The organisers came up with something special for the 5th edition of the legendary Nibelungen Gravelride. Thirty four participants took part in the first Nibelungen Gravelride 5 years ago. The event is now so well known that well over 200 gravel bikers have come to the event in recent years. 

The gravel weekend started on Friday with a welcome route of 40 gentle kilometers. The track took the riders to unknown places that even many of the locals didn't know.

As befits the anniversary, 5 different routes (80/100/120/150/200 kms) were offered. From a simple 80-kilometer beginner's route to a 200-kilometer ultra-gravel route for the pros which had almost 3,500 meters in altitude gain, there was something for everyone. Well over 200 gravel bikers showed up in time for the start in Worms on the River Rhine. Many international participants were also at the start, with riders from the USA, Luxembourg, Sweden, Mexico and Portugal all taking part.

According to the old German legend, the Nibelungen had their hunting grounds in the Odenwald, so the routes devised by the organisers led to this picturesque corner of the world. But before it got exhausting, the gravel bikers were allowed to curl up comfortably and flat. Along the river Rhine - where, according to legend, the bad Hagen is said to have sunk the treasure of the Nibelung - we first went over beautiful gravel slopes in the direction of the mountains. Then the track followed the small river Weschnitz. 

After 45 kilometers of riding, the route became super tough. With gradients of up to 15%, the path led up to a vantage point at 517 meters above sea level. From here, the gravel bikers had a fantastic view of the Rhine plain. It then became even more demanding for the riders who had chosen to ride the long distance route. A long, fast downhill into the valley was followed by ascent after ascent. The riders of the 200-kilometer route then experienced a special highlight along the way. They came to the well-known Siegfriedsquelle, where Hagen stabbed the hero Siegfried from behind with a spear. 

In the Nibelungen saga it says: "And Siegfried went to the spring to refresh himself, Hagen followed him. And when Siegfried bent over the spring, Hagen thrust his spear into his back. He did not miss the spot on which the cross was sewn. Blood spurted out and Siegfried cried out loudly."

The route also pushed many riders to their limits. Especially the last ascent with its 19% gradients which took participants back up to the Melibokus, caused some cursing among the group!

The fastest riders managed the long route in under 10 hours, the last riders arrived after 15 hours in the dark at 11 p.m. But in the end, everyone was satisfied with their performance and enjoyed the delicious locally smoked salmon and a cold beer. To everyone's delight, after a refreshing shower, there were also relaxing massages available from the physio department of the Worms hospital.

On Sunday, at the brunch ride, we rolled out gently to get the lactate out of our muscles. So ended a special gravel weekend, which every participant will remember for a long time. But the social aspect was not neglected either. The income from the event, a total of 4,550 euros, was donated to the children's clinic of the Worms hospital. 

Now everyone is really hoping that there will be another Nibelungen Gravelride next year.