{"id":1866,"date":"2021-09-18T21:03:42","date_gmt":"2021-09-18T21:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/?p=1866"},"modified":"2026-09-25T07:53:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T07:53:34","slug":"the-leuven-wk-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/verhalen\/belgie\/vlaanderen\/het-wk-parcours-van-leuven","title":{"rendered":"Cycling in Leuven along the World Championships course"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leuven made a name for itself as a cycling destination with the organization of the World Championships in cycling in 2021. Bruges and Leuven were the main places where the races were held. In Bruges, the time trial champions were welcomed, and in Leuven, the fantastic apotheosis with the victory of Julien Alaphilippe<\/a>. But in 2024, Leuven proved once again to be a worthy cycling city: the Gravel World Championships were held here, with participants from all over the world and a course that showcased the best of Flemish off-road terrain. With this, Leuven is not only a city of gravel roads, but also of gravel paths, country roads, and adventurous gravel routes. Cycling in Leuven has become even more interesting as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Keizersberg,
Cycling over the Keizersberg (c) VisitLeuven<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Flemish Hills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who thinks of Flanders thinks of hills and gravel roads. Of course, there are also Wall of Geraardsbergen<\/a>, However, the organization of the 2021 World Championships has chosen to include some, somewhat lesser-known slopes in the course around Leuven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Flemish-Brabantian hilly landscape is a region worth exploring. For the average cyclist, it\u2019s a treat. Beautiful country roads where you won\u2019t encounter a single chicken, climbs on the left and right, because there are no flat meters here. And you can also find plenty of gravel roads. After all, it\u2019s also a piece of rural landscape, where the gravel takes its origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Parcours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Parcours<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now back to the course for a moment. Because it\u2019s mostly uphill, up and down hills. There\u2019s a loop in and around Leuven, but for now we\u2019re focusing on the \u2018Flandrien loop\u2019 as it\u2019s so aptly named. Here are the most important climbs in order:<\/p>\n\n\n\n