UCI Gran Fondo World Championships kick off tomorrow with the time trial

Tomorrow, Thursday 15th September, 561 participants in the time trial will open the rainbow event in Trento. An organizational entourage of around 300 people (led by an Italian businesswoman) in in charge of an event featuring athletes from 60 nations

The time has come: Thursday 15 September, the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will start in Trento, ready to animate the city streets and those of Monte Bondone until Sunday 18 September. The LOC has released the official list of the 561 starters in the individual time trial, the first race of the anticipated rainbow event, that will start at 9 AM CET in the Le Albere district, close to the famous MUSE – Sciences Museum.

Trento is ready to welcome over 2,000 athletes from 60 Countries and the approximately 1,500 accredited companions, who have reached the city to compete and attend the event that will award the coveted rainbow jerseys.

The athletes will be welcomed by a city in love with bicycles, and ready to provide them with bike-friendly services, thanks to the organization and facilities provided by the Trento Monte Bondone Tourist Board and Trento Eventi Sport, the organizing entities of the event.

About 300 people, among professionals and volunteers, are involved in the event’s organization over the course of the week. Remarkable is also the support shown by the Municipality of Trento, the local police force and the numerous voluntary associations that will be present for the entire duration of the competitions on the routes, to safeguard the safety of the athletes and the coexistence between the sporting event and the local activities.

Presiding over a complex organizational machine is Camilla Girardi, a Trentino businesswoman who a few weeks ago was called upon to lead Trento Eventi Sport, the company that, together with the Trento Tourist Board, is in charge of numerous events in Trento, for the benefit of the citizens and the tourist and commercial activities.

‘Trento has a real vocation for sport. Thanks to its conformation, the area attracts sportsmen and lends itself to hosting high-level competitive events, especially on two wheels,’ explained Camilla Girardi. ”rento showed its vision by committing to great events, becoming the theatre for countless international events that nowadays act as a driving force for the image of the city and the province, attracting fans and tourists from all over the world.”

The World Championships’ time trial will take place on a 19.6 km course, entirely flat, with start and finish in Piazza delle Donne Lavoratrici, in the Le Albere district. After tackling some technical curves and roundabouts on the way out of town, the athletes will find long straights suitable for specialists capable of developing high speeds.

It will be a German athlete, Maria Zander, competing in the 70-74 women’s category, to wear number 1 and officially start off the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships at 9.00 am CET. The athletes of the various categories will start every 30 seconds in a double session, from 9.00 to 11.30 and from 14.00 to 16.30.

Also expected at the start are the 2021 World Champions, who have confirmed their presence in Trento to defend their titles. In the Women’s categories, we will find at the starting line: Brit Jessica Rhodes-Jones (19-34), Swede Cecilia Hansen (35-39), Dutch Larissa Drysdale (50-54), Israeli Veved Elkayam (55-59), French Jeannie Longo (60-64), who has countless titles to her name both as Elite and as Amateur, and Slovenia’s Jožefa Anžel (65-69).

The defending champions in the men’s categories are French Laurent Derain (40-44), Irish Greg Swinand (Ireland), who this year will compete against Daniel Christen (Switzerland), last year’s champion in the 55-59 category, Australian Alan Nelson (60-64), Austrians Johan Taucher (65-69), Gottfried Hinterholzer (70-74) and Josef Bichl (75-79) and Latvian Mecislavs Bartusevics (80-84).

The individual time trial’s programme will end with the prize-giving ceremony at 18:30 in the Piazza delle Donne Lavoratrici. Anyway, the racing against the clock will continue in the following days: in the evening of Friday 16th September , the Team Relay will see the challenge of 25 National selections on a short course around the Le Albere district.

Saturday 17th September will instead be the day of the absolute debut of the Charly Gaul Monte Bondone Uphill Time Trial powered by Sportler. Registration is still open for one of the most eagerly awaited side events, during which even non-qualified athletes will be able to experience the emotions of a World event, paying homage to the legend of the Luxembourg athlete on the same climb (Sardagna – Vason) where a chapter in the history of Trentino and international cycling was written.

Sunday’s conclusion will be dedicated to the two most eagerly awaited races, the Granfondo (143.8 km) and the Mediofondo (86.8 km), which will put the athletes up against Trento’s ‘giant’, the  Monte Bondone, which will once again be called upon to play the role of prestigious judge among those who want to aspire to the Trento 2022 rainbow jerseys.