Participants had qualified through the UCI Gran Fondo World Series and battled it out in the time trial and two road races, the Mediofondo and Granfondo. A rainbow jersey and a UCI World Champion title were awarded for every age group that featured at least one starter.
Time trial: impressive Derain, eternal Longo
Riders got to enjoy the first days of the week familiarising themselves with the settings of these UCI World Championships, in the same lands that welcomed the 1984 Winter Olympic Games. Action kicked off on Wednesday, with 240 riders taking on the individual time trial raced in Pale over 20.7km.
At 42 years old, the very tall and powerful Laurent Derain (FRA) set the best time across all categories: 25’20’’. Sweden’s Cecilia Hansen, also part of the 40-44 age group, was the fastest woman to retain her UCI World Champion title with a time of 28’32’’.
In total, 20 riders claimed the iconic rainbow jersey, including cycling icon Jeannie Longo (FRA), a 13-time UCI World Champion during her stellar career and still a very special rider at 62 years old.
The winners
Women
19-34 years old: Jessica Rhodes-Jones (GBR)
35-39: Alina Mylka (POL)
40-44: Cecilia Hansen (SWE)
45-49: Marina Letaeva (RUS)
50-54: Larissa Drysdale (NED)
55-59: Vered Elkayam (ISR)
60-64: Jeannie Longo (FRA)
65-69: Jožefa Anžel (SLO)
70-74: Martina Ušeničnik (SLO)
Men
19-34 years old: Michal Braulinski (POL)
35-39: Marcin Bialoblocki (POL)
40-44: Laurent Derain (FRA)
45-49: Andrej Guček (SLO)
50-54: Greg Swinand (IRL)
55-59: Daniel Christen (SUI)
60-64: Alan Nelson (AUS)
65-69: Johann Taucher (AUT)
70-74: Gottfried Hinterholzer (AUT)
75-79: Josef Bichl (AUT)
80-84: Mecislavs Bartusevics (LAT)
Full results: http://82.146.32.70/pdf_results/rezultati_itt.pdf
Mediofondo: Lattanzi and Felici demonstrate Italian climbing talents
Epic weather conditions awaited the 127 riders participating in the Mediofondo on Saturday. The route was reduced to 66km in this first road race of the weekend, for all men 60 and over, and women 50 and over, but the challenges were still more than enough to bring a huge battle from Sarajevo to the Jahorina mountain. Italy’s Giovanni Lattanzi rode aggressively on the uphill challenges of the day. He was the first rider at the finish line to take the rainbow jersey in the 60-64 category.
Milena Felici (ITA) was, for a long time, the first woman on the road, until the younger Celine Monrad-Haslum (NOR) rose to victory on the final slopes of the day, while Felici still finished as the outright winner in her age group (55-59). A few minutes later, Jeannie Longo (FRA) took her second rainbow jersey of the week, as did Martina Ušeničnik (SLO), the veteran of the race.
The Winners Women
50-54 years old: Celine Monrad-Haslum (NOR)
55-59: Milena Felici (ITA)
60-64: Jeannie Longo (FRA)
65-69: Gisèle Thureau (FRA)
70-74: Martina Ušeničnik (SLO)
Men
60-64 years old: Giovanni Lattanzi (ITA)
65-69: Johann Taucher (AUT)
70-74: Rudolf Sluyts (BEL)
75-79: Josef Bichl (AUT)
80-84: Herbert Lackner (AUT)
Full results: http://82.146.32.70/pdf_results/results_MF.pdf
Granfondo: Martinelly flies, Wojcikiewicz sprints to the summit
The conditions remained extreme for the Granfondo race. A loop in the mountains was skipped to bring the total distance down to 100km, with another summit finish atop Jahorina. Italian climbers shone again. Ivan Martinelli (31 years old) was the fastest rider on this course to take the rainbow jersey in the 19-34 age group ahead of two compatriots, Ettore Carlini and Fabio Cini.
It was a very tight finish between the fastest women when Kamila Wojcikiewicz (POL) narrowly won the uphill sprint ahead of two Slovenians, Katarina Novak and Laura Šimenc. Another Polish rider impressed in the 35-39 age group, Alina Mylka, who dominated both the ITT and the Granfondo.
The winners Women
19-34 years old: Kamila Wojcikiewicz (POL)
35-39: Alina Mylka (POL)
40-44: Sara Hedberg (SWE)
45-49: Esta Bovill (RUS)
Men
19-34 years old: Ivan Martinelli (ITA)
35-39: Johnny Hoogerland (NED)
40-44: Pavel Gonda (CZE)
45-49: Igor Kopše (SLO)
50-54: Nicola Loda (ITA)
55-59: Andrew Pendery (FRA)
Full results: http://82.146.32.70