Rio de Janeiro returns to the international scene.

Made with 170 km of mountains and beautiful landscapes, starting in Guapimirim and arriving in Teresópolis, the inaugural edition of the cycling Grangiro, held in November, left about 80 participants impressed.

Paolo Bettini, Olympic champion in Athens / 2004 and two-time world champion (2006 and 2007), was highly regarded by the other cyclists. Also present was Andrea Tonti, a former professional cyclist who has participated in four World Championships and several events around the world.

In the women’s race, the victory was with Daniela Figueiredo Genovesi (4h35min01sec), while in the men’s Ricardo Pichetta (4h07min45sec) came in the lead.

In the form of a legitimate Italian Granfondo, the Grangiro aims to bring together cyclists from around the world annually. Pre-registrations for the 2017 edition are already open on www.ilgrangiro.com.