long and rolling gravel roads of the Sonian forest, East West of Brussels. It is not without reason that it is called the green lung of the capital. You will only leave the forest after 15km, when you enter the wonderful Park of Tervuren. Soon after that, in the small town of Vossem, you might want to consider a halfway bar stop. It will only take you a small detour from the route.
In den Congo exists for over 100 years. The beers still come at 1 euro. It is also the home of a Remco Evenepoel fan club.
Over halfway: the race is on
What it looked like during the Gravel World Championships in 2024.
After passing by The Shelter, a place that also rents out gravel bikes, you'll find yourself on beautiful gravel roads that take you past the castle of Arenberg and into the stunning city centre of Leuven for the first time. This is where you enter the local loops of the World Championships. Time for a coffee stop after the short but punchy climb up Ramberg?
Noir loves coffee and bikes. We do too. Ideally located in the centre of Leuven, they serve excellent coffee and some sweets and small bites. You can hang your precious bike inside.
Passing by Park Abbey and leaving Leuven
Meerdaalwoud
Time for the local loop in the Heverleebos and Meerdaalwoud forests. Enjoy this beautiful part of the route, that turned out to be decisive during the race in 2024.
Back in Leuven. Plenty of places for that post-ride beer, like at the Oude Markt for example. Nicknamed the longest bar in Europe. Or why not at the wonderful De Coureur brewery, a cycling themed micro-brewery. It is certainly worth the small detour.
Finish
