Jennifer Thornton-Brooks and Jeff Case fastest at 2026 Gran Fondo Asheville
Over 600 riders enjoyed the routes at the Gran Fondo Asheville, presented by Applewood Manor Foundation. They hit the best serpentine roads, climbs, and descents in the Asheville area, which is a road cycling mecca in the United States.
There were 3 distances, the 30-mile Piccolo, 55-mile Medio and 90-mile Gran Fondo with 1, 2 and 4 timed sections respectively. The 2026 event delivered fast racing across all four timed categories, with tight podium battles and standout performances from both returning athletes and new faces.
The Gran Fondo women’s race saw Jennifer Thornton-Brooks take a commanding victory with a cumulative racing time of 56:33.68 across the four timed sections, Madison Maloney finished just six seconds behind after a strong mid-race surge, and Lia Sprouse secured third in 56:47.96, completing a remarkably tight trio separated by only fourteen seconds.
Jennifer Thornton-Brooks’ win adds to her growing record within the Gran Fondo National Series, where she has become one of the most reliable and dominant riders in recent seasons. She has previously taken victories at Gran Fondo Boone, Gran Fondo Highlands, along with the 2025 National Championships event Gran Fondo Maryland. Her strength lies in her ability to produce evenly paced efforts across all timed segments, a hallmark of GFNS racing, and her consistency has made her one of the most successful women in the series’ modern era.
The Gran Fondo men’s race delivered one of the closest finishes of the entire event. Jeff Case took the win with a cumulative racing time of 51:32.16, with Brian Musum only five seconds back after matching Case nearly split-for-split. Taylor Delhagen finished third in 52:19.99, forty-seven seconds off the lead, rounding out a podium defined by high speed and minimal separation.
The Medio women produced one of the most competitive sets of podium times of the day. Solana Larrea took the win in 29:37.42, holding off Miami teammate Emma Ballestas by just seven seconds. Hannah Hanlon secured third in 31:09.66, delivering a steady performance that kept her ahead of a tightly packed group fighting for the remaining top-five positions.
The Medio men’s race featured a fast and aggressive front group. Juan Martinez claimed the overall win in 28:17.91 with a decisive final segment. Youngblood Haske followed twenty-four seconds later, showing impressive speed for the 55–64 category, while Alberto Morales rounded out the top three in 29:08.65, just under a minute off the winning time.
The Piccolo men’s race opened the day with a sharp, punchy effort over the short course. Kenny Grantham set the tone early and never relinquished control, winning in 9:49.58. Kenneth Barnett followed thirty-six seconds later, and Thomas Parkinson completed the podium at 11:03.58 after a strong ride that kept him clear of the chasers.
The team competition added another layer of excitement, with Palmetto Cyclist Collective's James Tobias, Brice Long and Sam Garver taking the overall team win in a combined adjusted time of 2:56:26.68. North Georgia Cycling Association followed in 3:04:04.52, powered by strong rides from David Anderson and Patrick Gilbreath. Get Rad ATL secured third place in 3:16:00.33, edging Team Otterhaus/Kelley Acres by less than a minute. Downtown Asheville Racing Club (DARC) finished fifth, while Reston completed the top six.
Participants also enjoyed the annual Cycling Expo. The Gran Fondo was hosted by Asheville Yards Amphitheatre in the heart of downtown Asheville where they enjoyed music, vendors, massage therapists, and of course– food and beer and the ride. There was of course the legendary GFNS raffle wite $5000 of prizes to give out from Series sponsors too.
83 riders qualified for the 2026 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships, to be held during Gran Fondo Maryland in Frederick, MD on September 20, 2026.
The next event in the series is Boone Gran Fondo on August 2nd. One of the most fun courses of the entire series, the Boone Gran Fondo twists and turns through wooded climbs and descents before returning to the party atmosphere of downtown Boone, North Carolina. Registration is open, but with just over 2 weeks to go you'll need to hurry to secure a place on this epic challenge across the High Country of North Carolina!
For more information and to register for the Boone Gran Fondo, visit https://www.granfondonationalseries.com/gran-fondo-boone
2026 Gran Fondo Asheville Gran Fondo Top 10 Women
1. Jennifer Thornton-Brooks — 56:33.68 — —
2. Madison Maloney — 56:40.60 — +0:06.92
3. Lia Sprouse — 56:47.96 — +0:14.28
4. Danielle Baler — 59:07.58 — +2:33.90
5. Lisa Houser — 59:30.85 — +2:57.17
6. Olivia Pantano — 1:00:58.41 — +4:24.73
7. Alexandra Christofalos — 1:01:17.51 — +4:43.83
8. Valentina Cummings — 1:06:06.84 — +9:33.16
9. Jennifer Bushover — 1:06:35.27 — +10:01.59
2026 Gran Fondo Asheville Gran Fondo Top 10 Men
1. Jeff Case — 51:32.16 — —
2. Brian Musum — 51:37.53 — +0:05.37
3. Taylor Delhagen — 52:19.99 — +0:47.83
4. Abe Close — 52:25.66 — +0:53.50
5. Max Abner — 52:36.30 — +1:04.14
6. Noah Niwinski — 53:08.76 — +1:36.60
7. James Tobias — 54:07.19 — +2:35.03
8. David Anderson — 55:19.00 — +3:46.84
9. Ernesto Aviles — 55:26.98 — +3:54.82
10. Luke Schneider — 55:58.21 — +4:26.05
2026 Gran Fondo Asheville Gran Fondo Team Competition
1. Palmetto Cyclist Collective — 2:56:26.68
2. North Georgia Cycling Association — 3:04:04.52
3. Get Rad ATL — 3:16:00.33
4. Team Otterhaus/Kelley Acres — 3:16:53.71
5. Downtown Asheville Racing Club (DARC) — 3:38:25.67
6. Reston — 4:02:07.55
2026 Gran Fondo Asheville Medio Fondo Top 10 Women
1. Solana Larrea — 29:37.42 — —
2. Emma Ballestas — 29:44.99 — +0:07
3. Hannah Hanlon — 31:09.66 — +1:32
4. Abby Walker — 31:18.91 — +1:41
5. Rebecca Falls — 31:41.11 — +2:0
6. Jamie Rothaug — 31:57.43 — +2:20
7. Dani Baranowski — 32:25.16 — +2:4
8. Marian Allen — 32:46.78 — +3:09
9. Michelle Kish — 32:51.37 — +3:13
10. Jenna Pellizzari — 33:31.42 — +3:54
2026 Gran Fondo Asheville Medio Fondo Top 10 Men
1. Juan Martinez — 28:17.91 — —
2. Youngblood Haske — 28:42.76 — +0:24
3. Alberto Morales — 29:08.65 — +0:50
4. Ian Maguire — 29:12.21 — +0:54
5. Paris Wallace — 29:22.02 — +1:04
6. Ryan Knight — 29:25.51 — +1:07
7. Santiago Vidal — 29:30.01 — +1:12
8. Gabriel Larrea — 29:39.14 — +1:21
9. Tyler Hughes — 29:50.36 — +1:32
10. Kendrick Murphy — 30:06.84 — +1:48
2026 Gran Fondo Asheville Piccolo Fondo Top 10 Women
1. Annika Gompers — 10:52.68 — —
2. Heather Parkinson — 11:04.57 — +0:11
3. Maddie Barondeau — 12:32.71 — +1:40
4. Caroline Hatch — 12:43.26 — +1:50
5. Jaylin Lucier — 12:52.52 — +1:59
6. Desirae Mcgee — 13:55.64 — +3:02
7. Katrina Matza — 14:02.15 — +3:09
8. Christine Ruane — 14:32.68 — +3:39
9. Mary Ewalt — 14:33.73 — +3:4
10. Erika Calle — 14:36.11 — +3:43
2026 Gran Fondo Asheville Piccolo Fondo Top 10 Men
1. Kenny Grantham — 9:49.58 — —
2. Kenneth Barnett — 10:26.00 — +0:3
3. Thomas Parkinson — 11:03.58 — +1:14
4. Kyle Kuykendall — 11:13.11 — +1:23
5. Howard Bergen — 11:26.84 — +1:37
6. Tyree Collington — 11:29.07 — +1:39
7. Jawad Zafar — 11:50.86 — +2:01
8. Sam Bell — 11:58.84 — +2:09
9. Tom Ratajczak — 12:07.80 — +2:18
10. Dean Yobbi — 12:26.59 — +2:37
Link to 2026 Gran Fondo Asheville Results: https://www.granfondonationalseries.com/asheville-2026-results
2026 Gran Fondo Asheville Photo Gallery
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