2029 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships: Ivan Basso appointed ambassador for Burgenland

Two-time Giro d’Italia winner Ivan Basso will serve as the official ambassador for the Lake Neusiedl Cycling Marathon right through to the 2029 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. The Italian brings his experience from professional sport to the Gran Fondo World Championships project. This is the first time Basso has taken on a role within the organising team of a cycling event. He is the team owner of Team Polti VisitMalta and is financially involved in cycling as a co-owner of Aurum Bikes. He combines his experience as a former world-class rider with that of an entrepreneur and team manager.

As General Manager of the Lake Neusiedl Cycle Marathon and Event Director, Johannes Hessenberger is responsible for organising the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Burgenland, Austria. The Province of Burgenland and Burgenland Tourism are supporting the development of this international cycling event. The World Championships are intended to raise Burgenland’s international profile as a cycling destination and showcase the region’s tourism infrastructure.

Programme and timetable for the Gran Fondo World Championships

The time trial events on 27 September 2029 will kick off the World Championships. This will be followed on 28 September by the Gran Fondo World Championships team relay, covering a 1.5-kilometre circuit around Mörbisch. The Media Fondo on Saturday 29 September covers 125 kilometres along the route of the Lake Neusiedl Cycle Marathon. This event is open to age groups aged 60 and over. On Sunday 30 September, the Gran Fondo will bring the event to a close. This route will be longer and more challenging than previous routes.

Organisation and structure

Hessenberger describes the scale of the project: 250 people are already working on the organising committee and in various working groups. This network will continue to grow in collaboration with partners in the run-up to the 2029 Gran Fondo World Championships. Registration for the 2027 Lake Neusiedl Cycling Marathon is already open. The organisers will use the coming years to position the marathon and the 2029 World Championships both nationally and internationally. The project is to be developed in collaboration with partners, local authorities and clubs.