Emotions from the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat crossed the face of Slovenian Timotej Bavec moments after he finished the 43rd Maraton Franja UCI Gran Fondo World Championship qualifying race on Sunday.

The 24 year-old thought he had just won when officials declared the rider finishing just behind Bavec, 33 year-old Italian Federico Pozzetto, as winner of the race, the largest amateur cycling event in Slovenia with over 3000 competitors.

Initially, Bavec (KK Ribno Alpine Resort Bled) crossed the finish line first, but was disqualified and relegated to fourth place by officials after taking a shortcut through a roundabout in the final kilometers, enabling him to gain and maintain a 10 second gap. Pozzetto (MG.K Vis-Promotech) then out sprinted Slovenians Matic Grošlja, last year’s champion, and Miran Kovačič to finish the 154km gran fondo route in 3:35:44.

Concerning Bavec’s round-about shenanigans Pozzetto said, “It’s right, all four of us [should] go on the same side. There’s also a rule that you can’t go on the left [like Bavec], so the victory is deserved.”

In the Maraton Franja women’s race 30 year-old Slovenian star triathlete Maruša Klemenc (TK Utrip) won in 3:56:13. Newly crowned Irish Criterium National Champion Marine Lenehan was next at 3:56:57, followed by Austrian Majda Horvat at 3:57:35

In the 97km medio fondo, Miha Hain for the men and Lucija Miklavec for the women were the fastest.

On Friday, UCI Gran Fondo World Championship Time Trial qualifying took place after a five year pandemic related pause. On the 21.2km route Austrian’s Martin Geretschnig, 36, and Katharina Machner, 30, were the fastest, stopping the clock 25:22 and 30:02 for the men and women respectively.

Complete Maraton Franja fondo results HERE.

Complete Maraton Franja time trial results HERE.

Photo Credit: Crt Piksi

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