If asked which discipline in cycling has boomed biggest in the last decade, you’d be hard-pressed to argue against gravel taking that crown. Combining elements of road cycling, mountain biking and adventure riding, gravel unsurprisingly struck a chord with many riders.
The so-called spirit of gravel was also seen as a breath of fresh air and a welcome change from the ultra-focused, performance-oriented world of road racing. For many, the ‘spirit of gravel’ went beyond pure racing and was more about the freedom, adventure and inclusivity that gravel riding gave so many people.
Exactly what gravel is continues to evolve. It has always been a sport that has lived outside of easy definition. Still, with the sport having transformed through a rapid professionalisation period in the last few years, we are getting a clearer image of what gravel is for brands, organisers, and riders - pro and amateur alike. Nowhere has that change been felt more than in the sport's birthplace, the United States. In 2025, do all of these visions align, or are we at a fracture point?
Gravel's professionalisation is changing the vibe
Just a few short years ago, gravel was not nearly the viable alternative pro pathway it is today, said Payson McElveen, one of the pioneers of the off-road world's privateer rider business model. McElveen highlighted the positives of that transition, pointing out the opportunities that come with fewer constraints. That's especially valuable to those who didn't fit into the WorldTour road racing mould. “It has created more opportunities for more athletes," McElveen said. "There are examples of riders who dipped a toe into the highest level on the road (Matt Beers was a trainee at UAE).”
It also created opportunities for riders who did just fine in road racing, like longtime WorldTour pro turned gravel racer Peter Stetina. However, Stetina expressed concern that the increased competition and talent depth are making gravel races feel too much like the road races he purposely left behind. He worries that gravel might become a mere "secondary fiddle" to road racing, attracting riders who couldn't succeed at the highest level. This concern partly explains his decision to step back from participating in the full 2025 Life Time Grand Prix series.
Stetina admits that in recent seasons, he has been missing what he calls the "magic recipe" of gravel. “It was an adventure. It was about accomplishing the ride away from urbanisation and traffic.” For Stetina and many others, gravel was a refreshing alternative to the hyper-focused world of road racing, one where pros and everyday riders could mingle. But what he calls "that shared experience" is ebbing away, he fears.
Stetina emphasises that gravel athletes are currently seen as "humans who happen to race bikes" rather than "bike racers who happen to be human." He believes this distinction is crucial to preserving gravel's unique identity, but as gravel becomes more professionalised, that dynamic is changing.
McElveen agrees that gravel shouldn't try to emulate the WorldTour, arguing that its strength lies in being different. “What gets me frustrated is when the tendency is to keep looking to WorldTour as the answer," he said. "That's never going to be the answer. We're never going to have the depth of fields that the WorldTour does; it's completely antithetical to everything involved.”
Some of gravel's popularity with pro riders can be attributed to the struggles facing US road and mountain bike racing. This has led to a tug-of-war, with road racers pushing for more road-like conditions and mountain bikers wanting more technical terrain. Stetina thinks that for some athletes, entering the gravel space is purely a proxy for the racing they would rather be doing. “They are coming to gravel because they want to continue to race and make a living, but at the same time, given the opportunity between a gravel race and a cross-country race, they would still choose a cross-country race," he said. But that could potentially pull the sport away from its roots. “The risk is that gravel loses its distinct niche and becomes a watered-down version of other disciplines," he warned.
For 2025, gravel is set to pick up where it left off in 2024. The aero revolution is in full swing, and racing will likely continue to become more road-like in some more traditional gravel races, with big groups of riders battling for position rather than the strung-out exploded races of yesteryear. Unbound is certainly a race that is starting to fit this bill, along with the Belgian Waffle Ride series and SBT GRVL with its new circuit format. Elsewhere, gravel races are becoming increasingly technical, for example Big Sugar, which has included more technical terrain in recent editions.
Gravel has always been without a clear definition, but in 2025, it looks to be moving further away from its roots as it professionalises. Whether this is a good thing is a matter of preference.
Can gravel find a fan base?
There are some serious challenges to gravel's more professionalised vibe and, in particular, its prospects for continued growth. One major hurdle is race coverage, particularly streaming. While platforms like YouTube have been employed to improve coverage, especially for events like the Life Time Grand Prix, consistently providing high-quality live coverage is difficult and expensive, particularly in remote areas with poor connectivity. This limited exposure inhibits its potential growth and value beyond endemic investment.
Pro mountain bike and gravel racer Haley Smith thinks the sport needs fresh ways to cover the racing, especially for the bigger, arguably more clinical races. “I think [external interest in] Unbound has peaked largely because you can only report on the same event so many times before it's just not as gripping," she said. Unbound is an established event, with a familiar course and rhythm to it, so now that it isn’t new, or all that unique, she thinks, creating an exciting narrative year after year is becoming a taller ask.
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