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2nd edition of the Sea2Sky Gravel Fondo another Success

The Sea2Sky Fondo in Squamish River Valley, British Columbia was another enormous success. The enthusiasm, dedication, and infectious smiles throughout the event by participants were truly inspiring!

Dean Stanton, CEO and Founder of the Tri1Events, the company organizes the Triple Crown of Gravel in British Columbia region and Canada stated "We hope you've had a chance to catch your breath after the Sea2Sky Fondo. What an unforgettable day it was, and Tri1Events are immensely grateful to each and every one of you for coming out to support this event."

"Huge thanks to our incredible sponsors and dedicated volunteers whose invaluable support made this event a reality. Nesters played a crucial role by providing delectable chili at the finish line, while Schwalbe was on hand to impart valuable knowledge about tire options to our riders, making the event truly extraordinary."

"We've been absolutely thrilled by the overwhelmingly positive feedback we've received from many of you. Knowing that you had such a fantastic time fuels our passion to continually raise the bar for each Sea2Sky Fondo."

"With that in mind, we're already hard at work planning an even more exhilarating and unforgettable experience for you in 2024."

There were 3 distances to suit a different range of abilities, participants can experience amazing mountain views, large rivers, creeks and waterfalls as well as wide great gravel Forest service roads. The new 25km Beginner / Piccolo Fondo was mostly flat a few small climbs and all on gravel roads with just over 300m of climbing and is ideally suited to beginners looking for their first off-road gravel adventure.

The 50km Medio Fondo was mostly flat a few small climbs and all on gravel roads with 700m of climbing and is suitable for intermediate gravel riders who have ridden events of the same distance. The 100km Gran Fondo contained approximately 1,250m of climbing with no single track and some hills and a few sharp climbs but nothing over 9%. They could have made it harder but want to stick to the 100km distance, ideally suited to intermediate and advanced gravel riders.

Of those, more than 10% were from the U.S. The start and finish was at the Squamish Days Loggers Sports grounds.

“The courses were designed to be challenging and showcase the gravel roads and trails in around Squamish and the Sea to Sky Corridor,” said Dean Stanton, CEO and founder of the Tri1Events.

The Top 3 finishers for the full fondo were Ben Sigston, Oaken Work, and Shane Savage. The North Vancouver-based Sigston finished the 90-kilometre distance with a time of 2:41:59, equating to an average speed of over 33 km/h.

Work finished just over a minute behind at 2:43:28 and Savage finished just minutes later at 2:47:14. The top Squamish-based rider, Brian O’Rourke, finished in seventh and under three hours at 2:49:22.

The Top 3 finishers for the medio fondo were Jack Spinks, Davyd Funk and Jason Stewart. Spinks finished the 50-kilometre race with a time of 2:05:15, more than five minutes ahead of Funk and Stewart.

Funk ultimately finished with a time of 2:13:54 and Stewart ended just a minute behind him at 2:14:54. The top Squamish-based rider, Jeffrey Paulson, finished 10th with a time of 2:34:56.

Lastly, the Top 3 finishers for the beginner race were Jordan Thomas, Chris Jansen and Rolando Valenzuela Jr.

Thomas finished the 25-kilometre race in nearly a half-hour, finishing with a time of 30:10. Jansen followed with a 32:51 finish and Valenzuela finished at 34:25.

Stanton said organizers were “absolutely thrilled by the overwhelmingly positive feedback” they received over this year’s event.

“With that in mind, we're already hard at work planning an even more exhilarating and unforgettable experience for… 2024.”

Dean contunued "Keep your eyes peeled for updates and early registration details for the 2024 Triple Crown of Gravel events. In the meantime, we invite you to relive and share your Sea2Sky Fondo memories on social media. Don't forget to tag us on Instagram @triplecrownofgravel – we're eager to see your photos and hear your stories."

"Once again, thank you for being a part of the Sea2Sky Fondo. Your support, passion for cycling, and unwavering enthusiasm are what drive us to create remarkable moments on the gravel. We're already counting down the days until we can reunite on the road for another incredible Sea2Sky adventure in 2024."

"Until then, keep spinning those pedals, exploring new horizons, and embracing the joy of gravel riding."

Link to 2023 Sea2Sky Gravel Fondo Results: https://www.startlinetiming.com/en/races/2023/s2sfondo/event/FULL/page