The Hills Gravel.
A hard day’s racing in the Prosecco Hills is personal for Mattia De Marchi.
For Mattia De Marchi, The Hills is more than a race. Sure, it’s a source of pride to him to bring his team, The Grip, to his home region, to ride the roads and trails he’s loved since he was a kid, which have made him the rider he is. But his connection to this land, to these people, goes deeper.
Taking place on the last weekend of March, it was the second race in the 2026 Gravel Earth Series, and this second edition featured 120 kilometres and 2,300 metres of climbing, with 95% of the parcours taking place off road.
The Hills was conceived by Mattia to promote the Prosecco Hills area, a UNESCO World Heritage site between Venice and the Dolomites characterised by steep slopes and terraced vineyards, and the historic Bellusera planting system that creates geometric patterns across the landscape.
However, as global Prosecco consumption skyrockets and newer industrialised practices and pesticides are introduced, these traditional methods are under threat. “We’re trying to involve the local community as much as possible,” says Mattia. “Many wineries open their gates to us so we can pass through their private properties. They are beginning to understand the power of cycling! The race takes place in March because it is one of the few times when the crops are not growing and we do not cause any disruption.”
The race start and finish took place at Borgoluce, a 1,000-hectare vineyard and farm dedicated to quality produce, biodiversity and circularity. The steep, relentless hills and the nature of the surfaces made it a tough day’s racing, but it was also an invitation to discover a different world.
Eddy Le Huitouze was The Grip’s highest-placed rider, coming 28th, while the Café Factory Team’s Cedrick Dubois took the win for the M50 category!
Chapeau Cédrick and Mattia, we can’t wait to come back next year.
