24th Gran Fondo Laigueglia took to the lumpy roads of the Italian Ligurian coast with 1300 participants on 27 February, 3 days before the Laigueglia Trophy professional race, with Frenchman Clement Thibaut (GMC 38) becoming the first non-Italian to win the race in over ten years.

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Before lowering the checkered flag to start the race in the town of Laigueglia, Mayor Roberto Sasso del Verme asked the peloton to observe “A moment of reflection on the atrocities of the war and on recent events in Ukraine.”

On the 113 kilometres route completely closed to traffic with 1700 meters of climbing, Thibaut attacked from the lead group with 1500 metres to go and held on to cross the finish line with a single pumped up fist celebration in 3:11:54.  A long broken line of top Italian gran fondo riders rolled in behind Thibaut, with Manuel Senni (3:11:54) second and Roberto Cesaro (3:12:06) third.

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Canadian Emilie Fortin (SPRINTEUR NICE) convincingly won the women’s race with a time of 3:29:34, over five minutes ahead of Italian Lisa Aime (3:34:45) the Swiss rider Emilie Bottini (3:38:21).

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The event opened the 2022 Gran Trofeo Gs Alpi and Zero Wind Show gran fondo series.

Complete Gran Fondo Laigueglia results HERE.

PHOTOS: GS ALPI