The Cheaha Challenge delivered another demanding and scenic weekend of racing in Jacksonville, Alabama, combining a fast time trial with a challenging granfondo over the state’s highest roads. As part of the iconic century ride finishing below the summit of Cheaha Mountain, riders were tested over nearly 100 miles of rolling terrain and sustained climbing.
In Sunday’s Granfondo, it was Matthew Knight (Georgia) who stole the show with a remarkable performance. Starting in the second wave for men over 45, five minutes behind the younger riders, Knight steadily closed the gap over the course of the race. After bridging to the front, he proved to be one of the strongest on the climbs and eventually broke clear together with Rick Rouillon (California)
The duo worked well together until the final stages, where Knight managed to edge ahead to take the victory. They crossed the line with a margin of 1 minute 26 seconds over Kaison Smith (Georgia), who won with a small margin to Joshua Walker (Alabama), finishing just 10 seconds later in fourth place. The selective course once again proved decisive, with the ascent of Cheaha Mountain shaping the final outcome.
In the women’s race, Lisa Houser (Louisiana) delivered a strong ride to take the win. She managed to overcome a staggered start situation, beating Canadian rider Esta Bovill, who had started in a later wave, by a clear margin of 9 minutes. Zarina Huber (Florida) completed the podium in third place, finishing at 12 minutes 26 seconds from the winner.
The weekend had already started with Saturday’s 12-mile (20.1 km) time trial from Piedmont to Jacksonville State University, a flat and fast course favouring powerful riders.
In the men’s competition, Richie Slagle (Tennessee) clocked the fastest time of 24:42, corresponding to an average speed of 48.8 km/h, to take the win. He narrowly edged out granfondo winner Matthew Knight by just 7 seconds, while Matthew Bailey (Utah) secured third place at 37 seconds.
In the women’s time trial, Karla Antonio (Florida) set the benchmark, winning in an average speed of 41km/h and with a margin of 50 seconds over Denmark’s Line Ostergaard. Dwindally Rosado-Rivera (New York) claimed third place, finishing 1 minute 4 seconds behind the winner.
