Although the 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championship is still six weeks away, Italy’s 53rd Granfondo Matildica kicked off qualifying for the 2026 world championship on Sunday.

From a rather small field 35 year-old Italian Alberto Nardin (TEAM BCP BIKE) sprinted to victory in 4:00:57 on a 153 kilometer route with 2150 meters of elevation gain. Finishing right behind was Mikel Demiri, Simone Impellizzeri, Giovanni Loiscio, Marco Rinaldi and Manuel Francesco Bongiorno.

Elisa Leardini (MG-K VIS OLMO PROMTECH) of Italy won for the women in 4:31:38, followed by Virginia Becchetti 4:40:49 and Patrizia Romanello 4:44:24.

The 126 kilometer medio fondo was won by 33 year-old Alberto Brini (CAPITANI MINUTERIA METALLICHE) in 3:15:58 after out-sprinting Lorenzo Visani and Flavio Serafini in a final dash to the finish.

53 year-old Michela Gorini (SANTINI SQUADRA CORSE) won the women’s medio fondo in 3:33:49 to also qualify for the world championship. Elena Vernia and Eleonora Calvi di Coenzo earned the lower podium steps in that order with final time of 3:38:37.

Age category winners took home a rainbow striped UCI Gran Fondo World Series champion’s jersey, while anyone finishing in the top 25% of their age/gender category automatically qualified for the both 2025 AND 2026 UCI Grand Fondo World Championships taking place in the Australia this October and Japan next year.

Complete Granfondo Matildica results HERE

Photo Credit: Facebook/ilranger/deltubo

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