Romain Bardet opens his season with win in UCI Gravel World Series

The 35-year-old former yellow jersey wearer Romain Bardet has won the Castellon Gravel Race in Spain, the first round of the UCI Gravel World Series in 2026.

After retiring from his professional road career in mid-2025, Bardet turned to gravel racing. He had already won two rounds of the UCI Gravel World Series late last year.

Racing in the jersey of his Factor one-man team, Bardet preceded European gravel champion Matz Würtz Schmid, who had previously won the Spanish season opener.