Competitive Cyclists from Around the World to Participate in Sunday’s Fourth Annual Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York 

Thousands of cyclists to compete on 100- and 50-mile race courses through scenic NY and NJ; Cycling legends Stephen Roche and Nelson Vails to take part in race and festivities; Fourth Annual NYC Bike Expo welcomes visitors May 16-17

(New York, NY – May 14, 2014) The country’s premier cycling event, the fourth annual Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York (GFNY), is slated for Sunday, May 18th and will cap an exciting weekend of events and racing taking place in New York and New Jersey. GFNY is also hosting the popular fourth annual NYC Bike Expo May 16-17 at the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan. 

After three successful and internationally acclaimed races (2011-13), GFNY has become a destination for thousands of cyclists, amateur to elite, drawing a spectrum of enthusiasts including CEOs, firefighters, teachers, persons with disabilities and even several cycling champions. This year, thousands of cyclists from more than 70 countries including the United States, Italy, United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Russia, Jamaica, Israel, and Poland, among others, will gear up for the thrilling race.  

GFNY promotes aspects of healthy living through cycling, open space and economic development in the region. Past races have generated millions of dollars in tourism revenue for New York City.

Stephen Roche, winner of the triple-crown of cycling (Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the World Championship in one year) and Nelson Vails (NYC native and 1984 Olympic silver medalist in the Cycling Sprint) will ride on Sunday. 

“The New York-New Jersey area offers cyclists a challenging, dramatic and scenic racing experience building on the already thriving cycling culture in the metropolitan area,” said Lidia Fluhme, co-organizer of Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York. “We are very excited about this year’s race and the overwhelming interest we have had from the international and local cycling community.”

"We recognize that it is a privilege to stage an event of this magnitude in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area," said Ulrich Fluhme, co-organizer of Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York. "The extraordinary effort and support of the municipalities along the route, the various government agencies in New York and New Jersey, and especially local police forces managing the safety aspect for riders and spectators, truly makes this event a success."

Gearing Up for Race Day

The challenging and scenic 100-mile race takes place the morning of Sunday, May 18th. Riders will begin on the New York City side of the iconic George Washington Bridge and wind through the course in New York State and New Jersey that extends up to Bear Mountain State Park, and back South ending at a new finish line at Ross Dock Picnic Area - the riverfront area in the Palisades Interstate Park in Fort Lee, NJ. Cyclists also have the option of partaking in the 50-mile GFNY BEAR on the same day, a non-competitive ride starting at the George Washington Bridge to Bear Mountain to celebrate the park's 100th anniversary. The 2014 race courses can be viewed here: www.granfondony.com/course. 

Podium finishers overall, age groups and teams will take home prizes. The overall man and woman winners receive a GFNY De Rosa bike with Campagnolo components valued at $13,000. 

The course highlight is the scenic and rigorous Bear Mountain or "Montagna dell'Orso." Riders will get a boost from cheering spectators along the route which runs through Rockland County and Bergen County. Many local cyclists from the tri-state area participate in GFNY to fundraise for local charities and draw enthusiastic supporters to the race.

The GFNY finish area at Ross Dock in Fort Lee will be filled with festivities starting at 11am. Spectators and participants can enjoy food, drink, raffles and an awards ceremony at 3pm.  Stephen Roche and Nelson Vails will be available for photos and autographs, and will help award prizes during the race's awards ceremony.

"I'm excited to be back in my hometown New York City to participate in Gran Fondo New York. My passion for cycling was developed riding on the streets of Manhattan and I hope that competitive cycling takes more of a foothold in the Big Apple. It's a great sport for all ages. I look forward to the challenge and the thrills that this race has to offer," said Nelson Vails.

"I'm very pleased to come to New York to take part in Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York and the NYC Bike Expo. It’s a real thrill to compete in the New York City area," said Stephen Roche. "I'm looking forward to the challenging 100-mile course and meeting cyclists from around the world on May 18th."

Gran Fondo New York’s Italian Sporting Heritage

Gran Fondo is a hugely popular and celebrated tradition in the Italian cycling world. It is a marathon for cyclists. Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York emphasizes the best of Italian cultural and sporting traditions right here in New York City with its thrilling and rigorous competitive ride.

Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York continues to grow bringing positive cultural and economic impact to the region. As a great representation of the Italian-American heritage in our city, GFNY has received praise and accolades from New York City’s premier Italian organizations, the Consul General of Italy in New York and several prominent elected officials including the Italian-American Caucus of the City Council. 

"The Italy-America Chamber of Commerce commends GFNY for importing an exciting Italian sporting tradition to New York City," said Claudio Bozzo, President, Italy-America Chamber of Commerce. "This rigorous event emphasizes the best of Italian cultural traditions, as well as promotes healthy living and international tourism, in New York City. I hope GFNY continues to elevate its status and brings more competitive cycling to New York and New Jersey in the future."

NYC Bike Expo 

In addition to the race, the Fourth Annual NYC Bike Expo will take place at the 69th Regiment Armory on 26th Street on May 16-17 from 11am-8pm. Race sponsors (including Campagnolo, Lexus, PowerBar, Vespa, and T. Edward Wines NYC), along with other vendors in the food, energy, and automotive sectors (among others), will be on hand to showcase their latest products. The expo is a stand-alone event organized by GFNY that is open to the public and draws thousands of visitors. Attendance is expected to surpass 10,000 individuals. A press conference to launch the GFNY race weekend is scheduled for Friday, May 16th, at Noon, at the NYC Bike Expo.

Official Race Charity Operation Smile

GFNY continues its partnership for the third year with Operation Smile, an international children’s medical charity that provides funding for essential medical procedures that help children born with facial deformities in over 60 countries. Operation Smile is the official charity UFof the 2014 GFNY. Participants are able to raise money for Operation Smile and receive special benefits. To learn more about Operation Smile and GFNY’s partnership, please visit www.operationsmile.org/granfondo.

GFNY Goes Global

The race will expand globally with GFNY Italia, GFNY Cozumel-Mexico, GFNY Puerto Rico, GFNY Barcelona, GFNY Colombia and GFNY Brasil - the first events of the newly-founded 2014/15 GFNY World series. The organizers of Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York created the GFNY World series for two reasons: to bring the spirit and quality of GFNY to other parts of the world and to provide GFNY participants the opportunity to get their GFNY fix more than just once a year.

About Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York

Gran Fondo New York was founded in 2010 by avid competitive cyclists with a mission to bring Italian cycling culture to the New York and New Jersey region and to raise the profile of competitive cycling in the United States. Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York is open to anyone who loves to ride and seeks a personal challenge. The official Gran Fondo New York website is  www.granfondony.com