UCI Gravel World Series heads to Seymour for Gravelista

One of Australia’s premier gravel races, Gravelista, is heading to Seymour, Victoria, for the first time this weekend as part of the TREK UCI Gravel World Series.  

Having previously been held in Beechworth, Seymour will offer an exciting new course, for what is the first qualifying event worldwide of the 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships in Nice, France. The top 25 per cent finishers in each UCI age category will qualify.  

Some of Australia’s best gravel cyclists will be at the start-line on Sunday, including gravel national champions Courtney Sherwell and Brendan Johnston, who are locked in to race in the 135km elite category.   

And for the first time this year, women’s UCI categories will have their own start time separate to the men.   

The races  

• UCI Age Category 135km, 1,240m elevation: Elite men and women, women 19-49 and men 19-59. 
• UCI Age Category 95km, 800m elevation: Women 50+, and men 60+ 
• Recreational ride: 135km, 95km or 50km 

The course 

With 89 per cent of the 135km course on gravel roads, a true gravel paradise awaits riders at Gravelista.  

The course is expected to be fast, with excellent road quality, and some rain this week expected to keep the dust down, race organisers say.  

Starting and finishing at Seymour Racecourse, the terrain is mostly rolling taking in vistas of the Goulburn Valley and Strathbogie Ranges, enjoying wide open gravel roads through farmland, interspersed with the relief of some short, paved road stretches.  

There’s a flat, paved 2.5km neutral start before the race hits the gravel roads. After 25km, riders will complete two 43km loops, before returning to the finish line in Seymour.  

The Wicket Hill Climb, at the 30km and 73km mark, could prove to be the decisive section of the race as riders tackle the 1km climb, which has an average gradient of 11%.  

What they said  

Courtney Sherwell, 2024 Gravel National Champion, said: “Conditions will be fast and I suspect tight racing which will make for a nail-biting finish. There is one section to look out for that is particularly swampy and muddy on the out and back sector. It will test riders’ tyre choice and line selection and could be a major deciding point at the end of the race.” 

Courtney Sherwell won Gravelista when it was held in Beechworth last year.

“The gravel racing scene is really starting to gain momentum here in Australia and it’s really great that the race organisers have acknowledged that and given the women their own start this year. It makes for a fairer and more competitive race without the influence of the guys which is what it should all be about.  

“The addition of prize money for the Elite podiums is also very much appreciated and will hopefully set the benchmark for other big events coming up. A little goes a long way in a highly unsupported and expensive industry and we need to be looking after our athletes to ensure the sport’s future.”