Team OM.CC’s Luca Cavallo successfully defended his Sportful Dolomiti Race title on Sunday, winning the 31st edition of one of Europe’s toughest gran fondos in 06:00:10.
The 26 year-old Italian rider repeated his 2025 victory with another dominant performance on the iconic route through the Belluno Dolomites. Lucio Pierantozzi finished second, 10 minutes 51 seconds behind Cavallo, while Patrick Facchini completed the podium at 10 minutes 54 seconds.
The repeat victory strengthens Cavallo’s growing legacy at the event, which is widely regarded as one of the most demanding amateur cycling challenges in Europe. The course features 204km and around 5,000 metres of climbing, including the legendary Passo Manghen, Passo Rolle and Passo Croce d’Aune. The event is a fixture on the Italian gran fondo calendar and regularly attracts thousands of riders from across Europe.
Germany’s Emilia Welte claimed the women’s title in 07:03:54, improving on her fifth-place finish in the 2025 edition. Roberta Bussone finished second at 10 minutes 14 seconds, while Loretta Giudici secured third place at 14 minutes 52 seconds.
Welte’s victory caps a remarkable rise in endurance cycling. The 26-year-old from RV Pfeil Tübingen originally competed in gymnastics before a serious accident in 2020 ended her progress in the sport. After turning her focus to cycling, she quickly established herself as one of Germany’s strongest amateur riders, earning selection for the German national team in e-cycling world championship competition and collecting podium finishes in major alpine gran fondos. Sunday’s victory in Feltre is the biggest road result of her career to date.
The Medio Fondo titles went to Francesco Di Felice and Elisa Leardini. Di Felice won the men’s race in 03:31:29, while Leardini topped the women’s standings in 03:59:45.
Thirty years after its first edition, the Sportful Dolomiti Race continues to test riders against some of the most spectacular and demanding roads in the Dolomites, rewarding those capable of combining climbing strength, endurance and technical descending skills.
Sportful Dolomiti results HERE
Photo Credit: Sportful Dolomiti Race
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