Slovenia’s Miran Kovacic (Swatt Club) claimed a hard-earned sprint victory at the 33rd edition of Italy’s Corsa per Haiti on Sunday 17 May, covering the 125-kilometre Gran Fondo course in 3:25:38 at an average speed of more than 36 km/h.
Kovacic, 30, edged Matteo Camerotto (Zerotest) by one second, with teammate Leonardo D’Antoni adding another Swatt Club jersey to the podium eight seconds later. The Slovenian, who finished third behind Camerotto at the same event in 2025, reversed that result in compelling fashion.
In the women’s Gran Fondo, 42-year-old Elisa Benedet (ACSI Nazionale Roma) produced a dominant performance, stopping the clock at 4:06:35. Emma Vatteroni (Pedale Spezzino) finished 51 seconds later, with Federica Spessot (Fontanari) a further 48 seconds back in third.
The Mediofondo over 100 kilometres was won by Wladimir Cuaz (Cicli Lucchini) in 2:42:16, while Elis Simeoni claimed the women’s honours.
The 2026 edition attracted 830 participants from across Italy and abroad, including riders from Austria, Slovenia, France, Switzerland, the United States and South Africa.
For the first time in the event’s history, the race started in Gemona del Friuli, a deliberate choice linked to the 50th anniversary commemorations of the 1976 Friuli earthquake. The earthquake struck on 6 May 1976, devastating the Tagliamento Valley and killing 965 people, with its epicentre located near Gemona itself.
Organiser A.S.D. Chiarcosso – Help Haiti, founded in 1992, has grown the race over three decades into a genuine springtime classic of Italian amateur cycling, raising funds each year for the NGO Pane Condiviso and its humanitarian work in Haiti.
2026 Corsa per Haiti gran fondo results HERE
Photo Credit: Facebook/helphaiti.it
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