Ansião Gravel Race Challenge 2025

Is it gravel or is it not? 🤪

We can guarantee it, the Ansião Gravel Race Challenge is more than just a race or a simple challenge... It's the National Championships of gravel! Pretty impressive, right? 😎 We hope you're ready to take on a significant challenge and pedal hard in the heart of Portugal 🇵🇹 in the month of September. As summer ends, no coastline or endless beaches, it's back to reality 💼. Rest assured, no return to the office 💨, but a dive into the wild nature of the Leiria District 🌲. In Ansião, there is no shortage of historical traces... And fields too! 🌾

But where there's gravel, there's also elevation! 📈 You will pass through the trails and paths of the surrounding mountains ⛰️: woods, gravels, and tight turns are to be expected 🪵. A real gravel race indeed! 🤩 For the distances: 120 km or 80 km are to be covered. We know you're already dreaming about it, but you won't start with the elites if you don't have a competition license... ❌ Unfortunately, you won't be able to race against the best cyclists in the country 😅. However, you can learn from them and admire the electric start of those who came to compete for the title! 🏆 To say the least, it's going to be fast-paced! ⚡️ The beginning of the event will have you winding through the streets of the village of Ansião, so take the time to warm up and look at the monuments around you: many vestiges of prehistory and the Roman era are scattered across the landscape 🔍.

Once your race is over 🏁, you can enjoy the traditions, medal around your neck 🏅. How convenient, because the same weekend as the race, the Santiago Da Guarda Roman Forum takes place, enough to become well-versed in the history of the town! To get some perspective, head to Serra do Anjo da Guarda, an open-air museum that will give you a breathtaking view of the entire valley 😍. And because all of this will have whetted your appetite, what better way than to enjoy a cod specialty with a slice of Queijo da Serra (typical cheese) for dessert? 🧀

So saddle up for the Ansião Gravel Race Challenge, the race 100% gravel ! 😉