South American riders chasing qualification for the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships in Western Australia have taken a significant hit this week, with two planned UCI Gravel World Series events upended by a last-minute scheduling overhaul.

Colombia’s UCI Gravel Bogotá, originally set for this weekend in Chía — a municipality roughly 10 kilometres north of the capital at 2,564 metres above sea level — will not proceed as planned. Following consultations between local organisers, authorities, and the Colombian national federation, the event has been moved to Sunday 02 August 2026, with Chía retaining its role as host.

The knock-on effect is severe: UCI Gravel Medellín, originally scheduled for Saturday 08 August, has been removed from the 2026 calendar entirely and postponed until 2027, with organisers citing the need for additional preparation time to deliver the event to the required standard.

The back-to-back placement of both races in early August had made the Medellín cancellation near-inevitable once Bogotá was relocated. The same organising team operates both Colombian events, along with UCI Gravel races in Brazil and Chile. That shared structure now raises questions about the third piece of the puzzle: Gravel Chile, a first-edition event planned for the Los Ríos region around Valdivia on Saturday 06 September. As of publication, the UCI Gravel World Series had issued no statement confirming its status.

The 2026 UCI Gravel World Series spans 45 events across 32 countries, with the World Championships set for Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October in Nannup. Riders qualify by finishing in the top 25% of their UCI age and gender category at any series event.

Dozens of qualifying races across Europe, North America, and Asia remain on the calendar between now and late September, giving displaced South American competitors alternative routes — albeit at considerably greater expense and travel burden.

The UCI and organisers framed the disruption as a commitment to rider safety and long-term event quality. No specific reason — whether related to security, infrastructure, or permitting — was made public, though all parties emphasised that the decisions were reached collaboratively and with the sport’s best interests in mind.

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