The Swiss rider Loic Ruffaut (SWISS CYCLING) put on a dominating ride to win the 51st edition of the Granfondo Nove Colli, the original and oldest gran fondo in the world, with a finishing time of 05:42:23 on the 205km route along the Italian Adriatic coast.

On Sunday, with nine major climbs totaling over 3900 meters of ascent, it was on the last climb, the ”Gorolo”, that Ruffaut made his move, bridging a 50 second gap to Manuel Senni and then riding an all-star group of Italians off his wheel to finish solo by several minutes.

Two minutes and twenty seconds later the defeated Italians started dribbling across the finish line, with Ettore Carlini (05:44:43) finishing second, followed by Fabio Cini (05:44:44), Rossano Mauti (05:45.55) and Senni in fifth (05:45:57).

2021 Nove Colli champion Luca Chiesa (5:56:35) finished fifteenth and 2019 champion Federico Pozzetto (5:47:49) came in ninth.

“It was my first time at Nove Colli but I can already tell you that it won’t be my last. It was a very tough race even for the heat and at some point my legs were really in trouble but I managed to hold on,” Ruffaut said afterwards.

Laura Simenic (TEAM DE ROSA SANTINI) finished in 6:26:23 to claim the women’s Nove Colli title.

In the 130km medio fondo race, 29 year-old Enrico Filippi (VIVO-MG.K VIS-DAL COLLE) crossed the finish line arms-up after 3:29:38, ahead chasers Matteo Cigala, Riccardo Zanrossi and Luca Porfido by 17 seconds. Chiara Ciuffini (TEAM CONGOLANI) won for the women in 3:48:55.

9017 cyclists from 46 nations took part in the 51st edition of Granfondo Nove Colli.

Photos: Granfondo Nove Colli