All roads lead to Australia's Great Ocean Road Region
Most recently visited by professional cyclists in the 2025 Surf Coast Classic (won by Ally Wollaston and Tobias Lund Andresen), the Australian Great Ocean Road Region is also home to Amy’s Gran Fondo. Held since 2011 to celebrate the memory of Elite cyclist Amy Gillett, the Gran Fondo is a staple of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series with its coastal landscapes and rolling courses. It was the second event of the series for the 2024-2025 season (after the Granfondo Matildica in Italy), attracting some 4,000 riders mid-September… And thousands will compete again on these roads in a few months, as the Great Ocean Road Region hosts the 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships (16-19 October).
From Italy to Australia, 29 events offer riders the opportunity to qualify - by finishing in the top 25% of their respective age group - for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. Last year, 3,270 participants representing 74 nations competed at the UCI Worlds in Aalborg, Denmark, a new participation record. After four days of competition (road races, individual time trials and team relay), 47 riders went home with gold medals. And everyone shared unique memories.
How many will join the party in 2025?
UCI World Champions to defend their rainbow jerseys
The first six events of the season - with the Tre Valli Varesine (Italy), the UCI Gran Fondo Pomerode (Brazil), the Granfondo Antalya (Turkey) and the UCI Gran Fondo Jordan Dead Sea following the Granfondo Matildica and Amy’s Gran Fondo - already granted qualification to more than 1,500 riders.
Among them, Italy’s Mattia Gaffuri won the Tre Valli Varesine, a few weeks after out-pacing all riders across all categories in the 2024 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. In the same event, his countrywoman Olga Cappiello (winner of the Women 60-64) and Switzerland’s Anita Klaiber (third in the Women 50-54) also got their tickets to defend the rainbow jerseys they claimed last year.
As for the Granfondo Antalya, it led to the qualifications of Poland’s Jakob Rucínski (Men 45-49), crowned UCI World Champion last year in the team relay, and France’s Aurélie Fosse (Women 45-49), daughter of Marie-Françoise Fosse (Women 70-74), who claimed victory last year at the UCI Worlds in the individual time trial.
Global rendezvous
Like every season, new faces are set to rise to the forefront in a trailblazing series that is continually exploring new territories and attracting new participants. As the 2025 UCI Gran Fondo Worlds are scheduled for October, six weeks later than in 2024, there will be another edition of the Granfondo Matildica (31 August) on the road to Lorne.
The last chance to qualify will be the Gran Fondo Asociacion Española (7 September, Uruguay), a newcomer in the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, which is also set to welcome new events in Loutraki (Greece) and Capesterre-Belle-Eau (Guadeloupe, French West Indies) next season.
Next stop of this season’s UCI Gran Fondo World Series is the United Arab Emirates, for the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge (23 February), ahead of the Granfondo Coimbra Region (1-2 March), in Portugal…
In all, qualifiers will be held in 24 nations across the globe, providing plenty of opportunities for riders to shine and pursue the rainbow jersey in Australia.