3,000 riders, 50 countries and one clear goal: become world champion.
On the weekend of 11 and 12 October, Limburg hosted the Gravel World Championships. Not tennis, but cycling on unpaved roads. The route ran right through our home base, a unique chance for Boels Rental to contribute both visibly and behind the scenes to a major international event. And we delivered.
A logistics challenge, expertly solved
An event with different start and finish locations demands tight planning and reliable partners. “It’s never a routine job,” says Dré Hermans from Boels Events. “But with a World Championship across multiple sites, logistics, clear agreements and thinking along are key. That’s where we add real value.”
Golazo, the Belgian production company behind the Gravel World Championships, is a major player in the sports industry. They organise marathons in Rotterdam and Eindhoven, as well as major cycling and darts events in Belgium. For the Gravel Worlds, Boels and Golazo worked together on a large scale for the first time.
Full-service partnership
Before the event, Dré and Golazo producer Jeroen van Becelaere visited all locations in Maastricht, Beekdaelen and Beek. The request was clear: full-service support. Boels supplied everything from forklifts and generators to light towers, gators and sanitary units. And if something isn’t in our standard range? We make it happen. Like the specific cable ducts Jeroen needed. “You can say no, or you find a way,” says Dré. “We chose the second option.”
One contact, no stress
“What I really appreciated was the trust,” says Jeroen. “At a live global event like this, with so many stakeholders, there’s no room for mistakes. With Boels, I had one contact person who handled everything. That made a huge difference. And when I see the finish line, the podium and VIP area… that’s exactly what we’re here for.”
Boels Rental has been active in the cycling world for years, from the 2012 Road World Championships to the 2018 Cyclocross Worlds and countless races in the Netherlands and Belgium. The 2025 Gravel Worlds, in our own backyard, was the icing on the cake.
Orange in front and behind the scenes
“Boels orange really stood out among all those Dutch fans,” laughs Jeroen. “And with Lorena Wiebes winning the title, it couldn’t have been more fitting. We Belgians were lucky too — Florian Vermeersch took gold on Sunday. A win for both sides. And Boels was part of it, behind the scenes.”
