The last qualifying event for the upcoming UCI Gran Fondo World Championships concluded this weekend on the Isle of Man. The coveted spots for the top riders in each age category were hotly contested.
Corrin Leeming claimed victory in the uphill time trial with a time of 22 minutes and 13 seconds, narrowly edging out Marcus Christie by just one second. Callum Salisbury secured third place, 37 seconds behind the winner. In the women’s category, Deborah Moss triumphed over younger competitors, finishing in 28 minutes and 25 seconds. Emily Bridson and Claire Hall claimed the second and third UCI category spots. Leeming and Moss averaged impressive speeds of 28.4 km/h and 22.2 km/h on the uphill course.
The following day’s 85-mile Gran Fondo saw a thrilling battle between time trial champion Corrin Leeming and Will Draper. In a sprint finish in Ramsey, Leeming secured the double victory. Marcus Christie finished a strong third, six minutes behind the leading duo. Jennifer Powell dominated the women’s Gran Fondo, finishing more than 11 minutes ahead of Emily Reynolds in second place. Emily Bridson claimed the third spot.
The mediofondo, counting as qualifier distance for all men over 60 and women over 50, the respective wins in the categories battling for qualification was for Simon Daw and Claire Hall.
With the Isle of Man event concluded, the final spots for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, set to take place in Aalborg, Denmark, in one month, have been filled. Over 2000 riders have already registered for the event, and with registrations expected to surge in the coming weeks, a massive turnout is anticipated. For the first time, a team relay will be included in the official program, adding another exciting dimension to the world championships.
