Annalisa Prato and Riccardo Barbuto take Victory at 2026 Granfondo Nove Colli
The Granfondo Nove Colli is truly world-class. Over 7,000 participants from 43 nations were at the start.
It began at dawn on Sunday, starting and finishing on the Cesenatico seafront. The long route was 200 km and the medium 137 km, with the Gravel section being the new addition.
7,028 participants from 43 nations lined up at 5:00 a.m. From the seafront, the riders headed along Viale Trento, the Adriatica state road, and Via Cesenatico to reach Cesena and then begin the climbs up the hills. The long, 200-kilometer route, which had to be completed within 12 hours, included the hamlets of Martorano and Diegaro in Cesena; in Forlimpopoli, Bertinoro, the first ascent of Polenta (305 metres), Fratta Terme, Meldola, Pieve di Rivoschio, and subsequently in San Romano, Ciola, Mercato Saraceno, the legendary Barbotto hill at 505 metres above sea level, Montetiffi, Perticara, Talamello, Novafeltria, Maioletto, on Mount Maiolo, Monte Pugliano (the highest peak at 791 metres above sea level), a part of San Leo, Secchiano, Passo delle Siepi, Gorolo, Sogliano, Savignano, Gatteo, Fiumicino, Sala and of course in the final part of Cesenatico.
The finish line was on the Carducci seafront near the Agip gas station, where a large village has been set up to welcome, assist, and provide first aid and, above all, feed the thousands of cyclists. The grand pasta party was hosted by chef Omar Casali of the Maré restaurant. The 137-kilometer medium route, which had be completed within 7 hours, passed through Bertinoro, Polenta, Pieve di Rivoschio, Ciola, and Barbotto, before cutting across Sogliano, Borghi, Savignano, and finally to the finish line in Cesenatico. There are four hills to climb along the medium route (Polenta, Pieve di Rivoschio, Ciola, and Barbotto).
The Gravel route is a new way to experience Romagna, with its dirt roads, climbs, and landscapes. It was 107 kilometers long, with a maximum elevation gain of 450 meters and an elevation gain of 1.798 meters, with a maximum gradient of up to 16 percent. The route ran along a mix of coastal and inland roads, alternating asphalt, dirt roads, and technical climbs. It's designed for those who want to discover the Romagna region in a different way, combining a spirit of adventure, sport, and nature.
In the 200km Gran Fondo, Riccardo Barbuto (RICCARDO EQUIPE CORBETTESE) outsprinted breakaway companion Luca Cavallo (OM.CC) by second to win in a time of 05:28:06, ahead of Simone Itaimpellizzer (TEAM DA-TOR / ISB) nearly 3 minutes behind.
In the women's category Annalisa Prato (OM.CC) was fastest in a time of 06:10:15, Roberta Bussone (TEAM MG K VIS PROMOTECH FMB) was 3 minutes behind in second place and Elisa Leardini (ASD VIBRATA BIKE 2005) in third place 10 minutes behind.
A first in the Cycling Industry, Artificial Intelligence was linked to the official photoshoot, conducted by PhotoToday, an agency specializing in sports photography. Each participant can create their own account on getpica.com, enter their personal 9-digit code printed on the front panel, automatically access their images, and share them with friends and family. The platform uses artificial intelligence-based image recognition technology to allow quick and personalized access, with automatic image association.
2026 Granfondo Nove Colli Top 10 Men Lungo
1 ITABARBUTO RICCARDO EQUIPE CORBETTESE 05:28:05.81
2 CAVALLO LUCA OM.CC 05:28:06.53
3 ITAIMPELLIZZERI SIMONE TEAM DA-TOR / ISB 05:30:50.85
4 DI FELICE FRANCESCO TEAM GO FAST 05:30:50.99
5 FACCHINI PATRICK TEAM BIEMME GARDA SPORT 05:30:51.85
6 MARTINELLI IVAN ASD TEAM GO FAST 05:30:54.47
7 MATTENS VINCE 05:30:59.55
8 CELANO DANILO ASD TEAM GO FAST 05:35:50.86
9 TROSINO MIRKO BICISPORT SANGUINETTI 05:35:51.05
10 FANTON GIOVANNI NEW LIMITS MONTURANESE 05:35:52.55
2026 Granfondo Nove Colli Top 10 Women Lungo
1 PRATO ANNALISA OM.CC 06:10:15.91
2 BUSSONE ROBERTA TEAM MG K VIS PROMOTECH FMB 06:13:39.62
3 LEARDINI ELISA ASD VIBRATA BIKE 2005 06:20:48.97
4 MEDRI GIULIA ? F ASD GIANLUCA FAENZA TEAM 06:28:59.40
5 ARNAUDO SAMANTHA OM.CC 06:33:43.34
6 TANNER JULIA ? F A.B.C. EGNA NEUMARKT 06:44:19.83
7 SOMAVILLA BIANCA 06:45:59.05
8 TANNER FRANZISKA A.B.C. EGNA NEUMARKT 06:45:59.11
9 DIETL MONIKA ? F 06:49:22.08
10 BLANC BEATRICE ASD RODMAN TEAM 06:49:25.28
Link to 2026 Granfondo Nove Colli Results: https://www.novecolli.it/en-GB/results