The ninth edition of the Istria Gran Fondo took place Saturday 15 April in Croatia, with UCI Gran Fondo World Champions Johnny Hoogerland (2021) and Laura Simenc (2022) emerging victorious.

The event offered a 119km gran fondo, 94km medio fondo and a short 22.55km individual time trial, with the time trial taking place on Friday and the fondos on Saturday. With over 650 amateur cyclists participating, the event allowed competitors finishing in the top 25% of their age/gender category to qualify for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships taking place next August in Scotland.

Former Tour de France racer and UCI Gran Fondo World Champion Johnny Hoogerland (RH77 Factory Team) of Austria won the men’s gran fondo, finishing in 3:03:09, nine seconds ahead of Slovinian Matic Zumer and over two minutes up on Czech Michal Kollert.

Slovenian Laura Simenc (De Rosa Santini), a current UCI Gran Fondo World Champion, handily won the women’s gran fondo in 3:20:10. Angelika Tazreiter (3:38:14) of Austria and Petra Slovar (3:43:40) of Slovinia rounded out the podium.

Italians Andrea Chiminello (2:23:34 men) and Michela Gorini (2:40:04 women) won their respective medio fondo races.

85 riders participated in the individual time trial race, with Italian Diego Venturi (25:30) the fastest man at an average speed of 52.44 kph and Laura Simenc (28:30) the fastest women.

Complete UCI Istria Gran Fondo results HERE.

Photo Credit: Twitter/Prijavim_se

© 2019-2023 All Rights Reserved Gran Fondo Daily News / GFDN