Trento awaits the final party with the Granfondo and Mediofondo showdowns

After the Charly Gaul uphill time trial on Saturday night, the Monte Bondone will stand big again on Sunday, the day of the Granfondo and Mediofondo races of the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Trentino. 1537 riders – 1274 men and 263 women – are expected at the start at 10:00

Penultimate day in rainbow colors for Trento, home of the 2022 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships (September 15-18). The guests arriving from 60 Countries around the World seem to have perfectly settled in the city, enjoying every aspect of a city tailor-made for cyclists and bike lovers.

Saturday, September 17th was dedicated to the last preliminary operations before the most anticipated fixtures of the weekend: on Sunday, September 18th, 1537 athletes (1274 men and 263 women) will challenge the Monte Bondone in pursuit of a rainbow dream.

The Granfondo course, 143.8 km and 3900 mt of elevation gain, will take the riders up the Monte Bondone three times. The first ascent will be rising from Aldeno up to the Le Viote plateau; then, 20 km of descent will take the riders to Calavino, and then a false flat will lead them to the foot of the Bondone again, this time from the Sopramonte side.

Once they reach the summit, at an altitude of 1557 meters, the athletes will dive towards Lasino and Calavino, and will pass through Terlago before tackling the Monte Bondone from Sopramonte again. This time, they will turn down in the Candriai village to take on the technical Sardagna descent and face the last 13 km towards the World Championship’s finish.

The Mediofondo (86.8 km, 2218 mt of elevation gain) follows an identical course until two-thirds of the race. After the ascent from Aldino, they will face the Monte Bondone rise from Sopramonte only once, taking the turn in Candriai towards the finish line.

The departure for all athletes is scheduled at 10.00 AM CET. The first Mediofondo finishers are expected at about 13.15, while the leaders of the Granfondo will close at about 15.30 CET. The start will be given in Via Roberto da Sanseverino, near the Le Albere quartier where the finish is set. The area will come alive from 10 AM, with the music and animation by partner radio Viva FM and the pump track powered by Sportler. The pasta party will be served from 13.30, and from 16.30 the new World Champions will be finally crowned.

On Saturday, the Monte Bondone was in the spotlight already with the Charly Gaul Monte Bondone uphill time trial powered by Sportler, also open to non-qualified athletes to the World Championships. The participants challenged themselves at sunset in an individual time trial on the Monte Bondone slope from Sardagna to Vason (13.6 km), the one made famous by Charly Gaul’s feat at the 1956 Giro d’Italia.

Trento’s Saturday also brought a sigh of relief. At the end of the Team Relay on Friday evening, an athlete of the Mongolian team suffered a cardiac arrest. Promptly rescued by the medical staff of the event, the man was hospitalized at the Santa Chiara Hospital in Trento, where he is currently monitored but in reassuring conditions.