Fabian Rabensteiner and Karolina Migon won the inaugural edition of GT3 Lavaredo on Saturday, the new UCI Gravel World Series race that sent riders on a 133km loop around the Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the Italian Dolomites, featuring more than 3,000 metres of climbing.
The Italian race is a qualifier for both the UCI Gravel World Championships in Nannup, Australia, and the European Gravel Championships in Houffalize, Belgium, with the top 25 percent of riders in each age category securing qualification.
Rabensteiner, the Italian MTB specialist who has transitioned from marathon mountain biking to gravel racing in recent seasons, soloed to victory in 04:36:21. Colombia’s Leonardo Paez finished second, just 26 seconds behind, while Norway’s Eskil Evensen-Lie completed the podium 2 minutes 25 seconds adrift.
In the women’s race, Poland’s Karolina Migon continued her dominant 2025-2026 campaign with a commanding victory in 04:12:57. The PAS Racing rider, fresh from victories at Unbound Gravel and The Traka 360, pulled clear on the course’s long Malga Klammbach climb. Italy’s Erica Magnaldi, the reigning European gravel champion, finished second, 4 minutes 32 seconds behind Migon, while compatriot Debora Piana took third, 12 minutes 9 seconds back.
Organised by A.S.D. Pedali di Marca, the team behind the 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships, GT3 Lavaredo was conceived as a cycling legacy project linked to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with the aim of extending international attention on the Dolomites beyond the Games.
With Italy hosting just two rounds on this year’s 45-event, 32-country UCI Gravel World Series calendar, Saturday’s race marked a significant addition to the country’s gravel racing scene.
GT3 Laverado rankings/results HERE
Photo Credit: Giorgio De Negri
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