UCI Awards 2029–2032 Gran Fondo World Championships to Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Denmark Respectively

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced today that Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Denmark will host the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in 2029, 2030, 2031 and 2032 respectively, marking a return of the event to central Europe.

The decisions were made during the UCI congress held in Kigali, Rwanda which are hosting the 2025 UCI World Championships.

The 2029 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will be held in Mörbisch am See, Austria, a flat and fast venue on the shores of Lake Neusiedl known for the popular Neusiedlersee Radmarathon. If organisers adopt the established marathon route, the course is expected to favor sprinters and fast-finish specialists, setting the stage for high-speed finishes and tight competition among elite and age-group riders.

The 2029 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will be held in Mörbisch am See, Austria,

The 2030 championships are scheduled for Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, home to the UCI Gran Fondo Suisse. That course is relatively short at around 108 km but demanding, with approximately 2,600 meters of vertical gain threading through the Alps. Riders can expect sustained climbs and technical descents with very little flat terrain — a route that will reward strong climbers and all-rounders.

In 2031 the Gran Fondo Worlds will return to Trentino, Italy, revisiting terrain that hosted the 2022 edition. The Trentino course is known for severe climbing challenges, including the legendary ascent of Monte Bondone and cumulative climbs that once exceeded 4,300 meters. The Italian edition will integrate the region’s mountainous roads to produce a true endurance test for participants across categories.

Denmark’s Aalborg will host the 2032 championships, bringing the event back to a venue that staged a successful edition in 2024. The typically windy and flat Danish terrain often produces aggressive racing and large groups contesting sprint finishes, offering another contrast to the Alpine and Italian mountain courses.

The UCI noted that these selections rebalance the championships geographically after recent editions in Asia and the Middle East, returning major events to central Europe. The organisation also confirmed that this year’s UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will take place in October 2025 in Lorne, Australia.

Despite the forward-looking calendar, the UCI has faced criticism from riders and organisers in the Americas. Cyclists have expressed disappointment that no UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will be held in North or South America within the next seven years, citing strong growth in events and participation across both continents and urging greater regional inclusion in future planning.

The UCI Gran Fondo World Championships are held every year in at the end of the series of qualifying events around the globe, typically in August or September.