UCI Gran Fondo Jordan Dead Sea opens 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Series

19km Time Trial and two 74km Stages with 1500m of climbing up Mount Panorama with spectacular views of the Dead Sea.

The 15th season of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, UCI’s qualifier series for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will start this weekend with the UCI Gran Fondo Jordan Dead Sea who will be organized for the third time. 

The series kicked off with a 19.3km time trial on Thursday, a challenging out-and-back loop starting at Prince Hussein Bin Abdullah Park, just north of the Dead Sea. The course, with 120m of elevation gain,provided a tough opening test for the riders.

30 year-old former Russian pro Zakarin Aidar (INEX) was fastest in 24:47 at an average speed of 46km/h. Sergei Kozulin was second (25:59), followed by last year’s winner Majid Basim Mohammed Abuharrah (26:20).

Fellow Russian Eliaveta Ivanova (Zhemchuzhina morya) won the women's ITT in 29:36 at 39.5km/h. Jenny Berglund-Blanke was second (32:25) and Ekaterina Krainiuk finished third (32:57).

Friday and Saturday featured demanding routes that climbed from below sea level at the Dead Sea to a peak of 850m.

Friday’s 73.8km course (Stage 2) ran clockwise with 1500m of climbing. Dominik Omiotek was fastest for the men in 2:11:33 ahead of Majid.Basim Mohammed.Abuharrah (2:12:33) in second and Helal Alharbi (UAE Ministry of Defense) in third (2:15:57).

Elizaveta Ivanova was again fastest for the women in 2:33:32, ahead of Kristina Romasko in second (2:41:24) and Olga Janiszewska  in third place (2:46:17).

Saturday’s 76.5km race primarily headed in the opposite direction with 1500m of climbing, ascending the Mount Panorama road and offering spectacular views of the Dead Sea.

On stage 3 Elizaveta Ivanova took a hat trick in a time of 2:39:13 ahead of Kristina Romasko (2:50:01) in second and Tamara Zein (2:52:02) in third place. In the mens Stage 3, Fahed.Ibrahim bazian was fastest (in a time of 2:41:48, ahead of Saif mashal in second (2:41:50) and Mohammad.abdulsalam mohammad.hajeer  (3:07:37) in third place.

Overall Elizaveta Ivanova won the women's GC and Majid.Basim Mohammed.Abuharrah won the men's GC.

Although the field was relatively small, riders from many different countries will be competing in the UCI Gran Fondo Jordan Dead Sea, giving the event a truly international atmosphere.

The 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships are heading to Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. Starting and finishing in Lorne it’s a challenging yet rewarding course on completely closed roads along Australia’s most breathtaking coastline. At Worlds, the champions in each age group are awarded with the coveted rainbow jersey. Next year’s Worlds will feature the road race and individual time trial based in Lorne, and a team criterium on Geelong’s waterfront. The event will take place from October 17–19, 2025.

Link to 2025 UCI Gran Fondo Jordan Dead Sea results: https://results.sporthive.com/events/7290645296344727552