Amateur cyclists from all across Canada, Mexico and the USA journey to Jacksonville, Alabama USA to compete on Saturday and Sunday in North America’s only UCI Gran Fondo World Championship qualifying race.

On Saturday morning riders lined up to compete in the race of truth, an individual time trial over 12.5 miles on a dedicated bike/running/walking path described as “rough in spots, so please keep your head up while riding.”

3x Masters World Champion Dean Phillips, 49, of Massachusetts recorded 24:32 as the fastest time of the day. 2x USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Champion Andrew Knight finished second fastest in 24:39, followed by Sean Martin at 25:40. Ex-pro Robert Nunez and then Rick Rouillon completed the Top 5.

2022 USA Cycling Masters National Champion Lisa Csencsits, 40, of New York won the women’s time trial in 30:42, just 1.37 seconds ahead of Elizabeth Foxx and 102 seconds up on 66 year-old Shirley Crocker, who finished 39th overall out of over 100 total competitors.

Sunday’s Cheaha Challenge 100-mile Gran Fondo, with 9000+ feet of climbing up to Cheaha Mountain, saw Andrew Knight of Georgia finish first with an impressively fast time of 4:33:18, followed by Rick Rouillon at 4:38:11 and then Dan Netzer at 4:41:52. Lisa Houser, 39, of Louisiana was the fastest woman, finishing the tough course in 5:07:48.

Riders finishing in the top 25% of their age/gender category in either the time trial or fondo races automatically qualified to participate in the 2024 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Denmark next August.

Complete UCI Cheaha Challenge Time Trial results HERE.

Complete UCI Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo results HERE.

Photo Credit: Facebook/cheahachallenge

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