The first stage of The Ride Gravel serves you ‘Little Switzerland’ in the country of Luxembourg with the most altitude meters of the week. The start is in Germany, but in no time you will enter Luxembourg by passing the river Sûre. This part of the Benelux is hilly with steep climbs and rocky formations. All day it goes up and down on unpaved farm roads and some forest roads, including a beautiful downhill section on a small path between rocks and evergreens. The hardest part of today is the final climb in Sauertall.

Today the route will go back to Germany from the heart of the Ardennes to the Eifel area at the medieval place Prüm, famous for fortresses and castles. From the start it is a long climb to the plateau of Baraque the Fraiture. Just after crossing the border a long climb will challenge you to push your limits again. Going in and off the different valleys gives you a height profile that might scare you. Luckily the last part of the route is a on a former railway line, with good asphalt and a permanent slope of 1-2% to Prüm.

The final day has more downhill meters than uphill meters, but looking at the profile will make you realize it is not as easy as you might think. One of the best parts of today are the gravel roads in the forest all the way to Monschau with beautiful sections next to rivers and densted forest. The part in the Hautes Vagnes is a combination of wide gravel roads and paved backroads. Up to the three-country point at the Vaalserberg in The Netherlands. The roads are mostly backroads, paved, some sandy, some rocky and a section of gravel on a cycling path with a great view to an old railway bridge. Just before coming to The Netherlands you pass the fourth country, Central Moresnet (officially the Undivided Area of Moresnet). The last part of the route is famous for its gravel roads in The Netherlands that will bring you to the finish town Heerlen.