Gravel Racing for Beginners: How to Prepare for Your First Race

Gravel racing is one of the most welcoming formats in cycling. Elites and first-timers start on the same line, the atmosphere is relaxed and finishing is a win in itself. It is also tougher than it looks: long hours, constant surface changes, few feed stations and no team car.

1. Choose the right first race

• Distance: pick something you could ride comfortably at a steady pace – usually 60–100 km for a first race. Gravel kilometres are "longer" than road kilometres.
• Terrain: check the route profile and the surface. Smooth forest roads are a gentler start than rocky mountain tracks.
• Format: many races offer a shorter distance. Starting short and finishing strong is better than suffering for 8 hours.
• Ambition: if you dream of the UCI Gravel World Championships, the UCI Gravel World Series races are the qualifiers. Read how qualification works →

2. Train for what gravel really demands

Gravel is not a steady effort. You climb hard, recover on descents, sprint out of corners and push over rough sections. Your training should look like that.

• Long rides (endurance): build up to at least 75–80% of race duration in training.
• Repeated efforts: short hard intervals (30 seconds to 3 minutes) with incomplete recovery – they copy the punchy rhythm of gravel.
• Threshold work: longer climbs and windy flat sections need sustained power.
• Skills: at least one ride a week off-road, practising corners, descents and loose climbs. Fitness without skills wastes energy and increases crash risk.
• Core and upper body: rough terrain shakes you for hours. Two short strength sessions a week make a real difference.

A training block of 8–12 weeks is a realistic minimum for a first race if you already ride regularly.

3. Set up your bike for race day

• Tyres: choose for the course, not for the catalogue. Ask riders who did the race last year.
• Pressure: test it on similar terrain before race day – never experiment on the start line.
• Tubeless with fresh sealant, plus a plug kit, a spare tube, CO₂ or a pump and a multitool.
• Bottles and bags: plan where you carry food and water. Many riders use a frame bag or an extra bottle.
• Gears: you want an easy gear for the steepest loose climb when you are tired.
• Service: new chain or a full check one week before, not the night before.

4. Pace it like a long day, not a sprint

The most common first-race mistake: going far too hard in the first 20 minutes. Everyone sprints for position, you follow, and you pay for it for the next four hours.

• Start controlled, especially on long races.
• On climbs, ride your own power, not someone else's wheel.
• Use descents and smooth sections to eat and drink.
• Save energy where you can: on tarmac and windy sections, ride in a group.

5. Fuel more than you think

• Carbohydrates: on average 60–90 g per hour on long races. "It's individual – it depends on how much carbohydrate each rider can absorb per hour. More is better, but you have to train it: train your stomach and gut in training, before race day." – Portcycling coaching team
• Fluids and salt: in heat you may need 750 ml or more per hour, with electrolytes.
• Start eating early: from the first 30–45 minutes, little and often.
• Know the feed zones: check the race guide for where you can refill.

The 3 mistakes we see most often

From our own races and the riders we coach:

1. The wrong tyres. Tyres chosen for the catalogue, not for the course. Sand, rocks and hardpack each need something different.
2. Poor hydration and fuelling. On gravel it is much harder to eat and drink than on the road – your hands are busy and the surface is rough. Riders who don't plan when and how they eat fade in the second half.
3. The wrong kit. On gravel the bib shorts matter more than anything else you wear: the chamois has to absorb hours of vibration and protect you from chafing. Test your shorts on long rough rides before race day.

6. Race-day checklist

• Course downloaded to your bike computer
• Tyre pressure checked, sealant fresh
• Food for every hour + one extra
• Two full bottles, electrolytes
• Repair kit, phone, ID, some cash
• Layers for weather changes in the mountains
• Number fixed, timing chip on

It can happen faster than you think

Our founder Darina Balabai rode her first gravel race – UCI Gravel Elvas–Badajoz – in March 2026, one month after getting her first gravel bike – crashed in the sand more than once, dropped her chain more than once, and still qualified for the UCI Gravel World Championships with second place in her age group. Read how qualification works →

Learn the skills before you race

Most time on gravel is not lost on the climbs – it is lost in corners and on descents, and that is also where most crashes happen. Our Gravel Skills Camp in Granada (May 9–15, 2027) focuses on exactly that: 7 days of cornering, braking and descending on loose terrain, with technical sessions led by Carlos Cobos Márquez, coach in the professional Movistar Gravel Squad. It is a skills camp, not a race – the ideal block before your first gravel race of the season.