At Gran Fondo Alassio on Sunday multiple UCI Gran Fondo World Champion Laura Simenc (Team De Rosa Santini) earned victory in the medio fondo race, while newly crowned world champion Stefan Kirchmair fell just short of victory in the gran fondo.

In the second race of the Italian 2023 Gran Trofeo Gs Alpi Briko series, Slovenian Simenc crossed the finish line after racing 67 kilometers in 2:04:21, just ahead of Italians Lisa Aime and Ylenia Fazzone. Matteo Testa (Team Moretti Bike) won for the men in 1:54:46.

The gran fondo race of 106km with 2300+ meters of ascent saw Italian Federico Pozzetto (MG.K Vis Dal Colle ReArtù) win his second race in the series, defeating UCI Gran Fondo World Champion Stefan Kirchmair of Austria and Italian Paolo Castelnovo in a final uphill sprint. Pozzetto raised both arms in a victory salute as he rolled under the last banner in 3:04:18, with a dejected rainbow jersey wearing Kirchmair one second behind.

“The epilogue of this race, the three kilometers of climb that leads to the Madonna della Guardia Sanctuary, do not represent the terrain suitable for my characteristics, but I am going through an excellent moment of form and in this beginning of the season I have managed to win two prestigious successes the Granfondo Laigueglia Lapierre and Alassio,” Pozzetto commented afterwards.

Among the gran fondo women Annalisa Prato (OM.CC) won in 3:20:27, almost two minutes up on teammate Samantha Arnaudo and over ten minutes a head of Giulia Portaluri.

The third race in the Gran Trofeo Gs Alpi Briko series takes place in Torino at Granfondo Internazionale Briko Torino scheduled for Sunday 7 May.  

Complete Gran Fondo Alassio results HERE.

Photo Credit: Stephano Spaletto Photo

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