On June 21, the gravel world cup will set sail for the first time in its history in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is more precisely in Vianden, on the German-Luxembourg border, that the team of organizers arranged to meet us to discover the course and what is hidden behind the event. Discovery:
Saturday January 11, 8:45 a.m., -2 degrees: welcome to Vianden, a small village lost on the German-Luxembourg border and which will soon host one of the gravel world cup rounds of the 2025 season… and the first in the history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
This meeting, a few hours' drive from the editorial office, was proposed to us by the team of organizers behind this new event in the 2025 calendar. From left to right: Michel, Thibaut (who is not part of of the organization, but who is a close friend of them) and Jérôme.
If the Eilsek Gravel is a brand new event, the group of friends behind it is not their first attempt since they are already taking care of a well-known event: the Grand Raid Godefroy of Bouillon! The program for this day: discover the route and the beginnings of the event, before taking part in the Social Ride organized by the team of organizers during the afternoon.
As with the start of the future event, it is from the city center that we begin our adventure, with this magnificent Vianden castle in the background. Cobblestone streets and steep slopes, the tone is set!
We quickly gain height and leave the city…
…to delve into the magnificent forests that surround Vianden! “ Basically, we decided on Luxembourg City as the host city for the cultural side, but also the international side. One thing led to another, we were directed towards Clervaux, and then finally here in Vianden » explains Jérôme. “ We came to discover and scout out the place, and we really appreciated the authentic side and character of the region. So we said why not! », he adds.
As we progress along the route, the snow and frost evolve, but despite these all-white settings, there are magnificent paths and forest paths that seem to have been designed for gravel that we discovers. “ The first courses that we tested were not perfect, but by dint of perfecting it, we have a route that we are very proud ofs”, we hear.
« From here you can see almost the entire circuit », we learn once above our first ascent of the day. In reality, the route is divided into two loops: a first, a little longer (around 24 km) on the Luxembourg side, and a second of around 21 km which switches to the German side of the border (which is opposite of us in the photo above). The race will begin with the “Luxembourg” loop before completing the two loops twice, each time passing through the center of Vianden.
The strong point of such a configuration: the public, or more precisely accessibility for the public. “ By parking in Vianden, the public will be able to see the drivers several times », explains Jérôme.
-All this is obviously made easier by the multiple passages within the village of Vianden, but also thanks to the village cable car, whose arrival station is a few steps from the route! “ By taking a day pass, the public will be able to go back and forth between the route in the village of Vianden and the passages near the viewpoint » explains Michel.
Great news for spectators since this loop, easily accessible on foot, risks being the scene of racing events. The reason? A sequence of three ass shots where the attacks risk being decisive, as well as the presence of a technical zone.
« We want to offer an interesting and exciting route for the race, while making it a point of honor for it to be a pleasant experience for spectators and the runners' families. », Explain the organizers.
« We have enormous luck with the authorities of Vianden and neighboring municipalities. They are very receptive, people are motivated and give energy to the project. We feel supported, and Luxembourg subsidies tend to be more important than in Belgian municipalities », confides Michel, with gratitude.
If the start of the Luxembourg loop shows a nice difference in altitude from the start, the majority of the course turns out to be rolling, and promises to be very fast with an average speed announced above 35km/h for the leading men .
And now we are approaching Vianden again. Just in time to devour our snack…
And go back for a second round, with a larger committee this time! Many people made the trip to discover this route despite the cold weather.
We can already congratulate the team of organizers for the work carried out, with a quality route and valuable attention to the public experience. See you on June 21 in Vianden!
For more information: https://www.eislekgravelluxembourg.com
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