Latest news with #GranFondo
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Final Gran Fondo on closed public roads to start
The final edition of a mass participation cycling event held on closed public roads is set to take place ahead of its reincarnation into an off-road competition. Gran Fondo Isle of Man runs over both days of the weekend, with rolling road closures on Sunday to accommodate three of the four challenges in the series. Organisers have said the event will be transformed into a collection of races on gravel, tracks, and private land in 2026, a decade after it was first run on public roads. Regularly attracting entrants from places from as far afield as Japan, Australia and South Africa, more than 1,000 competitors have entered the 2025 event. It was originally run under the banner of CycleFest in 2016 before evolving into the Gran Fondo Isle of Man brand. All-time Tour de France stage win record holder Mark Cavendish is among the 8,000 past participants in the event, along with many of the island's other top cyclists. Organisers previously said the event would be brought to a close in 2025 after its scale had become "enormous". This year's event will see the main classes held over three distances on Sunday – in the Gran Fondo, Medio Fondo and Piccolo Fondo. But for younger participants, a family friendly Minisculo Fondo takes place within the race village at the Mooragh Park in Ramsey over a 0.6-mile (1km) distance on Saturday. That event begins at 15:00 BST in the northern park, with the other three classes being run with staggered starts the following day. Gran Fondo Start time: 09:30 Distance: 85 miles (137km) Route: The course starts in Ramsey in a northerly direction along the coast through Dog Mills, Bride, Smeale, The Lhen, Sandygate and Ballaugh. It then travels through the west of the island via Druidale, Sartfield, Little London, Staarvey, Ballig, St John's and Patrick. The southern section of the route passes through Glen Maye, Dalby, the Round Table, Ronague, Corlea, South Barrule, and the Rushen Mines through to Lower Foxdale. Competitors will then head back to St John's, heading to The Hope, Archallagan, Garth, Crosby and Mount Rule before heading towards the Mountain Road via West Baldwin, Injebreck and Brandywell, before turning down Tholt-y-Will at the Bunglalow. The final part of the course runs through the Sulby Claddaghs, St Jude's and back to Ramsey. Medio Fondo Start time: 09:45 Distance: 45 miles (72km) Route: Diverts from the main route at Ballaugh, heading straight to Brandywell Cottage and bypassing the southern section of the course. Piccolo Fondo Start time: 10:00 Distance: 20 miles (32km) Route: Remains on the largely flat northern plain of the island, returning to Ramsey after reaching St Jude's on the main route. Organisers said next year's new event, which would be focussed around Castletown in the south of the island and feature a range of bicycle types, would be in a similar vein to the now defunct End2End Mountain Bike Race. That competition, run on an off-road course between the Point of Ayre and Port Erin, was scrapped in 2021 due to a lack of volunteers to run it following a pause during the coronavirus pandemic. Explaining the planned transformation of the Gran Fondo event in 2026, event director Paul Phillips said gravel cycling was "experiencing rapid growth" so it had "felt like the ideal time to apply our expertise to a new project". "We're excited about the plans we have in the works and can't wait to share them with the riders who have supported us over the years – and hopefully attract new faces who prefer off-road cycling," he added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X. More on this story Final Gran Fondo cycling event to be held in 2025 Gran Fondo showed island 'looking its best' Record entry for Gran Fondo Isle of Man weekend Related internet links Gran Fondo Isle of Man
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Final Gran Fondo on closed public roads to start
The final edition of a mass participation cycling event held on closed public roads is set to take place ahead of its reincarnation into an off-road competition. Gran Fondo Isle of Man runs over both days of the weekend, with rolling road closures on Sunday to accommodate three of the four challenges in the series. Organisers have said the event will be transformed into a collection of races on gravel, tracks, and private land in 2026, a decade after it was first run on public roads. Regularly attracting entrants from places from as far afield as Japan, Australia and South Africa, more than 1,000 competitors have entered the 2025 event. It was originally run under the banner of CycleFest in 2016 before evolving into the Gran Fondo Isle of Man brand. All-time Tour de France stage win record holder Mark Cavendish is among the 8,000 past participants in the event, along with many of the island's other top cyclists. Organisers previously said the event would be brought to a close in 2025 after its scale had become "enormous". This year's event will see the main classes held over three distances on Sunday – in the Gran Fondo, Medio Fondo and Piccolo Fondo. But for younger participants, a family friendly Minisculo Fondo takes place within the race village at the Mooragh Park in Ramsey over a 0.6-mile (1km) distance on Saturday. That event begins at 15:00 BST in the northern park, with the other three classes being run with staggered starts the following day. Gran Fondo Start time: 09:30 Distance: 85 miles (137km) Route: The course starts in Ramsey in a northerly direction along the coast through Dog Mills, Bride, Smeale, The Lhen, Sandygate and Ballaugh. It then travels through the west of the island via Druidale, Sartfield, Little London, Staarvey, Ballig, St John's and Patrick. The southern section of the route passes through Glen Maye, Dalby, the Round Table, Ronague, Corlea, South Barrule, and the Rushen Mines through to Lower Foxdale. Competitors will then head back to St John's, heading to The Hope, Archallagan, Garth, Crosby and Mount Rule before heading towards the Mountain Road via West Baldwin, Injebreck and Brandywell, before turning down Tholt-y-Will at the Bunglalow. The final part of the course runs through the Sulby Claddaghs, St Jude's and back to Ramsey. Medio Fondo Start time: 09:45 Distance: 45 miles (72km) Route: Diverts from the main route at Ballaugh, heading straight to Brandywell Cottage and bypassing the southern section of the course. Piccolo Fondo Start time: 10:00 Distance: 20 miles (32km) Route: Remains on the largely flat northern plain of the island, returning to Ramsey after reaching St Jude's on the main route. Organisers said next year's new event, which would be focussed around Castletown in the south of the island and feature a range of bicycle types, would be in a similar vein to the now defunct End2End Mountain Bike Race. That competition, run on an off-road course between the Point of Ayre and Port Erin, was scrapped in 2021 due to a lack of volunteers to run it following a pause during the coronavirus pandemic. Explaining the planned transformation of the Gran Fondo event in 2026, event director Paul Phillips said gravel cycling was "experiencing rapid growth" so it had "felt like the ideal time to apply our expertise to a new project". "We're excited about the plans we have in the works and can't wait to share them with the riders who have supported us over the years – and hopefully attract new faces who prefer off-road cycling," he added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X. More on this story Final Gran Fondo cycling event to be held in 2025 Gran Fondo showed island 'looking its best' Record entry for Gran Fondo Isle of Man weekend Related internet links Gran Fondo Isle of Man
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Final Gran Fondo Isle of Man on closed public roads to take place
The final edition of a mass participation cycling event held on closed public roads is set to take place ahead of its reincarnation into an off-road Fondo Isle of Man runs over both days of the weekend, with rolling road closures on Sunday to accommodate three of the four challenges in the have said the event will be transformed into a collection of races on gravel, tracks, and private land in 2026, a decade after it was first run on public attracting entrants from places from as far afield as Japan, Australia and South Africa, more than 1,000 competitors have entered the 2025 event. It was originally run under the banner of CycleFest in 2016 before evolving into the Gran Fondo Isle of Man Tour de France stage win record holder Mark Cavendish is among the 8,000 past participants in the event, along with many of the island's other top previously said the event would be brought to a close in 2025 after its scale had become "enormous". This year's event will see the main classes held over three distances on Sunday – in the Gran Fondo, Medio Fondo and Piccolo for younger participants, a family friendly Minisculo Fondo takes place within the race village at the Mooragh Park in Ramsey over a 0.6-mile (1km) distance on event begins at 15:00 BST in the northern park, with the other three classes being run with staggered starts the following day. Gran Fondo Start time: 09:30Distance: 85 miles (137km)Route: The course starts in Ramsey in a northerly direction along the coast through Dog Mills, Bride, Smeale, The Lhen, Sandygate and then travels through the west of the island via Druidale, Sartfield, Little London, Staarvey, Ballig, St John's and southern section of the route passes through Glen Maye, Dalby, the Round Table, Ronague, Corlea, South Barrule, and the Rushen Mines through to Lower will then head back to St John's, heading to The Hope, Archallagan, Garth, Crosby and Mount Rule before heading towards the Mountain Road via West Baldwin, Injebreck and Brandywell, before turning down Tholt-y-Will at the final part of the course runs through the Sulby Claddaghs, St Jude's and back to Ramsey. Medio Fondo Start time: 09:45Distance: 45 miles (72km)Route: Diverts from the main route at Ballaugh, heading straight to Brandywell Cottage and bypassing the southern section of the course. Piccolo Fondo Start time: 10:00Distance: 20 miles (32km)Route: Remains on the largely flat northern plain of the island, returning to Ramsey after reaching St Jude's on the main route. Organisers said next year's new event, which would be focussed around Castletown in the south of the island and feature a range of bicycle types, would be in a similar vein to the now defunct End2End Mountain Bike competition, run on an off-road course between the Point of Ayre and Port Erin, was scrapped in 2021 due to a lack of volunteers to run it following a pause during the coronavirus the planned transformation of the Gran Fondo event in 2026, event director Paul Phillips said gravel cycling was "experiencing rapid growth" so it had "felt like the ideal time to apply our expertise to a new project"."We're excited about the plans we have in the works and can't wait to share them with the riders who have supported us over the years – and hopefully attract new faces who prefer off-road cycling," he added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Surrey man killed by vehicle during long-distance race in Washington State
A Surrey man has died after he was hit by a pickup truck during a long-distance relay race in Washington State. According to Washington State Patrol, Hui Li, 55, was running southbound on Highway 20 near Frostad Road on Whidbey Island when he was struck by a pickup truck, also heading southbound, just after 3:30 a.m. on Saturday. Li was participating in the two-day Ragnar Road Northwest Passage race held last weekend. He was taken to hospital in Seattle but died of his injuries Sunday night. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Washington State Patrol spokesman Brad Bulloch said the cause of the collision appears to be pedestrian error. 'The pedestrian had stepped out of the designated area for runners' and was struck by the vehicle, he said. Bulloch said he was not aware of the setup at that particular stretch of the road where the collision occurred, but said that at busier sections, cones had been set up on the shoulder of the road and signs had been posted with directions telling runners where to go. The driver, a 41-year-old Everett woman, was co-operative and agreed to a voluntary blood draw to test for impairment, said Bulloch. Drugs, alcohol or speed were not considered factors in the collision. The race route covered 322 kilometres starting from Peace Arch park in Blaine to Whidbey Island. The collision occurred about 60 miles north of Whidbey Island fairgrounds, where the race ended. In a statement on its social media page, organizers said they were 'heartbroken' over the tragic incident and had been in touch with Li's family. 'The weight of this tragedy is deeply felt throughout our organization and the wider running community,' said the statement. 'We are working with local authorities as they continue their continuing investigation. We will not be providing further details at this time.' On Sunday, a cyclist was killed in a collision with a vehicle while riding in a GranFondo event near Penticton . Two other cyclists were seriously injured and taken to hospital. Organizers in that incident said they were co-operating with police. chchan@
The Province
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Province
Cyclist dead after getting hit by car during GranFondo event in Penticton
The crash also injured two other cyclists, who are in hospital with serious injuries File photo: The Bluewater International Granfondo event in 2022. Photo by Paul Morden / The Observer A cyclist was hit and killed by a car Sunday morning while riding in a GranFondo event in Penticton. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Penticton RCMP were called to White Lake Road near St. Andrew's Drive early Sunday after a crash involving a vehicle and a group of cyclists. Two other riders were seriously injured and taken to local hospitals for treatment. The road was closed into Sunday afternoon for the investigation, and motorists were advised to avoid the area. 'The RCMP extend their deepest condolences to the family, friends and all those impacted by this devastating event,' said Const. Kelly Brent in a news release. Hundreds of riders participated in the Okanagan GranFondo that starts in Skaha Lake Park and winds up in Penticton, riding different distances based on their skill level. Road closures were in place for sections of the route. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On Sunday afternoon, GranFondo organizers said they were co-operating with authorities investigating the death. 'Okanagan Granfondo Penticton is heartbroken by the incident that resulted in a fatality today at our event. Our prayers are with all those impacted today,' the group's statement read. In 2010, a cyclist was seriously injured during the Whistler GranFondo event. In 2013, a cyclist was critically injured during an accident at the Whistler GranFondo event. And in 2024, a cyclist died during the Okanagan GranFondo, in what was described by organizers and a non-event-related incident. With a file from David Carrigg jruttle@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Local News Vancouver Canucks News Vancouver Canucks
