GravelMan Wallonia 2026

In the north, it used to be the collieries Gravel Men! Yes, times change, disciplines diversify, and the GravelMan Wallonia is making its debut in the Hauts-de-France. Just a few pedal strokes away from Maubeuge at Solre-le-Château, where winter ❄️ will freeze your calves 🦵, you will embark on a beautiful epic journey. Well, the winter and Walloon weather we can't control much: "It's the north" as Michel Galabru used to say. You have to deal with it, but that's also what the GravelMan Series is about: dealing with the elements 🍃. In the first half of February, take out your road bike or your gravel, a great challenge awaits you at the Belgian border! 🇧🇪

In the land of maroilles 🧀 (the only AOP/AOC cheese in the North let's remember 😎), we are always seeking something great 🤓. And here, you will be well served: hills, cobblestones that shake your arms to the bone 🦴, unlimited fries, beautiful landscapes 🏞️, and moments of sharing among cycling enthusiasts. That being said, you will understand why they say the north builds character 😅. You will cross winding valleys, endless plateaus, and authentic rural landscapes that make you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, but in the good sense of the word. A bit like Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring 💍 in the Shire, but on a bike! The trails cross emblematic regions with technical sections where you'll be eating gravel if you're on a gravel bike, forest paths 🌲, all mixed with road segments 🛣️ to set a pace to the effort ⭐️.

The GravelMan Wallonia offers ten different formats, enough to satisfy the beginner who wants to try gravel without wrecking their legs 😏 to the nutcase who wants to chain 500 km in the Middle of February in the rain 🌧️. The most daring and motivated will, therefore, go for the 500 km with 5,000 mD+. If you finish that one, you will have the right to brag for the next 15 years... at least! 🙃 The 350 km with 3,500 mD+ is announced as accessible to all, but very playful with hills and the typical atmosphere of the North. If you are one of those who want to challenge themselves without overdoing it, there is the 200 km with a little over 3,000 mD+, as well as the 120 km with 2,500 mD+. Finally, the 60 km with less than 500 mD+ represents the initiation version, which will allow you to test the concept without losing an organ 🤪. And as always with the GravelMan Series, each format exists in Gravel (60% gravel, 40% road) or Road (99.9% road) version. Don't have a gravel bike? Come with your road bike. The GravelMan Wallonia, it's really everyone at their own pace, everyone for their pleasure 🚴.

Regarding discoveries, the North is the ultimate natural playground. In just a few kilometers, you will find a density of nature and a diversity of activities that are mind-blowing. On the French side, you can take a tour of Lille, Valenciennes, or Arras and visit the sublime squares so characteristic of the region. On the other side of the Belgian border, just a few km away, the Citadel of Dinant perched on its rock offers a panoramic view you will remember for a long time. You can even visit this military fortification and learn more about the tumultuous life in the region in the 19th century. As for the stomach, after the carbonnade and the welsh, there is the waterzoï, a creamy Flemish soup made of fish 🐟 or chicken 🍗 with a cream broth, vegetables 🥕 and potatoes 🥔, perfect after a freezing day on the bike 😉. And of course, the fries, the real ones, cooked twice in beef fat, crispy outside and soft inside, served with andalouse, samurai, or American sauce 🍟. The Liège waffles are just as unmissable: thick, sweet, caramelized thanks to pearl sugar grains that melt during cooking, to be eaten plain or with chocolate 🍫, whipped cream, fruits 🍌. If you're a foodie, do all 3 at once 😜. As for cheeses, maroilles is THE cheese of the North, strong in taste and smell, perfect in a maroilles tart or a flamiche 🥧. You can't miss it!

So warrior, ready to face the winter of the North?