The Nibelungen Gravel Ride Edition 2023: Worms, Germany - by Timo Rokitta

2023 marks the sixth year of the Nibelungen Gravel Ride in Worms. The number of participants has increased over the years from 34 starters in 2018 to well over 300 in 2023. This is clear proof of the popularity and organization of the event. At the Nibelungen Gravel Ride there are different routes for the participants every year and the route lengths and the associated requirements also vary from year to year. This year we went to the mystical “Monster Lake” in the Palatinate Forest. Only the short route of 70 kilometers branched off in the direction of the Rhine plain.

As usual, the evening before there was the popular Welcome Ride, over 40 kilometers in length. The speed was high during as riders literally flew over the gravel roads. The next morning, Saturday, at exactly 8 a.m., the 100 or so riders of the 160-kilometer route lined up at the start. Also at the start is MTB legend Karl Platt, who lives almost next door. Karl Platt achieved his greatest successes at the Cape Epic. He has won the South African mountain bike stage race five times since 2004. Apart from him, only the Swiss Christoph Sauser, who also won the Cape Epic five times, has managed to do this. In 2008 and 2015 “King Karl” became German champion in the MTB marathon.

The route initially led from Worms along the Rhine for a while. On an old gravel railway bike path, we then headed towards the first hills in the vineyards. After about 50 kilometers there was a well-stocked aid station. There were all sorts of goodies on offer. In addition to cakes, there were chips, milk rolls and biscuits. Plus, as usual, healthy bananas and apples. The organizer arranged the route in such a way that the hardest climbs could only be tackled in the last third of the route, which didn’t make things any easier. In addition to the Wall of Asselheim with a 24% grade, there was a special highlight at the end, the “Super Planche des Zellertal” with an unbelievable 28% gradient. Overall, the route had everything to offer that many gravel cyclists like: fast gravel roads, steep climbs, technical single trails and often intoxicating views of the picturesque landscape.

The fastest riders needed just over six hours to complete the 160 kilometer course, and thus managed an average speed of well over 26 km/h on this demanding route. The legendary salmon flambée and a massage then rounded off the successful gravel day. The best news, however, was that a donation of almost EUR 5,000 was collected, which will be donated to the Worms Children’s Hospital.

Participants came from all over Germany, from cities such as Hamburg, Berlin or Bavaria, as well as international cyclists from Mexico, Poland and Spain. A trademark of the event, which is aimed more at amateur athletes than at top athletes, is certainly the Rhenish-Hessian cordiality. As an example, there is the group of four physiotherapists from the hospital Worms, who tend to the muscles of the gravel cyclists with a relaxing massage after the tour. “Fun and enjoyment on the tour through nature” one participant said aptly that he couldn’t stop smiling. “I was on the course for three and a half hours, meaning three and a half hours of fun, enjoying the journey through nature,” he reports.