The UCI Gran Fondo World Series made its stop in Hangzhou, China this weekend with a two-day programme around the scenic Qiandao Lake, combining a fast and straight forward time trial on Saturday with a demanding 97km granfondo on Sunday. The event was sold out with 4000 participants from 40 different countries.
Saturday – Time Trial
China’s Zhaoliang Xu set the benchmark in the 21km individual time trial, delivering a strong ride to take victory in 25:34 in an average speed of 49.3 km/h. Xu edged out Nicolas Marini (ITA), who finished just 18 seconds behind, while Peilin Pang (CHN) completed the podium a further 12 seconds down.
In the women’s race, Lu Bian secured a convincing win with a time of 30:09, riding at an average speed of 41.8 km/h over the same distance. She was followed by Taotao Lyu at 26 seconds with Jin Feng rounding out the podium at 32 seconds for a full Chinese podium.
Sunday – Granfondo
Sunday’s 97km granfondo saw an impressive solo effort from Russian rider Ivan Blokhin, who attacked and never looked back. Blokhin crossed the line alone after 2:16:33, averaging 42.6 km/h, and carving out a six-minute advantage over the chasing group.
Behind him, a strong and highly international group of eleven riders sprinted for the remaining podium places. Italy’s Nicolas Marini once again showed his strength to take second place, while China’s Shengnan Ce secured third. The group highlighted the international nature of the event, also featuring riders from Great Britain, Ireland, Russia, Japan and Spain.
In the women’s granfondo, it was a clean sweep for China. Kit Yi Leung powered to victory after winning a sprint against compatriots Lin Yang and Xiaomei Cai, completing an all-Chinese podium. The women covered the 97km course in 2:43:00, averaging 35.7 km/h.
