2026 UCI 66 Degrés Sud Gravel Tour: Rosa Kloser and Hugo Drechou take Victory
The second edition of the 66 Degrés Sud Gravel Tour on Saturday delivered a fast and selective day of racing across the high mountain gravel of the eastern Pyrenees, with riders tackling steep ascents, rugged forest sectors and the decisive climb to Pic de la Calma at 2,006 metres. The 100km Gran Fondo served as the final qualifier ahead of the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships in Nannup, Australia, and produced two clear winners.

Hugo Drechou gave the home crowd exactly what they wanted, riding away on the upper slopes of the final climb and holding off a late charge from Thomas Champion. Racing for Gravel Nation, Drechou stopped the clock in 2:59:16 after 2,286 metres of climbing. Champion closed fast but ran out of road, finishing twenty seconds behind. Former WorldTour rider Petr Vakoc, now racing for Factor Racing, secured third place a further two minutes and fifty-three seconds back, with Quentin Pacher and Aleksandr Grigorev completing a tight top five.
The women’s elite race saw a commanding performance from Germany’s Rosa Klöser of Canyon SRAM MAAP. Klöser rode clear early and maintained her advantage all the way to the finish, winning in 3:21:48. Nicole Frain took second at fourteen minutes thirty-seven seconds, while Teuntje Beekhuis claimed third at twenty-one minutes thirty-seven seconds.
The shorter 77km Medio Fondo produced its own standout rides. Seventeen-year-old Baptiste Danoy took the overall win in 2:48:10, finishing ahead of Nicolas Gras and Garcia Sanchez Xavier. Silvia Zuñiga Garcia was the fastest woman, placing thirteenth overall and leading a competitive women’s field.
The La Pyrénées Catalanes race on Sunday delivered a fast and explosive showdown across the short but demanding mountain course, with Bécaye Traoré proving untouchable from the start. The Expresso rider set a blistering pace on the early climbs and never looked back, powering to victory in 1:28:26. Florian-Bruno Millien mounted the strongest chase but could only limit his losses, finishing 3 minutes 49 seconds behind. Rostom Bensetti completed the podium after a well-timed surge on the final ascent, securing third place at 1:35:00 and rounding out a top three defined by aggressive pacing and decisive climbing strength.
The women’s La Pyrénées Catalanes race unfolded with a very different rhythm but the same level of intensity. Aude Caballero rode a perfectly measured effort, staying clear of the chasers and claiming victory in 1:59:39. Behind her, Amélie Gaux pushed steadily through the mid-race climbs to secure second place in 2:12:16, while Cécile Hernandez delivered one of the strongest late charges of the day to take third in 2:15:56. Their performances added a compelling parallel storyline to the men’s race, highlighting how the course rewarded pacing discipline as much as raw climbing power.
The UCI 66 Degrés Sud Gravel Tour is the final qualifier for the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships in Nannup, Western Australia (10–11 October), the top 25% in each age and gender category secured their place on the start line for the season’s biggest Gravel event in 2 weeks time.
2026 UCI 66 Degrés Sud Gravel Tour 100km Gran Fondo Top 10 Men
1. Hugo Drechou (Gravel Nation) — 2:59:16
2. Thomas Champion — 2:59:36 (+0:20)
3. Petr Vakoc (Factor Racing) — 3:02:09 (+2:53)
4. Quentin Pacher — 3:02:09 (+2:53)
5. Aleksandr Grigorev (Efapel) — 3:02:09 (+2:53)
6. Robin Bourdier (XC63) — 3:02:34 (+3:18)
7. Gilles De Wilde (Bataia) — 3:03:27 (+4:11)
8. Mathijs Loman (Canyon DT Swiss ATR) — 3:03:33 (+4:16)
9. Adne Koster (Seka X Reynolds) — 3:04:55 (+5:39)
10. Aaron Van der Beken (Gravel Nation) — 3:05:33 (+6:16)
2026 UCI 66 Degrés Sud Gravel Tour 100km Gran Fondo Top 10 Women
1. Rosa Klöser (Canyon SRAM MAAP) — 3:21:48
2. Nicole Frain (Factor Racing Team RCC) — 3:36:25 (+14:37)
3. Teuntje Beekhuis (Uno-X Mobility) — 3:43:25 (+21:37)
4. Chloe Schoenenberger (CAC Castelsarrasin) — 4:16:55 (+55:07)
5. Isabella Vianello (Lillehammer CK) — 4:36:36 (+1:14:48)
6. Kirstine Frida Rysbjerg — 4:45:56 (+1:24:08)
2026 UCI 66 Degrés Sud Gravel Tour 100km Gran Fondo Category Winners
Elite Women: Rosa Klöser (Canyon SRAM MAAP) — 03:21:48
Women 19: Petra Welmers (Jan van Arckel) — 03:56:36
Women 35: Elisa Cascardi (AIRcc Oakland) — 06:09:15
Elite Men: Hugo Drechou (Gravel Nation) — 02:59:16
Men 19: Arthur Tereygeol (XC63) — 03:14:09
Men 35: Maxime Saonit (Team Squadra Berria) — 03:17:57
Men 40: Jan Bakelants (Tiger Team) — 03:14:09
Men 45: Thibaut Vassal (128 Bike Avenue / UV Mazamet) — 03:21:17
Men 50: Alexandre Roustain (Montauban Cyclisme 82) — 03:45:37
Men 55: Lionel Duthoo — 04:11:48
Men 60: Thierry Aubert — 04:09:02
2026 UCI 66 Degrés Sud Gravel Tour 77km Medio Fondo Top 10 Men
1. Baptiste Danoy (Montpellier Métropole Cyclisme) — 2:48:10
2. Nicolas Gras (ECSL) — 2:57:00 (+8:50)
3. Garcia Sanchez Xavier (Alt Llobregat Pla i Baixada) — 2:57:51 (+9:41)
4. Martin Baylac (UCC Condom) — 3:06:38 (+18:28)
5. Aurélien Sales (VC Nayais) — 3:07:21 (+19:11)
6. Maxime Manenc — 3:10:57 (+22:47)
7. Alexandre Egido (Expresso Rocket Team) — 3:12:48 (+24:38)
8. Christian Ascoletti (Vélo Sport Hyèrois) — 3:13:43 (+25:33)
9. Vivian Born — 3:17:43 (+29:33)
10. Fabrice Bourdere (SUA Cyclisme) — 3:19:13 (+31:03)
2026 UCI 66 Degrés Sud Gravel Tour 77km Medio Fondo Top 10 Women
1. Silvia Zuñiga Garcia (Club Ciclista Vic) — 3:23:14
2. Aina Picas (Bikeberguedà) — 3:39:16 (+15:62)
3. Joséphine Peurois (FearlessWomenCC) — 3:41:39 (+18:25)
4. Gaelle Kerdiles (Dordogne Sud Cyclisme) — 3:43:43 (+20:29)
5. Mathilde Pruvot (MTB Les Angles) — 3:43:55 (+20:41)
6. Constance Cousin — 3:58:57 (+35:43)
7. Vanessa Iglesias Moreno (CCC X Pertot) — 4:05:45 (+42:31)
8. Pepa Josefa González Fernández — 4:06:24 (+43:10)
9. Lilou Antoine — 4:08:12 (+45:58)
10. Clémence Salvetat (Stade Montois Cyclisme) — 4:09:52 (+47:38)
2026 UCI 66 Degrés Sud Gravel Tour 77km Medio Fondo Category Winners
F19: Joséphine Peurois (FearlessWomenCC) — 03:41:39
F35: Gaelle Kerdiles (Dordogne Sud Cyclisme) — 03:43:43
F40: Silvia Zuñiga Garcia (Club Ciclista Vic) — 03:23:14
F45: Vanessa Iglesias Moreno (CCC X Pertot) — 04:05:45
F75: Jolien Faber (BeachBastards) — 05:22:54
M17: Baptiste Danoy (Montpellier Métropole Cyclisme) — 02:48:10
M19: Martin Baylac (UCC Condom) — 03:06:38
M35: Maxime Manenc — 03:10:57
M40: Fabrice Bourdere (SUA Cyclisme) — 03:19:13
M45: Garcia Sanchez Xavier (Alt Llobregat Pla i Baixada) — 02:57:51
M50: Serge Sales — 03:29:48
M55: Simon Naylor (Agrupacio Ciclista Andorrana) — 03:33:01
M60: Christian Ascoletti (Vélo Sport Hyèrois) — 03:13:43
M65: Marc Cabrera (Vélo Sport Hyèrois) — 03:21:51
M70: Alain Sabuco (VTT Club de Thuir) — 03:50:41
2026 La Pyrénées Catalanes Top 10 Men
1. Bécaye Traoré (Expresso) — 1:28:26
2. Florian-Bruno Millien — 1:32:15 (+3:49)
3. Rostom Bensetti — 1:35:00 (+6:33)
4. Tristan Ibarz — 1:37:37 (+9:11)
5. William Tournel — 1:45:08 (+16:41)
6. Sebastien Cazenove — 1:47:17 (+18:50)
7. Franck Leclercq (Gaillac Vélo Club) — 1:47:53 (+19:27)
8. Simon Marchal (Fontenilles VTT) — 1:50:13 (+21:46)
9. Frédéric Maignan (Noemie) — 1:53:36 (+25:09)
10. Alexandre Negre — 1:55:26 (+26:59)
2026 La Pyrénées Catalanes Top 10 Women
1. Aude Caballero (Font-Romeu Cyclisme) — 1:59:39
2. Amélie Gaux (TEAM GSO) — 2:12:16
3. Cécile Hernandez (USC Créteil) — 2:15:56
4. Magali Barat (ASC Gagnac Cyclisme) — 2:19:37
5. Carla Rovira — 1:39:24 (DSQ)
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