Full La Stelvio Santini Gravel report, results, and photos on Cyclry
The inaugural edition of La Stelvio Santini Gravel officially opened the legendary cycling weekend in Alta Valtellina, taking riders off the smooth alpine tarmac and onto the rugged forest tracks and gravel paths of the region. Utilizing the same innovative timed-climb format as the traditional road event, the race prioritized rider safety on the descents while serving up pure, unadulterated suffering on the dirt sectors. Over two challenging distances—a 70km long route with 2,000 meters of climbing and a 44km short route with 1,400 meters of elevation—participants were pushed to their absolute limits.
The race was ultimately decided on the brutal slopes of the Burat Wall and the legendary Boscopiano climb, a 4-kilometer gravel brute boasting a savage 12.8% average gradient leading up to the Cancano Lakes. Swiss rider Maria Ossowska and Austrian Gerald Grundner conquered the loose stones to claim top honors on the long course, while Marijn Kempen and Ana Martinez Romero dominated the technical singletrack of the short course. Watch the official highlight reel above to see how the very first off-road chapter of this historic alpine weekend unfolded.