Baptiste Lombardi delivered the most complete performance of his already impressive 2026 season on Sunday 28 June, winning the 45th Marmotte Granfondo Alpes in 05:07:10 over 177 kilometres and 5,000 metres of Alpine climbing. He finished atop Alpe d’Huez ahead of a field of more than 6,000 riders.
The 27-year-old Prizm Racing rider had already swept Gran Fondo Provence Occitane in April alongside teammates Arthur Blanc and Louen Coiquaud, and Sunday’s victory cements him as France’s most dangerous gran fondo climber this season. He crossed the line clear of a star-studded chase, with two-time European Gran Fondo champion Thibaut Clement (Team Materiel-Velo.com) finishing second in 05:08:25, 1 minute 15 seconds behind.
The 32-year-old Clement claimed his second European Gran Fondo title at Saint-Félicien in 2025 over 180 kilometres and also won the men’s title at L’Etape du Tour Femmes last August with victory atop the Col de la Madeleine, making him one of the sport’s premier Alpine specialists. On Sunday, however, Lombardi had the stronger legs when it mattered most.
Third place went to Dutchman Tijn Voerman in 05:12:16. His credentials extend well beyond cycling. A former competitive road racer and graduate of the Erasmus School of Economics in Rotterdam, Voerman earned second prize in the Netherlands Court of Audit Thesis Prize in 2025 for research into EU tax uncertainty and corporate investment. On Sunday, though, he was all athlete, finishing 5 minutes 6 seconds behind Lombardi.
Britain’s Victoria Stansfield produced the standout women’s ride, winning in 05:51:31 and finishing 47th overall from a field of more than 6,000 riders. The former ultra-runner, who only took up cycling in 2025, also won the women’s title at L’Etape du Tour Femmes last August, finishing five minutes clear of her nearest rival atop the Col de la Madeleine.
Canada’s Angelina Mireille, who finished third at La Marmotte in 2025, improved to second this year in 06:11:05, while former GFNY World Champion Samantha Arnaudo of France completed the women’s podium in 06:13:53.
The Marmotte Granfondo Alpes is widely regarded as the premier one-day cyclosportive of the Alpine summer outside the Tour de France. Sunday’s 45th edition again lived up to that reputation as more than 6,000 riders tackled five legendary Alpine cols before the iconic summit finish at Alpe d’Huez.
La Marmotte Granfondo results HERE
Photo Credit: GFDN
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