The UCI Gravel World Series traveled to the Italian island of Sardinia for a unique mid-week race on Thursday. The race is part of the Giro della Sardegna week-long gran fondo event and affords riders the opportunity to qualify for the 2024 UCI Gravel World Championships by finishing in the top 25% of their age/gender category.

Giro Sardegna Gravel started from Orosei on a 41 kilometer route with 606 meters of vertical gain along the northeastern coast, with riders completing multiple laps depending on category. 43% of the route was on paved asphalt roads, yielding fast road racing.

After finishing in fifth place a few weeks ago at Wörthersee Gravel, 24 year-old German Frederik Rassmann (Rose Racing Circle) moved to the top of the podium by winning the 134km race in 4:23:50, defeating 3x MTB World Champion Alban Lakata, 44, of Austria by six seconds. Italian Matteo Zurla was next at 4:25:26.

35 year-old Debora Piana (Team Congolani) of Italy won the women’s 93km race in 3:34:39.

This weekend three more UCI Gravel World Series world championship qualifying races will take place: Highland Classic in the USA, South Africa’s Swartberg 100 and Gravel Limburg in Netherlands.

Complete UCI Giro Sardegna Gravel results HERE.

Photo Credit: Giro della Sardegna

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