Breaking News….The 2021 UCI Gran Fondo World Championship concluded on Sunday with a winter weather shortened Gran Fondo race taking place in the Johorjna Mountains outside Sarajevo for 550 riders under age 60.
Italian Ivan Martinelli took the overall win in 3:01:00 to become 2021 Gran Fondo World Champion and also claim the gold medal in the Men’s 19-34 age category. The 31 year-old rider is a former professional who raced three years in Europe for the D’Amico – UM Tools team.
Wearing the Dutch national orange jersey, ex-pro rider Johnny Hoogerland battled Martinelli for the overall win, but had to settle for gold in the Men’s 35-39 age category. The two riders were part of a five man break that raced from the start through rain, snow, wind and fog, all the way to snow covered Olympic Park finish line.
On the last day of the World Championships, 5 gold medals and rainbow jerseys were awarded to both male and female competitors in each age category. Among men aged 19-34, Ivan Martineli was the best ahead of his compatriots, Ettore Carlini and Fabio Cini. Johnny Hoogerland won gold in the 35-39 age category, ahead of Matej Lovše from Slovenia and Klemen Mae from France. Pavel Gonda from the Czech Republic reached the gold in the men’s 40-44 category, ahead of the Japanese Akira Takaoka and the Slovenian Dean Bratuš. Slovenian Igor Kopše was gold in the 45-49 category, ahead of Frenchman David De Vecchi and Grits Wevers from Latvia. In the men’s competition, aged 50-54, the gold was won by Italain Nikola Loda, ahead of the Canadian Bruce Bird and the Michael Schaefer from Germany.
In the Women’s categories, Poland’s Kamika Vojkiewicz was the best of 19-34 year-olds, ahead of Katarina Novak and Laura Simenc from Slovenia. In the women’s 35-39 competition, Alina Milka from Poland won gold, ahead of Petra Pasar from Slovenia and Eteika Matuž from Hungary. Sara Hedberg from Sweden became the world champion in the 40-44 category, Stephanie Gross from France won silver, and Lara Newell from Great Britain won bronze. In the category of women aged 45-59, the gold medal was won by Esta Bovil from Canada, ahead of the Italian Mihaela Gorini and Clara Thomas from Great Britain.
COMPLETE 2021 UCI GRAN FONDO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 100KM RESULTS
The 2022 UCI Gran Fondo World Series and World Championship calendar will be officially announced this week, with the 2022 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships planned in September in Trento, Italy.
PHOTOS: GFWC Sarajevo
GRAN FONDO DAILY NEWS 