Full report and results from the 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Australia
Almost 4,000 of the world’s best amateur and recreational cyclists descended on Lorne for a five-day sporting extravaganza, with many chasing the world's most coveted Rainbow Jersey.
Almost 2,000 of the best amateur racers from more than 60 nations will competed across age categories for the sport’s coveted world champion rainbow jersey.
Australian riders dominated the start list, followed by New Zealand, Japan, USA and Great Britain, with others coming from Chile, Brazil, Tanzania, Cyprus, Slovakia, Ireland, Denmark, Norway and further afield.
The festival featured performances by the Pierce Brothers, The Bamboos, Hassall and Farah – along with food trucks, face painting, a silent disco and the Hendry’s SpinOff Free Family Ride.
2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships Time Trial Report and Results
The 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships Time Trial in Lorne was an absolute thriller! 23 riders claimed the gold medal in their age category on the 22.7km Great Ocean Road course in dry and overcast conditons.
Over Gold Medal Winners are:
Fastest Woman Overall: Marina Letaeva (F45-49)
Fastest Man Overall: Daniel Hochstrasser (AUT) (M19-34)
Full overview of Time Trail Champions by Age Group:
Elizabeth Randall (AUS) - F80-84
Gaye Lynn (AUS) - F75-79
Glenda Signorini (AUS) - F70-74
Linda Dewhurst (GBR) - F65-69
Anna Davis (AUS) - F60-64
Jill Seeman (AUS) - F55-59
Jenny Pettenon (AUS) - F50-54
Marina Letaeva - F45-49
Alina Mylka (POL) - F40-44
Kim Pedersen (AUS) - F35-39
Emma Ochoa (AUS) - F19-34
Marcel Eve (FRA) - M85-89
Myles Higgins (AUS) - M80-84
Ed Chamberlin (USA) - M75-79
Roger Cull (AUS) - M70-74
Alan Nelson (USA) - M65-69
Joe Spano (AUS) - M60-64
John Thomas (FRA) - M55-59
Raul Patino (COL) - M50-54
Andrew Knight (USA) - M45-49
Matthew Clark (USA) - M40-44
Jari Verstraeten (BEL) - M35-39
Daniel Hochstrasser (AUT) (M19-34)
2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships Team Relay Report and Results
Poland successfully defended its World Championship title in the Team Relay event, which was organized as an official UCI World Championship for the second time. The race, which saw each team member complete three laps of 1.9 km, was marked by dramatic position changes and an uncertain outcome until the final moments.
Belgium initially took the lead during the first leg. However, by the time of the first relay, a tight group formed, allowing France to seize the front position. The race remained tight into the third relay, as Slovenia, Poland, and three Australian teams converged, making the final victory unpredictable. Poland's strategy of saving their strongest rider for the final relay paid off. The rider launched a winning move, crossing the line first. A close sprint finish unfolded behind them for the remaining podium spots: three Australian teams finished just four seconds behind Poland, with Australia 4 claiming silver and Australia 1 taking bronze. Slovenia, who had been a strong contender going for silver with two laps to go, finished fifth. The top five teams all finished within a 10-second window.
Despite having a different composition this year—featuring a new female rider and a younger male rider—the winning team renewed their world title. Poland's successful strategy was to start with their oldest male rider, followed by the female, a male over 40, and finishing with the crucial younger male who also made the difference last year.
The winning quartet of Alina Mylka, Wojciech Szczepanik, Jakub Rucinski, and Piotr Belinski achieved an impressive average speed of 45.05 km/h over the 1.9 km laps, which included a difficult incline near the finish line.
2025 UCI Gran World Championships Team Relay Podium
1- Gold - Poland 1 (Alina Mylka, Wojciech Szczepanik, Jakub Rucinski, Piotr Belinski)
2- Silver - Australia 4 (Jenny Pettenson, Matty Arthur, Jon Lieghton, Tynan Shanon)
3- Bronze - Australia 1 (Brendon Bauer, Salsie Pieterse, Alan Nelson, Ryan Thomas)
2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships Team Relay Report and Results
The first summit at Benwerrin was set to test the peloton, which then passed through Deans Marsh, Barwon Downs and Forrest, before a second decisive climb at Mount Sabine, and then a return to Lorne along the Great Ocean Road after 131km on the Gran course.
The event is also a fundraiser for Amy’s Foundation, which works to improve cyclist safety through law, technology, infrastructure, and promotes mutual respect among road users, in memory of Amy Gillett – an Australian cyclist and rower who died 20 years ago after being struck by a car on a training ride in Germany.