Gravel & Castles

Gravel & Castles is a new gravel event born in Provence and built around Avignon and the UNESCO-listed heritage that surrounds it. Its founders want to help professionalise gravel racing in Europe and to showcase the economy and history of the Avignon area, with one firm principle: women and men race under the same conditions for the same prize money.

The routes are meant to tell a story of Roman roads, abbeys, castles and hilltop villages. The longest day heads out to the Pont du Gard and the castles of the Uzès country before returning through Roman Provence, a mid-length loop crosses the Montagnette hills past Frigolet Abbey and follows the Via Domitia, and the gentlest ride winds through the vineyards and châteaux of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Palais des Papes, the largest Gothic palace in Europe, frames the start and finish.

Around the racing, the organisers plan a village with community rides, workshops for all ages and a taste of the local terroir, and they aim to keep the footprint light with soft mobility, zero waste and local food. The Élite race runs on closed roads with separate men's and women's starts, while the self-supported ultra carries on through the night across Provence.