Ostalb Gravel Training Plan & Preparation

Course & Elevation

Ostalb Gravel starts and finishes in Aalen, at the Spedition Brucker depot, tracing a roughly 56-kilometer loop through the Ostalb region on a mix of forest roads, gravel and paved connector sections. The opening kilometres bite early: two short, uncategorized ramps at kilometer 0.3 and 1.85 sort the field before things settle down. The first categorized climb, a Category 4 effort just over three kilometers long, begins at kilometer 15 – the longest climb of the day. A second, shorter Category 4 climb follows at kilometer 22.7, after which the route calms again past the halfway point.

The defining moment comes late: a third Category 4 climb starts at kilometer 42.5, more than 40 kilometers into the ride. Two short ramps near the finish, at kilometer 49.4 and 53.7, close out the climbing before the run back to the start. Overall the course is rolling rather than mountainous – steep gradients make up only a small share of the profile, with flat and undulating riding dominating. Since climbing and descending balance out almost exactly over the lap, energy spent on the way up largely comes back on the way down.

Ostalb Gravel runs as its own event alongside the established Ostalb Giro marathon, aimed at both ambitious gravel riders and those riding for enjoyment.

Pacing Strategy

The real pacing trap at Ostalb Gravel sits in the middle third of the course: after the two early ramps and the long climb at kilometer 15, the route feels flat and inviting all the way to kilometer 40 – riding hard or chasing wheels through this stretch burns exactly the reserves needed for the third climb at kilometer 42.5. That climb decides the race, arriving after more than 40 kilometers and two prior Category 4 efforts, exposing anyone who spent too much earlier.

Treat the first climb at kilometer 15 as an early test, not a race-winning move – it is long, the longest on the course, but it comes too soon to matter much if you overcook it. Use the calmer stretch between kilometer 23 and 40 to recover rather than to push the pace.

The two short ramps near the end, at kilometer 49 and 54, then demand one more sharp, short effort – riders who paced disciplined until then will have it in the tank.

12-Week Preparation

At roughly 56 kilometers and just under 800 meters of climbing, expect an effort lasting somewhere between two and three and a half hours depending on your level. The demand is mostly steady aerobic riding, punctuated by harder efforts: the three Category 4 climbs at kilometer 15, 22.7 and 42.5, plus the short uncategorized ramps near the start and finish, each call for a burst of anaerobic effort inside an otherwise rolling aerobic base.

The race is decided on the third climb at kilometer 42.5 – it arrives late, after two earlier climbs have already taken a toll, and rewards the ability to still produce a multi-minute effort on tired legs. That makes it worth structuring some training rides so a harder climb comes two to three hours in, rather than always climbing fresh.

Intervals in the three-to-eight-minute range, matching the length of the climbs on course, build the ability to repeat hard efforts on gradients without blowing up.

And because forest roads and gravel sections make up part of the route, some preparation should happen on similar surfaces, to build line choice and balance on changing grip.