While it may not award coveted rainbow striped world champion jerseys (just a champion’s sword) or have officials measuring sock heights and handlebar widths, the original Gravel Worlds® did something the International Cycling Union (UCI) has never done, award $100,000 USD in cash at a world championship.

Started in 2010, long before the UCI ever considered jumping on the gravel bandwagon, the 16th edition of the original off-road gravel world championship took place in Lincoln, Nebraska USA 22-23 August with over 2000 competitors.

And unlike the UCI Gravel World Championship, participating is easy-peasy with no pre-qualification required, just pay the entry fee, line up and pedal hard, very hard.

With the largest gravel prize payout in the world (winners take home a cool $17,500) the race attracts top graveleurs eager to tackle a course considered much harder and more grassroots (literally) than any UCI event.

After racing for the better part of a day on the marque 150-mile self-supported route, complete with gnarly goat tracks, mud bogs and 10,000+ feet of climbing, Matt Beers (SPECIALIZED) and Rosa Kloser (CANYON/SRAM ZONDOCRYPTO) stood tall on the podium as they were crowned 2025 Gravel Worlds® Champions.

30 year-old South African Matt Beers pipped former USA Gravel Champion Keegan Swenson on the line to win the men’s title after almost 7 hours of head-to-head racing, with both riders finishing in 6:58:40. Cameron Jones 7:01:51, Adam Roberge 7:01:52 and Simen Nordahl Svendsen 7:04:46 completed the Men’s Top 5.

Rosa Kloser won the women’s world title in another thrilling 2-up sprint finish. The 29 year-old German defeated Geerike Schreurs of the Netherlands with a final time of 7:57:07. Karolina Mignon 8:09:42, Emily Joy Newsom 8:12:10 and Danni Shrosbree 8:13:37 rounded out the Women’s Top 5.

The 2026 Gravel Worlds® will take place 21-22 August, once again in Nebraska with another $100,000 cash prize list. The UCI Gravel World Championships (2025 & 2026), on the other hand, have yet to announce any cash prizes.

Complete Gravel Worlds® results HERE

Photo Credit: Facebook/gravelworlds

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