Your Chance to Wear Rainbow Stripes at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships

The Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo in Alabama and Cache Gran Fondo in Utah are the qualifying rounds in the United States

The 2019 UCI Gran Fondo World Series returns to the U.S.A. with the Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo on May 18 - 19, 2019 and new for 2019, the Cache Gran Fondo on July 12 - 13.

Both top U.S. Gran Fondo events give you the opportunity to qualify for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. The first three finishers in each of sixteen age categories, and the top 25% of each age category, will be awarded with a guaranteed entry to the UCI Gran Fondo World Championship.

The 2019 World Championships are being held at the Poznan Bike Challenge in Poznan, east Poland from September 5 - 8, 2019.

The 2020 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships are being held in North America for the first time, at the RBC GranFondo Whistler in Vancouver, Canada in September 2020.

What are the Rainbow Stripes?

The rainbow jersey is the distinctive jersey worn by the reigning world champion in any cycling discipline. Peter Sagan is a 3 times World Champion and wears his green, yellow, black, red and blue banded jersey, the colors of the Olympic Rings, with pride.

Just as the rainbow jersey can be won by professionals, it can be won by amateurs at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships! The top finishers in each category (men and women) are awarded a jersey and a distinctive UCI winners medal like the one shown below.

As well as the Gran Fondo, there is the Time Trial World Championship, a true race against the clock in each category.

Last year, 37 year old Belgian amatuer cyclist Marie Dessart turned her 2018 UCI Gran Fondo World Champion victory into a professional contract, and now rides for WordTour team Lotto Soudal!

How do I Qualify?

To qualify you must take part in any of the 21 qualifying events worldwide in the series that season*. Participating countries can have a maximum of two qualifiers and in the USA, the Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo and the Cache Gran Fondo represent the stars and stripes of the United States.

While there is no limit to the number of participants in a challenge event, 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each age category, as well as the top 25% of each age category, will qualify to represent their country at the UCI Gran Fondo World Championship. For example, a racer from Canada or Japan can race in either of the US events and if they are in the top 25%, they will be able to wear their country’s team jersey at the World Championships.

*Note: To qualify for the World Championships, you must qualify at a qualifying event in the series for that season. For example, if you qualify at the 2019 Cache Gran Fondo or the 2019 Challenge Gran Fondo, you can compete in the 2019 World Championships in Poznan, Poland.

To take part in the 2020 World Championships in Whistler, Canada, you could qualify at the 2020 Cache Gran Fondo or the 2020 Challenge Gran Fondo (or any other qualifying event worldwide, that season).

The season runs from September to September every year, with the Championships being held at the end of every season (in September).

You can take part at any qualifying event worldwide, to gain qualifying experience.
 

What are the Age Categories?

Age categories range from 19 to 70 and increase in a range of five years.

For men and women: 19-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-70 and 70+

Women over 50 and men over 60 race a slightly shorter distance at the Gran Fondo World Championships and men and women under 50 ride the full distance.

Qualifying Format?

In terms of the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, this is more similar to road racing, but not in the traditional sense, it’s the fastest time in each age category, not the first across the finish line.

Riders will start off in age category waves from a gun start, and all riders will be timed.

While racing experience and tactics come into play, so do climbing and descending skills, as well as endurance. So whether you have a racing background or not, if you’ve ridden some Gran Fondos, then you are more than capable.

And with so many age categories, your odds to qualify is much better than other races. For example if 100 riders race in your age category, the top 25 fastest times qualify, which quite possibly could be you!

Each 1st Place Age Group Winner will receive a UCI Jersey, and all 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place Age Group Winners will receive a unique UCI medal.

As well as the Gran Fondo, there is the Time Trial World Championship, a true race against the clock. The age group categories for the time trial are the same for both men and women.

Do I Need a License?

Any cyclist can participate in the qualifying events and you don't need a racing license.

However, an Amateur license, Masters license, or a Cycling for All license are acceptable.

Elite license holders can participate too, with the exception of; a) any rider who has during the current year been a member of a team registered with the UCI.  b) any rider who has taken part in a World championships, the Olympic Games, Continental Championships or Games, Regional Games, the Commonwealth Games, or a World Cup during the current year and c) any rider who has UCI points in any discipline at the moment of the qualifier event.                 

After qualification and in order to participate in the World Championships, riders need to have a national Masters/Amateur/Cycling for all/Elite year-license from a UCI affiliated federation and under the conditions as mentioned above for Elite riders.  

About the 2019 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships

Poznan, in the East of Poland, will organise the 2019 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships on a mainly flat and fast course in and around the city. The event will take place from September 5 to 8 with a time trial on Thursday, a team-relay on Friday and the Gran Fondo races on Sunday.

The 2019 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will take place with the following schedule:

INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL – Thursday 5 September, 2019
TEAM RELAY (non-competitive) – Friday evening 6 September, 2019
UCI GRANFONDO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Sunday 8 September, 2019

The world championship courses will probbaly be fast and totally flat, The younger age categories will race on a 150km course and older males and females will race on a 120km course.

The time trial and Gran Fondo courses for the World Championships will differ from those used during the Poznan Bike Challenge: the Gran Fondo will be longer, and the time trial will be raced over one loop instead of the multiple smaller loops raced in the qualifier.

The Poznan Bike Challenge is one of the biggest cycling events in Poland and attracts will over 7,000 cyclists annually.

More details will be available shortly.

Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo Qualifier

It’s the 100 mile century route that is the UCI Qualifier, and features 9,714 feet of climbing in the Talladega Mountains. The UCI Qualifier draws riders from across North America and Internationally.

This qualifier is suited to riders who love climbing. Not only can you compete to qualify you can also take part in the KOM/QOM climbing awards with cash prizes!

The qualifier is one of several rides that take place from the 127 mile Ultra course to the Chief Ladiga Cruise family ride.

The event also includes a 12 mile time trial to allow you to qualify for the Time Trial Championships. The age groups for the time trial are the same for men and women.

Jacksonville, Alabama is known for its mild temperatures, clean air, and blue skies, and is located in the midst of four mountains. Nearby is Cheaha State Park and Mount Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama, the location for one the KOM and QOM competitions.

The Cheaha Challenge has a lot of specialty additions to the ride. Live bands, buffet food, $3,250 dollars in prizes, Team and Individual Awards, and the family ride. The Rest Stops are amazing, and they hold a contest as to which feed station is the best.

The Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo takes place, May 18-19, 2019 hosted in Jacksonville, Alabama.

For more information, please visit: http://www.cheahachallenge.com/uci-qualifying.html

Cache Gran Fondo Qualifier

2019 marks the 8th edition of Utah’s largest Gran Fondo, undeniably one of Utah’s largest bike rides attracting over 1,300 cyclists from all over North America and Internationally.

From 2019 to 2021, the 112-mile route will be the UCI Gran Fondo World Series qualifying route. The route provides the best variation of flat and open sections, rolling climbs and a canyon summit climb up Weston Canyon.

The event also includes a 10.5 mile time trial to allow you to qualify for the Time Trial Championships. The age groups for the time trial are the same for men and women. This is an out and back flat course on the Friday evening starting at 5pm.

Starting in Logan the course takes riders through beautiful Cache Valley towards Idaho, and then returns back to finish in Downtown Logan. The Fondo offers a great environment with clean air, beautiful vistas and relatively low-traffic roads for riders.

All of the routes will be timed overall, with timed sections allowing for additional KOM/QOM prizes!

As well as being a UCI qualifying event, the Cache Gran Fondo has over $7,000 dollars in awards, gifts and prizes for both results and randomly across the event!

Riders can ride either on a 38 mile, 50 mile, 70 mile or 112 mile route. The focus is to create a fun, rewarding and challenging event. Riders enjoy well-stocked support stations, chances to win great prizes, enjoy a great breakfast and lunch, receive big-bling finisher medals, and have a fun day riding with thousands of other inspiring cyclists. The Cache Gran Fondo is also a qualifying event in the Gran Fondo National Series.

Race teams, corporate teams, families & neighborhood groups, couples and individuals all converge in Cache Valley for this big, fun, ride.

The Cache Gran Fondo takes place, July 12-13, 2019 hosted in Logan, Utah.

For more information, please visit: http://www.cachegranfondo.com/worldseries