The organizers of the legendary Nibelungen gravel ride organized a very special Gravel event on July 31, 2021 – the Siegfried Gravel or SiegfriedGRVL. Why SiegfriedGRVL? “Siegfried was the best and toughest fighter in the realm of the old Nibelungs story. He even killed a dragon and could only be defeated by a trick.”
34 gravel cyclists were at the start to attempt this very tough challenge. 250 kilometers and almost 3,000 meters of ascending were waiting for the participants. The neutralized mass start took place at 8 a.m. After one kilometer passed, the ride began and groups of different paced riders were formed. From the start in Worms, it went along the Eisbach towards the west.
After a few beautiful passages, the Palatinate Forest was reached. Over the “Ungeheuersee” and the Langental, we rode to Altleiningen with its imposing castle. After the remote “Lauberhof”, the track led over an old decaying road just before Kaiserslautern. There was a secret check with food here. Then the track made an arc back to the picturesque Lake “Eiswoog”.
Here the gravel cyclists immersed themselves in the dark stump forest with its mystical stories. The old “Rosenthaler” monastery was another highlight before we left the forest at Kerzenheim. From here it rolled more quickly through a wind farm and then almost exclusively downhill to Worms, where a refreshment station waited for the participants at the start and finish area after the first 125 kilometers. From here the ride continued into a second loop.
On the “Rheinterrassenweg” the course rolled up and down with a wonderful view over the vineyards to Nierstein. If you felt like it, you could take a short break with coffee and cake on the market square. Later, the path led in a clockwise loop, initially on the “Roter Hang” to Selzen. Afterward, the participants felt bumpy cobblestone paths through expansive fields. The Rhine was reached at Bodenheim. The last 50 kilometers were flat and almost always led off-road along the water to the finish.
The winners were a pair of amateur cyclists from Trier who had made a special trip for this event. They completed the 250-kilometer route in an incredible 10 hours and 35 minutes. Of the 34 gravel cyclists who started, 25 reached the finish. Four riders crossed the finish line just before its closure at midnight. Everyone agreed that this event was quite epic and needs to be repeated!
Additional Photos
