Taranto (Italy) hosted the second event of the 2026 European SUP League circuit with the Lido Gandoli SUP Race, delivering a weekend of intense competition and confirming the strong sporting level of the tour.

The event brought together athletes across multiple categories in a competition marked by high performance, favourable sea conditions, and demanding race formats, further establishing the early competitive benchmarks of the season following the opening stop in Santa Pola.

The programme featured both Technical Race and Long Distance disciplines, offering a complete test of speed, strategy, and endurance. The beach conditions allowed for fast and highly technical racing, while strong easterly winds during the Long Distance added an extra layer of difficulty, pushing riders to their limits and increasing the tactical demands of the course.

In the Technical Race, Cecilia Pampinella claimed victory in the women’s category, ahead of Sveva Sabato and Claudia Postiglione. In the men’s race, Donato Freens secured the win, followed by Nicolò Vincenzo Ricco and Filippo Mercuriali.

The same dominance was seen in the Long Distance, where Cecilia Pampinella and Donato Freens once again took top honours in their respective categories. Pampinella led the women’s podium ahead of Sabato and Postiglione, while Freens finished first in the men’s race, followed by Ricco and Mercuriali.

Beyond the elite divisions, the event also recorded strong participation across youth, master, kahuna, inflatable, and ParaSUP categories, reinforcing the inclusive and competitive nature of the European circuit.

With this second stop of the season, the European SUP League continues to showcase the growing level of Stand Up Paddle in Europe, with Taranto delivering a technically demanding and highly competitive event that further shapes the 2026 rankings.