Granfondo Alé la Merckx: great success for the first edition in Livigno, in 800 on the climbs of Pogacar
Unforgettable day in Little Tibet, including breathtaking scenery, the iconic climbs of the Giro d’Italia and a day of great participation and sport.
Livigno, 06/29/2024 – It was an intense and spectacular day that animated Livigno on this magnificent weekend at the end of June. Sunny weather and clement temperatures, in fact, welcomed the more than 800 participants at the start, ready to tame the hairpin bends of some of the most iconic passes of tricolor cycling, for a Granfondo with important sporting content and a great value bearing. A unique spectacle, which also attracted to Livigno a group of special competitors, led by Sonny Colbrelli, Andrea Pusateri, Antonio Rossi, Gilberto Neirotti and Cristian Zorzi.
The two variants of the route, both starting at Aquagranda, Livigno’s Olympic Preparation Center, the flagship of the resort’s sports and tourism offerings, tested the athlete’s; endurance, thanks to the presence of some technically challenging, though very rideable, peaks, such as Forcola, Bernina, Umbrail and Foscagno: small feats, to be accomplished surrounded by the beauty of breathtaking scenery.
Among men, victory went to Mattia Gaffuri, in force at ASD Swatt Club, who finished the 167 kilometers of exertion, embellished by more than 4300 meters of altitude gain, in 5 hours, 6 minutes and 52 seconds, clearly preceding Michele Negri and Paolo Castelnovo (both ASD Team MP Filtri), respectively second and third at the finish line. For Gaffuri, the authentic ruler of the Granfondo, the lunge on the Passo del Foscagno was decisive, digging a chasm between him and the small group of pursuers and allowing him a solo finish.
Among the women, again in the long race, an overwhelming victory for an emotional Carlotta Uber, who is deeply attached to Little Tibet, a place she frequented as a child for cross-country skiing and has rediscovered as an adult athlete thanks to mountain running and cycling, a testament to the overall richness of Livigno’s offerings. Gioia Chiodi and Lisa Westner, authors of an excellent race, although distant from the winner, complete the podium.
In the Mediofondo, the short course of 106 kilometers and 2050 meters of elevation gain, success went to Thomas Bergamini (ASD Bike and Fun Team) among men and Luisa Isonni (Boario ASD) among women. Isonni’s victory was clear-cut, trimming more than six minutes off Anna Cadorin, second, and almost ten off Caterina Canclini, who was still excellent and third. The finish of the men’s race was more tightly contested, with Bergamini securing victory over Christian Martinelli only thanks to a decisive sprint on the Passo d’Eira.
Third was Stefan Kirchmair, who, in addition to the satisfaction of the podium, also goes home with a
Pinarello bike, partner of Alé la Merckx, for winning the Pogacar challenge, a special ranking dedicated to the athletes; time between Passo d’Eira and Mottolino, organized to celebrate the Slovenian champion’s sporting feat at the last Giro d’Italia, when he arrived solo on the toughest finish line of the 2024 pink race, squeezed between two wings of the crowd. A stage finish that immediately became an instant classic.
