2014 Gran Fondo National Championship Series of Events
Details of the series of Gran Fondo's have just been released and registration for the events has just opened.
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The series starts with the Central Florida Gran Fondo, on March 16th in Dade City, Florida. Who says Florida is flat! The Central Florida Gran Fondo race starts and ends at PHCC, centered in the rolling orange groves of PASCO county. The event starts and finishes on “College Hill” and follows, in part, the proposed Olympic road race course that was part of Tampa’s bid to host the Summer Olympic Games. It travels along rural rolling hills, past horse farms and crystal clear springs. Briefly going through Withlacoochee State Forest and the hills surrounding Brooksville, Florida. At the 87 miles mark you will enter a piece of US cycling history along Darby road, once home to the famous Darby Road Race that has seen the likes of Tour De France winner Lauren Figon. This area is and has been the winter training site of some of the top triathletes in the world including members of the TIMEX team and the hometown former US National Cycling team members Josh Thornton and Derek Wilkerson. |
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The Tour of Georgia Gran Fondo, on April 13th in Clayton, Georgia. Nestled in Rabun County, the ride starts in downtown Clayton Georgia under the shadow of Black Rock Mt. state park, and heads south on old 441. After passing through Unicoi State Park, the route turns right onto the Unicoi Gap climb. Riders enter the mountainous area that was made famous by the 2003-2008 Tour de Georgia. In 2008, Unicoi Gap was the second to last climb on the approach to the race-deciding ascent up Brasstown Bald where Kanstantin Suitsou got the jump on Trent Lowe and Levi Leipheimer to win the event. |
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The NJ Highlands Gran Fondo, on June 8th Newfoundland, New Jersey. The NJ Highlands Gran Fondo showcases some of the best riding around. It’s hard to believe riding this good is located in such close proximity to the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. The Highlands area is a 1,343 square mile region of Northern New Jersey which is noted for its scenic landscape and environmental importance. Much like this ride, the area is composed of rolling farmland, hilly ridgelines, and winding roads that weave up and down the lush green mountains. As you enjoy the diversity of the beautiful terrain and scenery, the route will take you through three counties and two states. As the loop progresses so will the elevation, the gran loop will gain 9,000 vertical feet. This event is sure to expose you to roads you never thought could be tucked away so close to one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the country |
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The Golden Gran Fondo , June 29th in Golden, Colorado Based out of beautiful downtown Golden, CO, the Golden Gran Fondo will take racers on a historic circuit through the Rocky Mountains. Beginning with an ascent up Lookout Mountain, the start of the event traces the route of the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Lookout Mountain, offers spectacular views across the Front Range Mountains, down on the city of Golden and the Coors Beer brewery. The course then continues it tracing of historical bicycle racing with a long climb towards the continental divide and some of the same roads used in the Coors Classic and featured in the movie American Flyers (Kevin Costner’s classic cycling film that was set in Golden). Upon reaching the scenic Peak to Peak Highway, racers will be treated to high alpine vistas, lung busting ascents, a taste of hard pack dirt road, and a total of 14,000 feet of climbing before returning to downtown Golden where riders can replenish their exhausted bodies but full souls. This course is sure to test your climbing prowess while treating you to some of the most ruggedly beautiful landscapes anywhere! |
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The Boone Gran Fondo, August 3rd, Boone, North Carolina. In mid-summer, the High Country of North Carolina enjoys 80-degree temperatures while the surrounding East Coast temperatures hover in the high 90s. August 4th is a prime time to be in Boone. The Boone Gran Fondo rolls through Appalachian State University and, after just a few turns, climbs beside picturesque Winklers Creek during the first timed section. After a short downhill and a climb up the gorgeous Shull’s Mill road, the course passes the Blue Ridge Parkway and turns onto Hwy 221. This section of road was hand built in the 1890’s across Grandfather Mountain and served as the Blue Ridge Parkway until the 1980’s. This second timed section is like a paved roller coaster. |
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The series culminates in the Gran Fondo Championship on August 24th in Frederick, Maryland. The Gran Fondo National Championship in historic Frederick, Maryland is your opportunity to earn the title of fastest rider in the incredible Gran Fondo arena. We offer some of the longest timed sections and most challenging terrain of any Gran Fondo. The rider with the fastest combined time through each designated section will have truly earned their Gran Fondo National Championship Jersey. |
About the Series
Part personal challenge and part serious competition, the Grand Fondo National Championship Series courses lead riders through country roads with challenging climbs and incredible scenery. Courses are offered in different lengths from 30 to 100 miles so participants can find the distance to match their goals. Each rider is given an electronic timing-chip to keep track of their progress throughout the course and to allow riders to compete for best time through highlighted sections of the course. Whether riding for a cause, a personal goal, or as a competition, the Gran Fondo National Champion SeriesSM courses are some of the most beautiful courses in the US.
Each of the events raises money for different beneficiaries including; School Resource Officer (SRO) Unit, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Boy Scouts of America, Western Youth Network (WYN) and Fredrick Bicycle Coalition Funds are earmarked to promote youth cycling activities.
The fundraising focuses on youth programmes.
You can watch the video of the final in 2012 below:
