Showdown at Challenge Cesenatico: A Battle of Equals

May 5, 2026

Italy is gearing up for what promises to be an exciting battle at Challenge Cesenatico this Sunday 10 May. With a deep professional field, the race is wide open and includes the return of defending champion Gabriella Zelinka in the women’s race.

May 5, 2026 /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Italy is gearing up for what promises to be an exciting battle at Challenge Cesenatico this Sunday 10 May. With a deep professional field, the race is wide open and includes the return of defending champion Gabriella Zelinka in the women’s race.

The race, with the spectacular Adriatic Coast as its backdrop, features a group of about six men who are closely matched on paper. The highest ranked at #76 is local favourite, Michele Sarzilla. A few weeks ago, Sarzilla finished a strong third at Challenge Mogán-Gran Canaria and indicated he needed some more time to grow into the season; he has since had that time. With a second place at Challenge Sanremo and a win at Challenge Peguera-Mallorca last year, Sarzilla is a formidable opponent in Challenge Family races, and this weekend in Cesenatico will be no different.

Dieter Comhair (BEL) could very well become a “bogeyman” for Sarzilla: ranked just inside the world’s top one hundred, this is the first race of the year for Comhair, but with several podium finishes in 2025, he will be eager to prove himself again during Challenge Cesenatico. Based on the world rankings, several men follow who are all close to each other and capable of pulling off victory: Louis Woodgate (#110) from Greece, Emmanuel Lejeune (#144) (BEL), William Mennesson (#145) (FRA), and Jannik Stoll (#153) (GER) will all try and position themselves at the front in the race where the bike course is ‘rolling’ with about 500m of elevation, including two serious climbs, and the run course is fast and flat along the coast.

In the women’s race, there seem to be three distinct favorites for the win – though anything can happen in a race, and it wouldn’t be the first time an outsider surprises everyone with a brilliant performance – and most eyes are on defending champion, Gabriella Zelinka (HUN), Lisa-Maria Dornauer (AUT), and Marta Bernardi (ITA). Dornauer, as 80^th in the world rankings, has a slightly higher ranking, but Bernardi, ranked 84^th, naturally has the home advantage and will be carried by the Italian public for sure. Zelinka, who also won in Cesenatico last year, is the highest ranked at 75^th.

For Bernardi, this will be the opening race of the 2026 season, while Dornauer already kicked off in March with a 19^th place finish in the T100 Gold Coast. Last year, Dornauer also started in Cesenatico but finished just off the podium in fourth. This year, she will undoubtedly not settle for anything less than silverware and is determined to win or at least grab a podium spot. Bernardi closed her 2025 season last year with a fifth place at Challenge Peguera Mallorca and third at Challenge Barcelona and will also look to climb the podium once again. Zelinka will feel the heat from both women, but she will be looking to defend her title. Earlier this year, she competed at Challenge Sir Bani Yas, where she finished seventh.

For further information, visit www.challenge-cesenatico.com.

For live race updates, visit www.challenge-family.live from 9:00am CEST.