Great spectacle in Houffalize (Belgium), which hosted the UEC European Gravel Championships on a day that confirmed the extraordinary growth of the discipline at continental level.

There were indeed 1,810 participants from 32 nations who took the start in the various categories, a figure of absolute significance that testifies to the growing interest in gravel and transformed Houffalize, a locality with a great cycling tradition, into the heart of European gravel for an entire day.

In the Elite Men's race, Danish rider Mads Würtz Schmidt confirmed himself as European Champion at the end of a performance of great authority. After a competitive first part of the race, the Dane forced the pace in the second half of the course, managing to make the difference and riding solo towards the finish line. Schmidt finished in 4h09'57", thus conquering his second consecutive European title after the one obtained last year in Avezzano (Italy). Behind him, a double Belgian presence on the podium: Wout Alleman claimed the silver medal in 4h11'06", 1'09" behind the winner, while Niels Vandeputte completed the podium with a time of 4h13'40", 3'43" back.

A completely different and particularly spectacular finale in the Elite Women's race. After spending much of the race together at the front, Femke Markus (Netherlands), Shirin van Anrooij (Netherlands) and Axelle Dubau-Prévot (France) battled for the European title in a three-way sprint.

Femke Markus prevailed, claiming the European Champion's jersey in 4h57'27", ahead of Van Anrooij by just 2 seconds. Bronze medal for Dubau-Prévot, who arrived just 8 seconds behind the winner.

Enrico Della Casa, President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme: «The Houffalize European Gravel Championships were a great success. With over 1,800 participants, this event once again confirms the extraordinary development of gravel, a discipline that continues to grow rapidly and engage an ever-wider community of enthusiasts. Houffalize provided an ideal setting for these European Championships and I sincerely thank the city for its warm hospitality and commitment. Special thanks go to Golazo, our partner in numerous important UEC events and a true guarantee from an organizational standpoint. Events like this demonstrate the strength that gravel has reached today and, above all, its enormous potential for the future.»

The next edition of the UEC European Gravel Championships will be held in Lahti (Finland) on July 31 and August 1, 2027.