King of the Gravel

Medium

Date

2026-06-13

Location

Silkeborg, Jutland, Denmark

Distance

145 km

Elevation

1400m

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$https://gravelradar.app/races/denmark/king-of-the-gravel

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▌ RIDER INTEL DOSSIER

ID: KING-OF-THE-GRAVEL

GR SCORE

/ 100

TIER 2

~/dossier/king-of-the-gravel $ cat briefing.md

▌ Silkeborg lake-and-hill gravel — Denmark's "Søhøjlandet" classic.

Set in Søhøjlandet (the Lake Highlands), Silkeborg has Denmark's highest hills and most concentrated lake scenery. King of the Gravel uses both.

EFFORT37/60

EXPER.54/70

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13 SCORING DIMENSIONS

· Inside the rating

$ ./radar --plot

KING OF THE GRAVEL

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EFFORT MATRIX

· Physical demands · 6 vectors

$ ./bench --effort

LENGTH07/10

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07/10145 km through Silkeborg lake country

145 km through Silkeborg lake country

CLIMBING07/10

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07/10~1,400 m — substantial Søhøjlandet climbing

~1,400 m — substantial Søhøjlandet climbing

DURABILITY07/10

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07/106-8 hours typical

6-8 hours typical

TECHNICALITY06/10

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06/10Forest tracks, lake-side singletrack

Forest tracks, lake-side singletrack

COLD04/10

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04/10Mid-June: 14-22°C, often good weather

Mid-June: 14-22°C, often good weather

RACE PRESSURE06/10

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06/10Strong Danish + Nordic field

Strong Danish + Nordic field

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EXPERIENCE MATRIX

· Race quality · 7 vectors

$ ./bench --experience

ADVENTURE07/10

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07/10Søhøjlandet is Denmark's most varied gravel terrain

Søhøjlandet is Denmark's most varied gravel terrain

SCENERY09/10

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09/10Lakes, forests, Danish "highlands"

Lakes, forests, Danish "highlands"

ORGANIZATION08/10

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08/10Solid event organization

Solid event organization

VALUE08/10

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08/10Reasonable Danish entry

Reasonable Danish entry

COMMUNITY08/10

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08/10Strong Silkeborg + Aarhus cycling community

Strong Silkeborg + Aarhus cycling community

ACCESSIBILITY07/10

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07/10Multiple distances available

Multiple distances available

FIELD DEPTH07/10

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07/10Strong Nordic field

Strong Nordic field

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GREEN FLAGS

$ ./pros

[+]Søhøjlandet has Denmark's most varied terrain
[+]Multiple lakes + forest scenery
[+]Real climbing for Danish standards
[+]Mid-June = best weather window
[+]Easy access from Aarhus + Billund
[+]Multiple distances welcome all levels
[+]Silkeborg is a charming base town

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RED FLAGS

$ ./cons

[!]Tourist crowds in Silkeborg in June
[!]Some technical lake-side singletrack
[!]Climb count surprises riders expecting flat Denmark
[!]Limited international name recognition

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RIDER FIT

· Match by archetype

$ match-rider --types

ClimberPRIME · 8/10

Søhøjlandet climbing rewards power-to-weight

Skill RiderPRIME · 8/10

Lake-side singletrack rewards bike-handling

Endurance MuleGOOD · 7/10

Long-ish day rewards steady riders

Adventure TouristPRIME · 8/10

Beautiful Danish lake region

Crit RacerOK · 5/10

Wrong format — too long

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⚡ SIGNATURE CHALLENGE

Søhøjlandet is real Danish climbing

"Lake Highlands" sounds gentle — until you ride it. The combination of climbing + lake-side singletrack tests both legs and skills.

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TIRE INTEL

· Setup recommendation

$ rubber --recommend

WIDTH

40-45 mm

PRESSURE

26-32 psi

PATTERN

All-rounder w/ side bite

Søhøjlandet mix of forest gravel + lake-side singletrack rewards balanced tires. Tubeless mandatory.

▶ TOP PICKS

1.Continental Terra Trail[40mm]— Balanced grip for varied terrain

2.Schwalbe G-One Bite[45mm]— Side bite for technical sections

3.Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M[40mm]— Mixed-terrain reliability

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WEATHER PLAYBOOK

· What the sky throws at you

$ forecast --race

Mid-June Silkeborg: 14-22°C typical, generally good weather, light wind. Pack arm warmers + light shell.

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PACING PLAYBOOK

· Where to attack, where to survive

$ tail -f /strategy/pacing

Silkeborg to first lake~30 km

Roll into Søhøjlandet — climbing starts soon.

Lake-and-hill block~80 km

Where the race is decided. Climb steady, recover hard.

Forest return loop~120 km

Save matches for the final climb.

Final to Silkeborg~145 km

Crowds at finish — push if you have it.

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WHAT TO FEAR

· Top hazards

$ ./threat-model

[!01]Underestimating the climb count
[!02]Wet lake-side singletrack
[!03]Tourist crowds slowing transit through Silkeborg
[!04]Bonking on the longer loop

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TRAVEL OPS

· Getting there

$ ./logistics --travel

AIRPORTBillund (BLL) — 45 min drive. Aarhus (AAR) — 45 min.

LODGINGSilkeborg has many lake-side options. Book early — June tourist season.

FOODSilkeborg has good restaurant scene. Try smørrebrød + Danish craft beer post-race.

PACKET PICKUPDay before at the event area in Silkeborg.

PARKINGDesignated event parking near start.

▌ BOTTOM LINE

Denmark's most scenic gravel race in the country's most varied terrain. Worth the trip for Søhøjlandet alone.

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IF NOT THIS, THEN

· Alternative race recommendations

$ ./suggest --similar

→Want shorter Silkeborg ride:Gravel Road Race Denmark
→Want longest Danish ride:Drivvejen GRVL
→Want hilly East Jutland:Mols Spring Classic

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