After a long eight month pandemic pause, full-scale UCI Gran Fondo World Series racing resumed this weekend in the USA at the Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo.

151 cyclists participated in the UCI world time trial championship qualifying race on Saturday in Piedmont, Alabama. Riders finishing in the top 20% of their age category on the 12 mile course automatically qualified to race in the 2021 UCI Gran Fondo World Championship time trials in Sarajevo, Bosnia in October.

The rider clocking the fastest time was former George State Time Trial Champion Brock Mason from Athens, Georgia who completed the course in 0:24:31 in the 19-34 year-old category. Leigh Ruston from Arlington, Tennessee was the fastest women with a time of 0:29:52.

On Sunday 16 May a record 1000 riders will try to qualify for the Gran Fondo World Championships on the 100 mile Cheaha Challenge road course that winds through the mountains of Alabama, including two ascents of Mount Cheaha and a total elevation gain of almost 10000 feet.

PHOTOS: Cheaha Challenge

Worldwide Gran Fondo and Gravel Event Calendar