The inaugural UCI Granfondo Guadeloupe took place alongside the sunny and warm Caribbean waters of the French Antilles on Sunday morning, with riders racing on a demanding 126 kilometer route with almost 3000 meters of climbing.

Although the field was small, the racing was intense with riders battling to finish in the top 25% of their age/gender category and qualify for the 2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Championship.

2025 Guadalupe Time Trial Champion Benjamin Le Ny (TEAM MADRAS CYCLING BELLE EAU) showcased his mountain goat form by dropping breakaway companions on the day’s major climb to win solo and qualify for the worlds in 3:11:05. The 26 year-old defeated Excelsior teammates Taino Cailliau 3:19:02 and Alexis Bernagaud 3:28:19 in that order. Le Ny’s teammate Damien Urcel placed fourth.

Mathilde Rodrigues Da Rocha, 31, won the women’s competition in 4:21:47 to also earn her starting bib for the world championships. Excelsior teammates Christel Martinez 4:27:10 and Clemence Briche 4:33:21 finished in second and third place.

Photo Credit: Facebook/pascal.abatan

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