Perceived pitfalls become positives in Nannup, G.O.A.T. gets another win, and a specialist finally takes rainbow jersey – Five conclusions from the UCI Gravel World Championships 2026

The first UCI Gravel World Championships outside Europe certainly brought a different flavour to the rainbow jersey race, tucked in a corner of Western Australia where gravel is plentiful but infrastructure is a little more sparse. Though the organisers had already long proven that they could truly cater to the numbers and deliver a world-class race despite the challenges, and in the end, many of the aspects that could have been perceived as pitfalls became positives.