Top Cyclists to Compete in Gravel Grit’n Grind in Halmstad

From August 16-18, around 600 cyclists from 33 nations will take on three days of tough challenges in the third annual Gravel Grit’n Grind event in Halmstad, Sweden. Stage 2 is part of the TREK 2024 UCI Gravel World Series, qualifying for the UCI World Gravel Championship 2024 – attracting the world’s best gravel cyclists and stars from road and mountain biking.

New Course Features

This year’s event brings some exciting changes. The main race, Stage 2, will start and finish at Wapnö Gård, offering a beautiful yet challenging new course. Additionally, Stage 3 will be part of SweCup Gravel, the official Swedish gravel cup series, taking place at Mahults Bygdegård in Simlångsdalen.

Strong International Field

The men’s field includes last year’s winner Niki Terpstra (Netherlands), cyclocross star Joris Nieuwenhuis (Netherlands), gravel specialist Ted King (USA), and former WorldTour rider Lawrence Naesen (Belgium). Swedish champion Johan Norén and local favorite André Eriksson will also compete.

On the women’s side, top-ranked Nicole Frain (Australia) and Ashley Frye (USA) will race alongside Germany’s Rosa-Maria Klöser and Norway’s Mie Bjørndal Ottestad. Swedish contenders include Karin Söderqvist, Julia Borgström, and national champion Hanna Johansson.

Race Director’s Perspective

Race director Peter Larsson commented: “We are incredibly happy to be able to hold the main race with start and finish at Wapnö Gård. It’s a perfect environment for Gravel and we believe many participants will appreciate the setting. We have placed the course partly on gravel roads that we used last year on Stage 3 and we know it’s a challenging course that well meets what can be expected at World Cup level.”

Event Details

• Stage 1: 17km Individual Gravel Time Trial Prologue, Slottsmöllan-Galgberget
• Stage 2: 143km/88km 2024 Trek UCI Gravel World Series Race, Wapnö Gård
• Stage 3: 94km Gravel Race (SweCup), Mahults Bygdegård, Simlångsdalen

Spectators are welcome at start and finish areas, with free admission. Saturday’s World Championship qualifier at Wapnö Gård will include a family day event.

Boosting Halmstad as a Cycling Destination

Karin Prina from Destination Halmstad stated: “An international cycling competition like Gravel Grit n Grind helps strengthen Halmstad as a cycling destination. It’s a long-term effort together with the region and other parts of Halmstad municipality. We have several first-class cycling routes that attract thousands of cyclists every year, this is just another piece of the puzzle in that work.”

For more information and race details, visit the official press release.