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August 30, 2026
Gravel European Championships 2026 🇧🇪 ME – Houffalize : 138 km
On Sunday 30 August 2026, Houffalize will host the 2026 Bolero UEC Gravel European Championships.The setting lies deep in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes,
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August 30, 2026
Gravel European Championships 2026 🇧🇪 ME – Houffalize : 138 km
On Sunday 30 August 2026, Houffalize will host the 2026 Bolero UEC Gravel European Championships.The setting lies deep in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes, in and around Houffalize, a picturesque town hidden among green hills along the winding Ourthe river. Here, where endless forests, rolling landscapes and pure nature meet, riders will face a challenge they will never forget. Houffalize is more than just a host town, it is a true sanctuary of gravel cycling. Since 2021, Houffa Gravel has been organised here annually and has grown into a regular qualifying event for the UCI Gravel World Championships.
In 2026, Houffa Gravel will make way, exceptionally, for an even bigger story: the 2026 Bolero UEC Gravel European Championships.
Mads Würtz Schmidt (Denmark) continued to make himself at home on the top step of the podium, going solo to defend the men’s elite UEC Gravel European Championships title on Sunday, while Femke Markus (Netherlands) was victorious in the three-way sprint that decided the elite women’s race in Houffalize.
The 138km elite title races with 2,190m of elevation gain played out over three laps of a 70% off-road loop, starting and finishing in Houffalize, taking in forest roads and with the the climbing concentrated in the first half of each lap.
Würtz Schmidt came into his elite men’s title defence with the confidence of a string of big name victories this season, including The Traka 360 and Unbound 200, and also having won the UCI Gravel World Series round in the same location last year.
“It’s a really hard course but it suits me very well,” said Würtz Schmidt in an interview shared on race social media. “I had a plan and I stuck to it and luckily for me I could take the win.”
The two-time European champion made his move in the second half, breaking away to claim victory after 4:09:57, with more than a minute gap to Wout Alleman (Belgium), who has worn the Marathon Mountain Bike European jersey.
Belgian gravel champion Niels Vandeputte was third, more than two minutes back from Würtz Schmidt but in a close battle for the final podium spot with Eddy Le Huitouze (France).
 continued to make himself at home on the top step of the podium, going solo to defend the men's elite UEC Gravel European Championships title on Sunday, while Femke Markus (Netherlands) was victorious in the three-way sprint that decided the elite women's race in Houffalize.
The 138km elite title races with 2,190m of elevation gain played out over three laps of a 70% off-road loop, starting and finishing in Houffalize, taking in forest roads and with the the climbing concentrated in the first half of each lap.
Würtz Schmidt came into his elite men's title defence with the confidence of a string of big name victories this season, including The Traka 360 and Unbound 200, and also having won the UCI Gravel World Series round in the same location last year.
"It's a really hard course but it suits me very well," said Würtz Schmidt in an interview shared on race social media. "I had a plan and I stuck to it and luckily for me I could take the win."
The two-time European champion made his move in the second half, breaking away to claim victory after 4:09:57, with more than a minute gap to Wout Alleman (Belgium), who has worn the Marathon Mountain Bike European jersey.
Belgian gravel champion Niels Vandeputte was third, more than two minutes back from Würtz Schmidt but in a close battle for the final podium spot with Eddy Le Huitouze (France).
<strong><a href="https://www.acn-timing.com/?lng=EN#/events/2156374230452805/ctx/20260830_gravel/generic/198021_1/home/LV1" target="_blank">Results :</a> </strong>
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