The 2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, the first edition of the event held in Asia, brought hundreds of amateur riders to Niseko, (Japan) from 27 to 30 August.
Racing took place on the island of Hokkaido in a setting that has become a staple of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series – with the Niseko Classic qualifier – since 2016.
A total of 402 riders represented 52 countries in the time trials held on Thursday. For the Gran Fondo and Medio Fondo races on Sunday, that rose to not far off 1500 starters from a record 64 countries. The competitors had qualified by finishing in the top 25% of their age group in the 29 events of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series.
Hochstrasser and Wolos fastest as Poland claim the team relay
The individual time trial kick started the action at blazing speeds over a 15-kilometre route starting and finishing at Kyowa Town Hall. The Niseko mountain range loomed on the horizon, albeit the course was predominantly flat.
Austria’s Daniel Hochstrasser (Men 35-39 years old) set the fastest time of the day in 17’42’’40 (50.84km/h). The Austrian picked up where he left off, as he dominated the individual time trial last year in the M19-34 age group. A year later, he reigned supreme once again, finishing more than 11 seconds faster than the Netherlands’ Glenn Van Nierop, who took victory in Hochstrasser’s former age group (17’53’’91, 50.32 km/h).
Among the women, the three riders on the podium of the 35-39 age group were faster than any other contender, with an average of 44.37km/h for the winner Ewelina Wolos (Poland). Her winning time of 20’17’’87 secured victory ahead of Great Britain’s Hayley Simmonds (20’23’’85; 44.15 km/h), the former National Elite Champion in the race against the clock (2015 and 2016).
Polish riders enjoyed a productive day, adding two more rainbow jerseys to their tally through Wojciech Kuziara (M 40-44) and Martyna Wisniewska (W 40-44). Across the time trials as a whole, however, Australia claimed the most titles and the United States of America the largest medal haul.
Poland’s strength and depth was further illustrated on Friday when Maciej Rogulski, Alina Mylka, Jakub Ruciński and Wojtek Szczepanik claimed the team relay title.
Road races: near perfect weekend for Mylka
On Sunday, the Gran Fondo and Medio Fondo took place over spectacular courses, filled with scenic views and packing significant climbs. Female age groups from 19 to 49 years old and male age groups from 19 to 59 years battled the Gran Fondo course (139.5km; 2,370m of elevation gain); the remaining competitors tackled the Medio Fondo (76.2km; 1,572m).
Following her silver medal in the individual time trial (ITT) and her gold in the team relay, Alina Mylka became the most successful rider of the week as she dominated the Women 40-44 road race. Meanwhile, her compatriots Arthur Sowinski (M19-34) and Kamila Wojcikiewicz-Plotkowiak (W35-39) were the fastest on the Gran Fondo course.
Great Britain’s Andrea Nightingale (W65-69), the USA’s Patricia Caldeira (W70-74), Norway’s Oeystein Fiskaa (M45-49) and France’s Marcel Eve (M85-89) also unleashed dominant performances to rule both the individual time trial and the road race. The latter was the dean of the 2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships at 86 years old.
New Zealand’s Mary Cullen and Sharon Prutton fought a great battle in the women 75-79 age group: the former won the ITT ahead of her compatriot and the duo swapped places on the podium of the road race.
At home, Japanese riders claimed eight medals: gold for Yoko Nakamura (W50-54, road race); silver for Hatsumi Nakajima (M75-79, ITT), Mana Morihiro (W40-44, road race), Hiromi Kaneko (W45-49, road race) and Yumiko Oishi (W55-59, road race); bronze for Tamio Tsumura (M75-79, ITT), Kaori Kikuchi (W65-69, ITT) and Yasumasa Oka (M19-34, road race).
Next year, the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will take place in Haute-Savoie (France), as part of the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships. The first qualifying events are just around the corner with the 2026 editions of the Amy’s Great Ocean Road Gran Fondo in Australia and the Granfondo Matildica in Italy, as well as the return of the CRC 506 Gran Fondo of Costa Rica to the calendar, all taking place on 13 September.