Sunday 20 November seemed like the start of a new day for WorldTour rider Nairo Quintana. His namesake gran fondo in Colombia had 3500 participants on the start line eager to “Go!” and rumors were swirling that the unemployed pro had received a 1-year contract from the Bahrain Victorious WordTour pro team.

Then things turned gloomy with rain starting to fall as riders rolled onto the gran fondo route and Bahrain Victorious issued a statement saying the Quintana rumors “are not true.”

But in the 150 kilometers long gran fondo race things looked bright for 29 year-old Natalia Pardo Duque. The professional, who raced for the UCI Women’s WorldTour Colnago CM team, was riding 1300 men and 140 women off her wheel – decisively.

At the finish she was the fastest rider overall, completing the route in 3:46:59, over four minutes ahead of second place rider Sergio Jacome Alecina (3:51:19) and almost six minutes up on Jorge Nino (3:52:36).

The next fastest female riders were Nataly Bedoya Trujillo (4:28:49) and Zaida María Zambrano Cárdenas (4:31:07).

Alberto Martinez Maldonado won the 86km medio fondo in 3:02:21 for the men and Maria Orjuela won for the women with a time of 4:12:36.

Complete Gran Fondo Nairo Quintana results HERE.

Photos/Media: Instagram @nataliapardod, Gran Fondo Nairo Quintana