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41-596: Nowadays only a handful of the largest Italian Gran Fondos have full road closures, but laws requiring riders to obey all traffic signals are more lax in Italy compared to other western countries. The first few Gran Fondo events in the United States were organized in 2009, and as of 2017 there were over 200 events in North America. Although US Gran Fondos are independently owned and operated, Gran Fondo National Series organizes

82-770: A Gran Fondo World Series , incorporating some of the Gran Fondo events listed below as qualifier events, and a final race to award the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships to elite and masters amateur riders in their respective age groups. Recent finals took place in Perth (Australia; 2016), Albi (France; 2017), Varese (Italy; 2018), Poznan (Poland; 2019), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina; 2021), and Trento (Italy; 2022). Upcoming finals will be hosted by Glasgow (UK; 2023) , Aalborg (Denmark; 2024), Melbourne (Australia; 2025), and Victoriaville (Canada; 2026). The first Gran Fondo

123-456: A chance to turn pro each year. Others either end their cycling career, have to continue racing small circuit races, or compete at Gran Fondos, which explains the competitiveness at Gran Fondos and their popularity. Argentina In Argentina, Gran Fondo cycling is still a rather new concept. In 2013, the first one was held in San Luis, which many consider the cycling capital of Argentina, given that

164-648: A cycling club-sponsored event. Many cycling clubs sponsor an annual century ride as both a social event for cyclists and as a fund-raiser for the club’s other activities. The origins of the century ride are obscure, but Dora Rinehart did century rides in Denver, Colorado in the 1890s. The TOSRV began in 1962 with two riders. The Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour started in 1972 with eighty riders. The Apple Cider Century dates back to 1974. Club-sponsored century rides typically offer several options for cyclists of varying abilities, such as… Double century rides are usually scheduled near

205-401: A range of circuits, from 66 km to 268 km. The Tour of Flanders had 18,000 participants in its 2007 edition and 17,000 in 2008. Riders can also choose from different circuits including mountainbike courses, from 28 km to 256 km. These events often enjoy roads closed to traffic for the duration of the event, allowing riders to enjoy the full width of the road and to profit from

246-787: A route around the Perthshire highlands; the Etape Cymru , first held in October 2011 on North Wales roads including the Horseshoe Pass; and the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 through central London and the Surrey countryside, which in its inaugural run in 2013 was completed by nearly 16,000 riders, and by over 20,000 the next year. Cyclosportives that are longer than 300 km fit the criteria for ultra-distance cycling events. Although

287-486: A traditional cycle road race and the more challenging non-competitive randonnée or Audax events. Riders normally carry a number and the time they take to complete the course is recorded. There is usually an upper time limit within which the course must be completed (unlike many randonnée events, there is no lower limit preventing riders from completing the course quickly). The already lengthy course will traditionally include climbs and difficult riding conditions, adding to

328-516: Is a feminine noun in French). Many cyclists use sportives to challenge themselves in a personal battle against the distance and then ultimately, the clock. Some participants in a cyclosportive will ride the event like a race, with prizes awarded and considerable prestige for top place finishers, particularly in events like La Marmotte , L'Étape du Tour and the Ardechoise. A cyclosportive falls between

369-399: Is a popular event with an international field of participants. Also known simply as Granfondo Yunnan, it not only offers tough mountain courses but also focuses on the cultural, ethnic and culinary features of the province. Colombia Colombia is a country where enthusiasm for cycling is near Italian levels and bigger than in most other countries. Thanks to the new generation of cyclists in

410-463: Is a short to long distance, organised, mass-participation cycling event, typically held annually. The Italian term Gran Fondo is commonly used for these events in the United States, Australia and some other English-speaking countries. Cyclosportive is short for the French term randonnée cyclosportive (the spelling cyclosportif is sometimes also used but cyclosportive is correct as randonnée

451-454: Is being ridden. A double metric is the shortest distance in randonneuring , long distance rides in multiples of 100k. Unlike centuries, riders in a randonneuring event, or brevet, pass through checkpoints on the route ensuring that the entire route is being completed. Amateur brevets are generally a test of endurance, rather than speed. Brevets also differ from centuries in being self-supported, riders either carrying or purchasing supplies along

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492-518: Is one of the most notable globally, held along the Great Ocean Road, with 2,500 riders completing the Gran Fondo distance. On the west coast, Perth has been holding a successful Gran Fondo race that has featured as “UCI Granfondo World Championship” . In the north, Darwin's Top End Gran Fondo was the third Gran Fondo in Australia starting in 2012. The Top End event has become an annual event in

533-595: Is organized with the race starting and finishing in Mondorf-les-Bains and taking the riders along the scenic Moselle river towards the hilly Little Switzerland region in the eastern parts of the country. In the 3rd edition on May 25, 2019, about 3000 riders participated in one of two parcours lengths, 155 km and 100 km. Century ride A century ride is a road cycling ride of 100 kilometers or more in metric system countries or 100 miles (160.9 km ) or more in imperial system countries, usually as

574-766: Is the Wysam 333 in Switzerland at 333 kilometres (207 mi). There is also the Vätternrundan cyclosportive that does a tour of the Swedish lake, which is a route that measures 315 kilometres (196 mi). In New Zealand, there is the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge . The standard cyclosportive option involves a single lap of the lake, which is 160 kilometres (99 mi) long, but there are also options to do two laps in one day for 320 kilometres (200 mi), with no support on

615-634: Is typically held on a hilly course through the northeastern part of Luxembourg known as the Mullerthal , towards the Ardennes low mountain range in the north of the country. Since 2008, the race has a start and finish in Echternach and takes place in early September. The 2018 edition gathered about 1200 riders for one of the two parcours lengths, 153 km and 89 km. Since 2017, the Schleck Gran Fondo

656-743: The Cape Argus Cycle Tour in South Africa which celebrated its 30th year in 2007 with 40,000 entrants and Italy's Maratona dles Dolomites . The largest open road cyclosportive in the UK is the Verenti Dragon Ride Wales , held each June over a challenging 200 km mountainous course in South Wales. There are three UK cyclosportives held on closed roads: the annual Etape Caledonia which attracted some 3,500 cyclists in its 2009 edition, follows

697-595: The Gran Fondo Boyaca Mundial is being held inside the department of Boyaca. An updated list can be found on Gran Fondo Guide Denmark In Denmark, Gran Fondo Copenhagen was held in 2014 and 2015 until it got cancelled in 2016. Dubai The Dubai Gran Fondo was held for a few years but cancelled in 2016. The Dubai 92 cycle challenge is UCI Grand Fondo-approved for 2016. France Gran Fondos are called “ Cyclosportive ” in France and they are just as popular as

738-552: The Milan–San Remo cyclosportive proclaims itself to be the "longest Granfondo in the world", it is only 296 kilometres (184 mi) long and there are several others that are longer. Bordeaux–Paris was a professional race until 1988 and returned in 2014 as a cyclosportive with a route of about 610 kilometres (380 mi). The Tour du Mont Blanc is a 330 kilometres (210 mi) long cyclosportive over mountainous terrain through France, Switzerland, and Italy. Slightly longer still

779-685: The Wicklow 200 have been popular in Ireland for many years. In recent years, some Gran Fondo events have appeared, but most of them are non-timed bike tours. Israel The first Israeli Gran Fondo the "Clal Health Gran Fondo", took place in April 2012. Since then it has taken place in the north and the south of Israel. In 2015 the Dead Sea Gran Fondo joined forces with the Israel Cycling Federation,

820-429: The summer solstice to take advantage of the longer daylight hours, and begin at or before dawn. The term Imperial century is sometimes used outside the United States and United Kingdom to indicate that 100 miles in imperial system is used instead of the implied 100 kilometers in metric system . The term Metric century is used inside the United States and United Kingdom to indicate that 100 kilometers (62.13 miles)

861-502: The 2010s, Gran Fondo races gained a lot of attention and became very popular, hosted by local stars like Rigoberto Urán El Giro de Rigo , Nairo Quintana Gran Fondo Nairo Quintana , and even old glories like Santiago Botero La Ruta Colombia , as well as GFNY Colombia (first held in 2015). The popular La Ruta Colombia Gran Fondo series with two events in changing locations as well as the one-off Gran Fondo Hincapie are not Gran Fondo races but only bike tours with timed sections. Since 2016,

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902-523: The Australian cycling calendar, showcasing the unique NT landscape. In South East Queensland, Tour de Brisbane hosts a Gran Fondo course starting in 2019. The July 2021 event had over 4,000 rider registrations. Austria In Austria, the generally used term for Gran Fondo is Radmarathon . This can be confusing because events with that same term in Germany are non-timed bike tours. While not as competitive as

943-654: The County Gran Fondo in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Chile In Chile, road cycling has to catch up in popularity with mountain biking and triathlon, but several Gran Fondo events are showing up on the scene, like Gran Fondo Giro del Lago , and set for 2017, GFNY Chile just outside Santiago. China Since 2014, a challenging multi-stage and multi-city event has been organised in the Southwestern province Yunnan. The Colourful Yunnan Granfondo Cycling Festival

984-561: The Italian counterpart, Radmarathons are true Gran Fondo-style races. The mother of them all is the Oetztaler Radmarathon, over 240 km with 5,200 m of climbing, one of the hardest Gran Fondo races in the world that attracts a sold-out field of 4,000 riders. Belgium In Belgium, local laws prevent Gran Fondo races. A lot of events have tried it but all that is left are bike tours. While thousands of riders get to experience events on

1025-592: The cyclosportive culture which is identical to Italian Gran Fondos. In the English-speaking part of the country, many events do not offer racing despite the Gran Fondo name. Gran Fondo Canada hosted the inaugural Gran Fondo Whistler in 2010. Gran Fondo Banff was held in Banff until 2016. There are increasingly new Gran Fondo events which are timed but attract recreational cyclists wanting to participate for personal challenge and celebrating cycling on this style of ride, such as

1066-551: The fastest cyclists to push the pace, with faster riders working together to increase speed in a pro-peloton style. The majority of riders will simply be happy to complete the distance within the time allowance. It is common in France and Italy for prizes to be awarded to the winner and to those winning age-related categories. In the United Kingdom, sportives are not held as races in order to avoid strict rules governing cycle races on public roads. The first ever French cyclosportive

1107-699: The first century on Day 1 and the second on Day 2. Ride the Rockies in Colorado often includes at least one century-optional day, as a detour from the shorter main route, as does the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia . The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, better known as Ragbrai , has included a century day every year since 1973. There are Imperial centuries in the UK, while in Ireland and Europe there are metric and double metric events. Cyclosportive A cyclosportive , or often simply sportive ,

1148-508: The lowest-level license (C). As a consequence, many riders no longer obtain racing licenses but rather race Jedermann races. Some riders are organized in teams that are no less professional than elite amateur teams. Indonesia For the first time in 2016, a Gran Fondo was held in Indonesia on the island of Lombok. GFNY Indonesia took place on October 2, 2016, and drew 600 riders from over 30 countries. Ireland Long-distance bike tours like

1189-546: The men’s professional race Tour de San Luis and the women’s professional race Tour Femenino are held there as well. Today, the Gran Fondo in San Luis is part of the GFNY World series and now called GFNY Argentina . The other notable event is Gran Fondo Buenos Aires, which was first held in 2015. It is a relatively short (100 km) but flat and fast race. Australia Despite the growth of cycling in Australia, Gran Fondo events are still relatively rare. Yet, Amy’s Gran Fondo

1230-751: The merit of the event (e.g. the cobblestones of the Paris–Roubaix ). The routes will usually be well sign-posted and/or marshalled (some cyclosportives take place on roads which have been closed to motor traffic for the duration of the event), riders will be able to use feeding stations positioned at intervals along the route to replenish their food and drink supplies and mechanical and medical support may also be provided. Some attract thousands of participants – since 2000 l'Étape du Tour has offered places to 8,500 riders each year. Although sportives are not races, entrants' times are usually recorded and sometimes riders are given their finishing position. This can encourage

1271-410: The most famous of the cyclosportives today is the French l'Étape du Tour , held each July over a stage of that particular year's Tour de France, usually a mountain stage. This over-subscribed event sees approximately 7,500 riders attempting to emulate the professional cyclists. The Ardéchoise is one of Europe's largest event with 15,000 riders taking part but this time participants are able to choose from

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1312-563: The official USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships. Gran Fondos in the US come in many different varieties with some adhering very strictly to the traditional definition (often going as far as to have a full road closure), and others treating it more like a century ride where riders only compete in short timed sections and enjoy a large elaborate banquet at the finish. Since 2016, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) organizes

1353-518: The often technical sections of the route. Another coveted French event, the Paris–Roubaix Challenge, mimics the legendary one-day classic Paris–Roubaix . Held bi-annually, this 260 km (160 mi) sportive increases the test of reliability and endurance yet further with 26 sections of pavé which total some 42 km (26 miles). It is not uncommon for riders to break bikes and even bones over these cobbled roads. Other notable events are

1394-450: The ones in Italy. Not quite as competitive, the scene is easily the second strongest globally with a solid calendar of racing from March to September. Popular races include La Marmotte , Etape du Tour , Les Trois Ballons , GFNY Mont Ventoux , Kohnse.com/en/ L'Ariegiose and L'Ardechoise . Germany Gran Fondos in Germany are usually called “Jedermann” races. These events are generally only open to non-race license holders or those with

1435-662: The organizers of the Tour of Arad, to create the largest international road cycling event in Israel the Gran Fondo Arad Dead Sea . It takes place in the lowest point on the earth and 1,000 riders from 30 countries are expected to take part in the two day three stage 155K km / 96.3 mile race in 2018. Luxembourg The Charly Gaul Cyclosportive is the oldest gran fondo format race in Luxembourg. In 2019, it celebrated its 30th edition. It

1476-506: The route. A sanctioned century ride is organized and conducted under the rules and liability protection of a sanctioning organization, such as the League of American Bicyclists . Sanctioned rides typically have rest stops every 25 miles or so, where water, food and toilets are available for cyclists. On a supported century ride, the route is patrolled by a sag wagon to assist riders with bicycle maintenance, or provide transportation back to

1517-555: The same courses like the pros – e.g. at Ronde Van Vlaanderen – they cannot race them. Brazil After a few hiccups with early events that were held and later got cancelled, Brasil is starting to embrace Gran Fondo races now that larger organizations have appeared. Under ASO license, the inaugural L'Etape Brasil was held in 2015. Starting in 2017, Gran Fondo New York grants a license to a race organizer in Brasil to host GFNY Brasil . Canada Owing to its French heritage, Quebec embraces

1558-472: The starting line for those unable to ride the entire course. Sanctioned rides are almost always supported. The larger, more unusual and better known annual century rides in the United States and Canada include: Many multiple-day group rides include a century ride in one or more segments of the course. For example, Ride for AIDS Chicago in Illinois is a two-day, 200-mile charity ride in which cyclists complete

1599-419: The true Italian Gran Fondo model of a cycling marathon. Italy In Italy, Gran Fondos are held between February and October. A full list can be found on dalzero.it. “Dal zero” means “from zero” and refers to the way Gran Fondos are usually raced: “a tutta” or “all out”, from the start. In Italy, a "dilettante" is an Elite amateur under the age of 25 trying to turn professional. Only a handful of athletes have

1640-565: Was La Marmotte , which was first run in 1982 on a route starting in Le Bourg-d'Oisans and taking in the Col de la Croix de Fer , Col du Télégraphe and Col du Galibier before climbing to finish at the top of one of the most famous Tour de France climbs at Alpe d'Huez . It remains one of the most popular cyclosportive events today in Europe and is often considered to be the hardest cyclosportive. Arguably

1681-751: Was the Nove Colli held on July 12, 1970, in Cesenatico , Italy. With chip timing becoming more popular in the 1990s, the number of Gran Fondo events grew rapidly in Italy. While many Gran Fondos came and went, a few have remained since the early years, such as Gran Fondo Cooperatori , Gran Fondo 10 Colli , Gran Fondo Felice Gimondi . The Italian cycling federation "Federciclismo" provides rules of what makes an Italian Gran Fondo. Similar events were soon held in other countries, most notably France, where they are called “ Cyclosportive ”. Today, Gran Fondo events are held in many countries. However, not all of them follow

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