With only one stage remaining at the week-long Haute Route Alps gran fondo race in France, a pair of 30 year-old Italians, Samantha Arnaudo and Michele Negri, are sitting solidly atop the leaderboard.

After racing up Alp d’Huez, Galibier, Telegraphe, Izoard and many other Tour de France cols, 2022 GFNY World Champion Samantha Arnaudo (OM.CC) holds a 8 minute lead over Janine Meyer of Germany, with Valentine Luise of Denmark in third place for the women. Barring a crash, Arnaudo is almost certain to win the 2023 Haute Route title on Saturday. Her performance is all the more outstanding with a GC time that would put her in 8th in the men’s competition.

The men’s race saw a stunning change in general classification after Stage 6, with 24 year-old American neo-pro Drake Deuel, who finished 8th at the 2023 USA Individual Time Trial Championships in June, loosing almost 45 minutes and tumbling into third place. The previous day he was only 3 minutes down on leader Michele Negri. French neo-pro Thomas Bonaud, who won a stage at the Tour de Rwanda in February, now sits in second place 32 minutes behind Michele Negri and 10 minutes up on Deuel.

Just over 300 riders from around the world participated in the 12th edition of Haute Route Alps, which departed from Megeve and will inish in Nice after racing 755 kilometers through the French Alps.

Photo Credit: Haute Route

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