Gravel, Granfondos and MTB: What’s Shaping Cycling in Portugal This Autumn
For a long time, choosing a cycling event seemed relatively straightforward: road or mountain biking. In 2026, the Portuguese calendar tells a very different story.
Granfondos continue to hold an important place among amateur cyclists, but gravel is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. At the same time, more events are combining competition with adventure, GPS navigation, mixed surfaces and experiences that begin before the start line and do not necessarily end when riders cross the finish.
A quick look at the coming months makes this clear. The Portuguese Cycling Federation calendar includes a Gravel Portugal Cup event on September 12–13, the National Gravel Championship on September 20, several granfondos and MTB endurance races, while October brings dedicated gravel events and multi-stage formats.
For anyone looking for their next challenge on two wheels, these are some of the trends — and races — worth watching.
Gravel Is No Longer Just the Alternative Between Road and MTB
If there is one particularly visible trend in the 2026 calendar, it is the growth of gravel.
The discipline occupies an interesting middle ground. It allows riders to leave busy roads behind and explore rural roads and dirt tracks, usually without requiring the same technical level as more demanding MTB trails. At the same time, it retains much of the endurance and speed associated with road cycling.
Portugal’s September and October calendar offers several examples of this evolution, including the Portugal Cup, the National Gravel Championship and a growing number of events specifically designed for gravel bikes.
One interesting example is the I Ultra Maratona BTT/Gravel do Sor, taking place on September 19 in Ponte de Sor.
See I Ultra Maratona BTT/Gravel do Sor on RaceFinder
The event covers approximately 120 km with around 1,500 metres of elevation gain and includes MTB, gravel and e-bike categories. Navigation is based on GPS rather than traditional course markings, adding an extra element of autonomy and route management to the challenge.
For road cyclists considering their first gravel event, preparation should involve more than simply increasing mileage. Train on different surfaces, experiment with tyre pressure, become comfortable controlling the bike on loose terrain and, importantly, learn how to solve basic mechanical problems without immediately relying on assistance.
Granfondos Remain One of the Main Gateways into Road Cycling Events
The rise of gravel does not mean granfondos are losing relevance. Quite the opposite: Portugal’s late-summer and autumn calendar remains full of opportunities.
In 2026, the Volta a Portugal itself launched A Grandíssima, its official Granfondo, giving amateur cyclists the chance to experience an event connected to Portugal’s biggest professional stage race.
It is another sign of how firmly the granfondo format has established itself within recreational and competitive cycling.
There are also several major events still ahead.
The Lousã Granfondo, on September 13, offers Granfondo, Mediofondo and Minifondo formats, allowing riders with very different levels of preparation to take part in the same event.
See Lousã Granfondo on RaceFinder
One week later, the Monção e Melgaço Granfondo, on September 20, offers distances of 130 km, 100 km and 60 km.
See Monção e Melgaço Granfondo on RaceFinder
In southern Portugal, the Tavira Granfondo, on September 27, features approximately 130 km for the Granfondo and 80 km for the Mediofondo.
See Tavira Granfondo on RaceFinder
Then, on October 18, the Ourém Fátima Granfondo once again gives cyclists three very different options: 130 km, 100 km and 65 km.
See Ourém Fátima Granfondo on RaceFinder
That variety of distances is one of the main advantages of the format. You do not need to start with 130 km to “do a Granfondo”. Choosing a Mediofondo or Minifondo can be a much smarter way to enter this type of event, understand how your body responds to several hours of riding and only then consider moving up in distance.
More Important Than Distance: Check the Elevation
Two 100 km cycling events can provide completely different experiences.
One of the most common mistakes is choosing a race based only on distance and discovering too late that the real challenge was hidden in the elevation profile.
Before registering, check the total climbing, the length and gradient of the main climbs and where they appear on the route. A long climb after 20 km does not have the same impact as a similar climb after four hours in the saddle.
It is also worth checking whether the event takes place on fully closed roads or roads that remain open to traffic. Some Portuguese granfondos operate under normal road traffic rules, meaning participation does not remove the responsibility to follow the Highway Code.
Training for climbs matters, but learning to manage your effort may matter even more. Saving a few minutes on an early climb is rarely worthwhile if an overly aggressive effort costs significantly more time later in the race.
Cycling Events Are Becoming Experiences, Not Just Races
Another interesting change can be seen in how some events are being designed.
The Gravel Meeting, on October 3 and 4 in Coruche, is not simply about a start and finish line.
See Gravel Meeting on RaceFinder
The first day includes a Social Ride & Community Experience of approximately 30 km. On the second day, riders can choose between competitive routes of around 80 km with 1,000 m of elevation gain and 140 km with approximately 2,000 m.
The format is semi-self-supported, with limited official assistance points.
This combination of competition, community and exploration fits particularly well with gravel culture. Results still matter for riders who want to compete, but the event can also be about discovering new places and sharing the ride with others.
For this kind of event, preparation should include something that receives less attention in traditional races: autonomy. Knowing how to use your GPS, carrying enough nutrition, bringing basic tools and being able to repair a puncture can be just as important as having strong legs.
MTB Endurance Is Still Going Strong
Not everything is road or gravel.
The September and October calendar continues to feature a wide variety of MTB endurance formats, from two- and three-hour races to longer marathon events.
The Maratona BTT da Póvoa, taking place on October 11, for example, offers a 70 km Marathon and a 45 km Half Marathon.
See Maratona BTT da Póvoa on RaceFinder
For riders coming exclusively from road cycling, distance can once again be misleading. Forty-five kilometres of MTB should not be directly compared with 45 km on tarmac. Technical difficulty, surface, elevation and repeated accelerations can completely change the effort.
Later in October, RACENATURE Castelo de Vide, from October 16 to 18, takes the concept further with a prologue and two stages, GPS navigation and solo, pairs and e-bike participation.
This kind of multi-stage format introduces a different challenge: recovery becomes part of the race itself.
E-Bikes Are Starting to Appear Within the Event Calendar
Electric bikes are no longer limited to recreational riding.
Several MTB endurance events now include specific e-bike categories, and events such as the Ultra Maratona BTT/Gravel do Sor and RACENATURE Castelo de Vide incorporate them into their competitive structure.
This opens events to a wider range of cyclists, but it also raises an important point: never assume an e-bike is automatically allowed.
Rules vary significantly between events. Some road granfondos explicitly prohibit motor-assisted bicycles, while other races provide dedicated classifications for them.
Checking the regulations should therefore be one of the first steps before registering, rather than something to discover during race week.
October Ends with One of the Most Relevant Gravel Events on the Calendar
If any further evidence was needed that gravel is becoming a serious competitive discipline, it arrives on October 25.
The UCI Alentejo Gravel, in Ourique, is part of the UCI Gravel World Series and currently features 119 km and 87 km routes.
See UCI Alentejo Gravel on RaceFinder
The race welcomes both licensed and non-licensed riders and provides an opportunity to qualify for the UCI Gravel World Championships according to the series qualification criteria.
The UCI Gravel World Series now includes events around the world and acts as the qualification circuit for the World Championships. What began as a more alternative side of cycling has clearly developed into an established international competitive discipline.
Having one of those events in Portugal also puts the Alentejo in an interesting position: the same rural roads and tracks that make the region appealing for exploratory riding now provide the setting for an international-level competition.
So, What Should Your Next Cycling Event Be?
Instead of simply asking “road or MTB?”, today’s calendar allows for much more interesting questions.
Do you want to spend several hours working on endurance? A Granfondo might be the right choice.
Do you want to leave the tarmac without immediately moving into highly technical trails? Gravel could be the ideal transition.
Do you prefer technical terrain, constantly changing surfaces and more variable effort? Look at MTB marathons and endurance races.
And if your main goal is simply to try something new, there is no need to choose the longest distance available.
One of the most interesting developments in Portuguese cycling is precisely the variety now available: Granfondo, Mediofondo, Minifondo, short and long gravel, MTB, e-bike, stage races and endurance formats can all coexist within the same season.
Amateur cycling in Portugal is no longer moving in just one direction.
It is opening several.
And that means there is probably an event that matches exactly the way you like to ride.
