From 1987 to yesterday, it had never happened that a foreigner arrived with arms raised in Piazza Galimberti in Cuneo in the international cycling granfondo La Fausto Coppi for Amateurs. Yesterday it happened not once, but twice, with the Dutch Pieter Frolichs and the Frenchman Stéphane Cognet, winners respectively in the medium distance (111 kilometers and 2,510 meters of altitude difference) and in the gran Fondo (177 kilometers and 4,125 meters of altitude difference) of the thirty-fifth edition of the event. France and the Netherlands were the two nations with the most members after Italy. There were 2,300 cycling enthusiasts, including 423 foreigners representing 36 nations, who set off from Cuneo at 7am in ideal weather conditions. Among the Women, two Italian successes, with the successes of Roberta Bussone in the long distance and Sonia Passuti in the medium distance. As per tradition, the Fausto Coppi was a competition, but also a three-day long party.
The races. In the men’s granfondo, Stéphane Cognet, representing Team Officine Mattio Cycling Club, fulfilled a dream he had been chasing in past editions – last year he was fifth – with an extraordinary performance. With a sort of Fauniera time trial, the French climber born in 1981 caught up with the breakaway that had started shortly after the start with some of the favorites. After taking the lead at the top of the hill, the “Cima Coppi” of medium-distance and granfondo with its 2,481 meters of altitude – from which 6.5 kilometers of descent started, neutralized to ensure maximum safety possible – Cognet flew towards the finish line, crossing it in 5h54’23”. Behind him was his teammate Manuele Caddeo in 5h56’46”, third Andrea Gallo (Mbhbank Colpack Ballan Csb) in 5h57’41”.
In the medium-distance race, Pieter Frolichs (Ratpenat) and Gabriele Novaira, the Officine Mattio Cycling Club’s standard-bearer – already second in 2023 – shared the lead for a long time. The Dutch rider took advantage of a mechanical problem suffered by Novaira on the descent of the last climb, Madonna del Colletto, winning in 3:42:11. Novaira (3:42:31) preceded his teammate Andrea Dalmasso (3:43:54).
Among the Women, Roberta Bussone (ASD Rodman Team) performed an excellent performance on her debut in the gran Fondo, with a time of 6h29’04” which earned her fourteenth position overall. Behind her Giulia Bisso (Promotech. MgK-Vis) in 6h35’39” and the cyclist from Cuneo Annalisa Prato (Officine Mattio Cycling Club) in 6h41’19”. In the medium distance the clearest success: Sonia Passuti (Team Staweld Buzzolan) triumphed in 4h01’42”. With her on the podium Iride Bertone (Roero Speed Bike), who finished in 4h16’13”, and Lorenza Beccaria from Bovese (Officine Mattio Cycling Club) in 4h18’22”, affected by a fall in the initial stages of the race.
