Arteaga, Coahuila, hosted its first-ever UCI Gravel World Series event on Sunday 30 August 2026, marking the first time Mexico has staged a round of the global qualifying circuit. The race also doubled as the Mexican Gravel National Championships, sanctioned by the Unión Ciclista Mexicana, with national titles decided across Elite and age-group categories. The high-altitude Gravel Arteaga course, set in the Sierra Madre Oriental near the town known locally as Mexico’s “Swiss Alps”, sent riders over roughly 2,200 metres of climbing on the 132km Gran Fondo route and 85km Medio Fondo route, with the course reaching more than 2,700 metres above sea level.

In the men’s Elite Gran Fondo, Ulises Alfredo Castillo Soto, a former professional road racer with UCI Continental experience, held off Jose Antonio Prieto De Luna by just one second, crossing the line in 04:16:15 to claim both the Gran Fondo victory and the Elite national title.

Anet Barrera Esparza won the women’s Elite race and national title in 05:08:01, finishing 13 minutes 27 seconds ahead of Sara Roel.

National champions were also crowned across the age-group categories. In the Gran Fondo, Mexican titles went to Hugo Reyes Guerrero (19-34), Erick Bazán Valenzuela (35-39), Alfonso Arroyo Muñoz (40-44), Heriberto Trejo Simon (45-49), Jorge Escámez Maldonado (50-54) and Rodolfo Charles Garza (55-59) among the men, and María José Soto Ugarte (19-34), Aramda Alvarez (35-39), Siomara Gama Torres (40-44) and Adriana Fabiola Corona Garcia (45-49) among the women.

In the 85km Medio Fondo, Arturo Rodriguez Elizondo won the men’s Open category outright in 02:57:00, although no national title was awarded in that category. National honours in the men’s older age groups went to Mauricio Gonzalez Gonzalez (60-64) and Juan Ochoa Reyes (65-69). American rider Cecilia Gallegos Mena topped the women’s Open category in 04:18:02, also outside the national championship competition, while Yolanda Cecilia Lozano Siller (50-54) and Yolanda Carmen Iribarren Arocha (60-64) were crowned national champions.

View Gravel Arteaga results HERE

Photo Credit: María José Soto Ugarte

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