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Cancelled Great Canadian Gran Fondo receives Overwhelming Complaints

Dozens of Gran Fondo Guide followers contacted us after August 10th event cancelled in Alberta demanding their money back.

Cancelled Great Canadian Gran Fondo Receives Overwhelming Complaints

Gran Fondo Guide has received an overwhelming number of complaints regarding the Great Canadian Gran Fondo that was due to take place on August 10th in Strathcona County, Alberta.

Strathcona County, located in the heart of Alberta, is an energetic and thriving community. A leader in North America’s petroleum industry and a champion for advancing diverse agricultural business.

The event was billed as the largest mass participation cycling event on the Prairies. Includes options for casual riders and kids with 50, 95, 133 km courses. It also boasted a finish line festival where you’ll be greeted with cheers and applause. Enjoy live music, delicious local food, and a festive atmosphere as you relish in your accomplishment.

The event, last took place in 2024, and participants were eagerly training and preparing for this year's edition.

However, in April we started receiving complaints that the event's website and social media presence had disappeared.

The number of complaints we received started to increase from May onwards with registered riders getting increasingly anxious, with event organizers failing to respond to attempts to contact them.

It's now clear that hundreds of registered riders won't be riding, demanding a full refund.

Update August 6th 2025: We have been contacted by Gran Fondo Guide followers who have reported that the event organizer, Michael Brown passed away suddenly on August 31st, 2024. We have not been able to confirm this. RIP Michael.

Below are just some of the complaints we received from participants, many who paid nearly two hundred Canadian dollars for an entry.

 

Good morning, following up yet again. 
 
We've been patient, but unfortunately have had zero response back on our registration refund with the event being canceled.  .
 
Can someone please respond with details with the race cancelation on how we get the registration fees we paid back.  Don't have a lot of recourse here, if I don't hear something back soon I think we have no choice but to start going to social media to warn everybody else about Fondo events and registering in advance. 
 
Cheers, 
 
Blair Addison

 

I see the Fondo in Strathcona County on August 10, 2025 is Cancelled

Will I be receiving my money back?
 
Michael Dykstra

 

The Great Canadian Gran Fondo at Sherwood Park on August 10, 2025.  The phone number 780 651-6723 doesn't work and the website is down. There has been no communication about the ride since I paid $187.44 fee.  The granfondoguide shows its cancelled.

 
I'm on the way to my lawyer.  This is fraud!!  This is leaving a huge blackeye on the gran fondo events and I won't trust it again.  Maybe someone should show up at their St. Albert address with some muscle.  29 Bradburn Cres.  They don't even have the decency to contact registrants.
 
Please advise,

Thanks,

Emrie Strohschein


 

The Great Canadian Gran Fondo 2025 held in Sherwood Park August 10th. We've paid the fee earlier last year. Any help would be appreciated.

Daryl


 

Great Canadian Gran Fondo Alert - Hi trying to sign up for this race and emailed on the website but have not gotten anything back. The site says it's down for maintenance. It's been a couple weeks or more since.

Tammy Hildreth


 

I think this might be cancelled. website hasn't been working since 2024, December.

Jake


 

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Aug 06 2025 - NEWS: Cancelled Great Canadian Gran Fondo Receives Overwhelming Complaints