Riccardo Barbuto (Equipe Corbettese) claimed victory at the 55th edition of the Gran Fondo Nove Colli, finishing the 200-kilometre long course in 05:28:06 after a dramatic two-up sprint against Luca Cavallo (OM.CC) in Cesenatico, Italy, on Sunday.
More than 7,000 riders from 43 countries rolled out from the Adriatic shore at 06:00 sharp, competing in what is both a monument of the Prestigio di Cicloturismo calendar and the oldest gran fondo in the world. The event traces its roots to 1971, when just 17 pioneers took part.
The men’s long-course race came down to the wire. With 50 km remaining, Luca Cavallo, 27, and Riccardo Barbuto, 20, had established themselves as the leading pair after attacking from the start and building a 2 minute 30 second advantage over a five-rider chase group.
A sprint finish was inevitable, and Barbuto had the legs to win it. He averaged 36.57 km/h across the demanding route, with Cavallo falling short of victory by a wheel length, while Simone Impellizzeri took third, 2 minutes 45 seconds behind.
On the women’s side, 28-year-old Annalisa Prato (OM.CC) crossed the line in 06:10:15, with Roberta Bussone second in 06:13:39 and Elisa Leardini third in 06:20:48. It was a dominant performance against one of the strongest long-course women’s fields in the event’s history.
In the 137-kilometre medio fondo, 23-year-old Vittorio Carrer (Team Eracle) won in 03:07:43 at 37.76 km/h, with Matteo Freddi and Aldo Caiati completing the podium. Federica Cancellieri (Bike Racing Gioppy) claimed the women’s medio title in 03:54:46, ahead of Silvia Visaggi and Valentina Brivio.
This year’s edition carried extra significance beyond the results. The 55th running marked the return of the Gorolo climb to the long-course route, restoring the race to its original nine-climb design after severe weather events had previously forced its removal. The searing heat was a factor throughout, prompting organisers to bolster aid stations along the route.
Star power added colour to the day. UAE Team Emirates XRG’s Isaac Del Toro, the Mexican prodigy who lives and trains in San Marino, rode alongside the leading group as a guest participant — not competing for the win but drawing crowds at every roadside vantage point.
For Barbuto, the win capped what organisers described as a race run at a relentless pace from the gun. Surviving 200 kilometres of Romagna heat, 3,800 metres of climbing, and a two-up sprint against a rider of Cavallo’s calibre made the result all the more impressive. He earned it the hard way — which is the only way Nove Colli knows.
Photo Credit: Facebook/NoveColli
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