Greg Van Avermaet, gold medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, is this week promoting Vitoria-Gasteiz and Álava as ideal destinations for road, 'gravel', and mountain cycling in the Belgian market, as part of the ‘Ven a viajar’ campaign driven by the tourism departments of the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council and the Provincial Council of Álava.
Van Avermaet is sharing his tourist and cycling routes through Vitoria-Gasteiz and Álava on his social media, which have over 265,000 followers passionate about cycling. The Belgian cyclist, accompanied by local cyclist Lourdes Oyarbide, has visited the Medieval Almond area, sampled renowned local 'pintxos', and completed various gravel and road routes in Gorbeialdea, Llanada Alavesa, and Añana.
Among other itineraries, he has cycled through the green routes around Landa and the Valle Salado, the Vasco-Navarro Railway cycle path, and some roads near the Alavese capital. Van Avermaet is also participating today in the Orbea Gravel Rioja Alavesa 2026 event, a 102-kilometer route with over 2,000 meters of elevation gain through the towns, wineries, and vineyards of this region.
The Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council and the Provincial Council of Álava are promoting this initiative to showcase Álava in strategic European markets as part of the ‘Ven a viajar’ campaign. The objective is to promote Álava and its capital as a cycling destination in Belgium, a key source market due to the direct flight connection between Foronda Airport and Charleroi (Belgium).
More than 9,300 people from Belgium visited Álava in 2025, booking 16,602 nights in the Territory's hotels, rural tourism accommodations, and tourist apartments, representing a 10.5% increase compared to 2024.
