The 54th Granfondo Matildica rolled through Reggio Emilia’s historic center on Sunday, doubling as the Italian national Gran Fondo championship, the European opening qualifier for the 2027 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Haute-Savoie and the final qualifying window for the 2026 UEC Gran Fondo European Championships in Varese, just three weeks away. The 153 km route climbed through 2,150 m of elevation gain.
Men: Simone Impellizzeri won a four-man sprint in 3:58:50, ahead of Patrick Facchini, Andrea Pisetta, and Daniele Bagnoli — an average speed of 38.4 km/h. The winning group finished just under a minute clear of a 13-rider chase pack, and the entire men’s top 10 was Italian.
Women: Virginia Becchetti (F35-39 category) won in 4:30:32, in 33.9 km/h average. Michela Gorini crossed the line second, 1’10” back followed by Mara Manfredi 6’14” behind Becchetti, alongside Carmen Mancini, winner of the F19-34 category.
With qualifying spots for both Varese and Haute-Savoie on the line, the result sheet carries extra weight this year for a race already in its 54th edition.
