Gran Fondo National Series Reveals 2023 Gran Fondo National Championships Commemorative Jersey
All #GFNats competitors receive a commemorative jersey from SUAREZ Cycling Apparel
The SUAREZ Gran Fondo National Series today revealed the design for the 2023 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships commemorative jersey. Age group competitors who win their category will receive an official Stars and Stripes National Championships jerseys from USA Cycling, and all competitors will receive this commemorative jersey designed and produced by SUAREZ Cycling Apparel. More than 300 athletes are expected to compete for the Gran Fondo National Championships, which will be held in conjunction with Gran Fondo Maryland, presented by Ourisman Automotive Group, in Frederick, Maryland, on September 17, 2023. Total event attendance is expected to exceed 1000 cyclists.
About #GFNats
A USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship title, complete with a national championship jersey and medal, will be awarded to the winner in each age-group category. Riders in the National Championship category will complete the Gran route and start in their own wave, departing 30 minutes prior to all Gran Fondo Maryland riders.
Athletes must qualify to compete at #GFNats through performance and/or participation in select qualifying events. Cyclists who have already qualified to enter the 2023 Gran Fondo National Championships event are listed here. Qualification is based on results and participation at Gran Fondo National Series owned events and select partner-events over a rolling 18-month window. Complete qualification criteria can be found here.
The age groups for the USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships event will match the USA Cycling age groups used for other National Championship events, offering more opportunities to compete with those closer in age.
Cyclists who qualify to compete at the 2023 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships will compete in the following age groups on September 17, 2023:
– 14-16, 17-18, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75 and over
Gran Fondo Maryland, presented by Ourisman Automotive Group
Riders do not need to qualify to participate in Gran Fondo Maryland. All normal Gran Fondo Maryland routes (Gran, Medio, Piccolo) are open to all riders to register and do not require qualification. There is a separate start time for USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship participants; they will start 30 minutes prior to the Gran Fondo Maryland riders.
On Sunday, September 17, cyclists will depart from Baker Park in Frederick, Maryland to ride their choice of 100-, 60-, or 30-mile routes that take them into the hills, mountains, and valleys of the Catoctin Mountain National Park and surrounding areas. Gran Fondo Maryland is open to all riders. Only the #GFNats start wave requires qualification. The unique ‘timed segment’ competition format of SUAREZ Gran Fondo National Series events largely eliminates the need for road closures and allows cyclists of varying abilities to regroup, ride together, and stop to take in the scenery.
As the presenting sponsor for Gran Fondo Maryland, Ourisman Automotive Group will host two packet pickups at Ourisman dealerships during the event weekend. Support from Ourisman Automotive Group and grants from the Maryland Sports Commission were instrumental in bringing the USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships to Frederick, Maryland for 2023.
About Gran Fondo National Series
Founded in 2012 by event director Reuben Kline, the Gran Fondo National Series is the largest and most competitive series of gran fondo cycling events in the United States. Gran Fondo National Series pioneered timed-segment racing into US gran fondo events and has crowned Gran Fondo National Champions and Gran Fondo National Series Champions since 2012. Since 2020, Gran Fondo National Series has been the organizer of the official USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships.