The stunning Vosges mountains in France roared to life yesterday as 2500 cyclists tackled the Granfondo Vosges, a key French qualifier in the UCI Gran Fondo World Series. Perfect weather set the stage for a day of intense riding across the challenging terrain.
The epic 175km granfondo course, with a hard 2900 meters of climbing, truly tested the participants. Meanwhile, the shorter 121km mediofondo, a qualifier for all women and men over 60, remained challenging with 2240 meters of ascent, cutting out the flatter mid-section of the race.
In a nail-biting final to the granfondo, Stijn Wieling of the Netherlands powered across the finish line first, beating Belgium’s Vince Mattens in a thrilling two-up sprint at the La Bresse Hohneck ski station summit. Fellow Dutchman Jelle Ter Weeme fought hard for third place, arriving just 2 minutes and 25 seconds later. Wieling’s impressive ride saw him average a fast 38.87 km/h despite the demanding climbs.
The mediofondo saw local pride shine through as France’s Paola Ponta seized the women’s victory. Her strong average speed of 32.72 km/h kept Canada’s Michelle Gagnon and fellow French competitor Marie Brozzoni behind, with both finishing just over a minute later.
