On Saturday just over 100 riders took to the start house in Jacksonville, Alabama USA to try and qualify for the 2023 UCI Gran Fondo World Championship Individual Time Trial.

Part of the 30th Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo, the individual time trial competition is the only world championship qualifying event in the USA and Canada. Riders finishing in the top 25% of their age/gender category in the time trial or gran fondo road race automatically qualify to attend the world championships taking place in Scotland in August.

UCI Gran Fondo World Time Trial champion Brock Mason, 32, from Atlanta punched his ticket to the 2023 world championships by winning the 12-mile time trial with a time of 24:05, 37 seconds faster than when he won the same event in 2019 before he went on to win the world championships. Finishing in second place was to Matt Winstead (24:41), with Andrew Knight (24:58) earning the final podium position. Two-time doper Robert Nunes of Costa Rica was fifth.

Canadian Annick-Isabelle Marcoux won the overall women’s category in 30:32.60, with Leigh Ruston (30:32.64) just 0.04 seconds shy of overall victory. Jennifer Lesser (31:06) was next.

The Cheaha Challenge road race and gran fondo worlds qualifier takes place on Sunday 21 May.

Complete Cheaha Challenge Time Trial results HERE.

Photo Credit: UCI, LinkenIn/Brock Mason

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