North America’s Number #1 COVID Crushing Gran Fondo is back
10th Anniversary of the Cache Gran Fondo will once again be the focus of world-class cycling for all levels of riders
Last July, despite COVID19, the Cache Gran Fondo, an annual Italian-style bike ride in Cache Valley in Northern Utah, was the largest organized cycling event in the United States!
The top North American Gran Fondo (ranked #6 in 2019), implemented a significantly modified event plan, working with local and state agencies, and held a recreational, limited rider starts, 2-day event that spread-out riders in smaller groups. Complying with the rules, participants had a fantastic 2-days riding in beautiful Cache Valley, Utah. The ride was both a big success, made possible because the participants, sponsors, local government officials, and volunteers all came together to meet the guidelines for safe and fun ride.
The focus has always been to create a fun, rewarding and challenging event for riders of all abilities. Over 1,100 registered riders took part in 2020, and there were lots of smiles as riders tackled any one of the 35, 50, 75 or 100 mile courses, with all enjoying clean air, beautiful vistas and relatively low-traffic routes.
The open roads and green flat farm fields of Cache Valley, one of northern Utah's best-kept cycling secrets, will once again become a major draw for thousands of cyclists. The Cache Gran Fondo occurs on the 2nd weekend of July and this year it takes place over the weekend of July 9-10th 2021, and is arguably one of Utah’s Premier Bike Rides!
Many riders pick the event for their first century, the challenge of a 50-miler, or as a training ride for bigger events like the Tour of Utah’s Ultimate Challenge and LOTOJA.
Race teams, corporate teams, families & neighbourhood groups, couples and individuals all converge in Cache Valley for this big, fun, ride!
Most of our riders come to Utah for the ride and stay and play in one of our 10 National Parks like Zion’s, Arches and Bryce Canyon.
2021 UCI Gran Fondo World Series and 2021 Colnago Gran Fondo National Series qualifiers
The 75-mile course has been chosen as the official race distance for both the 2021 UCI Gran Fondo World Series and the 2021 Colnago Gran Fondo National Series qualifiers. The race distance will be professionally timed, but all courses will have prizes, allowing individuals and teams to win over $8,000 dollars’ worth of awards, gifts and prizes. So beware, even those not racing can benefit from prizes awarded randomly across the event. Although much of the route is relatively flat, the routes also offer challenge climbs, but in short distances, just to keep it interesting.
For the fifth year in a row, the UCI Gran Fondo World Series returns to the U.S. at the Cache Gran Fondo this July 9-10th 2021, one of only three qualifiers in North America.
If you finish in the top three or in the top 20% of your age group in the Century ride, you will qualify for the 2021 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships and a shot at the World Champions Rainbow Jersey!
As well as the Gran Fondo, there is the Time Trial World Championship, a true race against the clock. The event includes a 10-mile time trial to qualify for the UCI Time Trial World Championships.
For those looking to take part in the UCI qualifiers, the age groups are 19-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-70 and 70+ and are determined by the cyclist's age on Dec. 31st 2021. No racing licence is required to participate in qualification.
Age group winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd/male and female) will receive a UCI medal. Also, 1st Place age group winners (male and female) will receive a UCI jersey.
The 2021 UCI Gran Fondo and Time Trial World Championships will take place in Banja Luka (Bosnia-Herzegovina) from 1st to 5th September 2021. Participants can look forward to a 22 km flat time trial in the city centre, a team relay and a 155 km Gran Fondo or 96 km Medio Fondo, both of which will take place on hilly roads. Riders will already be able to test the courses during the qualification event organised on May 8th and 9th 2021.
For more information regarding the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, please go to: http://www.ucigranfondoworldseries.com.
UCI Qualifiers will be automatically invited to register in advance.
2021 Colnago Gran Fondo National Series / USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship Qualifier
The Cache Gran Fondo is an official 2021 Colnago Gran Fondo National Series (GFNS) event. This includes an opportunity for riders who participate in Cache Gran Fondo to earn Series Points and qualify for the 2021 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship, (NOTE: 2021 qualifiers are eligible to ride in either the 2021 or 2020 Nationals). This year’s National Championship will be held on July 18, 2021 in Asheville, NC. Scoring for GFNS points at Cache Gran Fondo will be determined by adding each riders’ overall Start-to-Finish time with their segment-times. Age-groups for scoring will be matched to GFNS age-groups and may not follow the same primary age-groupings used at the Cache Gran Fondo.
Specificity calculation for GFNS placement and points will be calculated in the following way:
Classic Fondo Route. Cache Gran Fondo has designated their 75 mile course as the qualifier and will count the 1) Start-to-Finish time + 2) KOM/QOM Climb segment times + 3) Sprint segment = the competitive time for GFNS Gran Route placement and points. Prizes will also be awarded for segment wins as well as overall. Prizes will also be awarded for segment wins as well as overall. This Route is the qualify for the 2021 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship
The Century, Medio and Piccolo Routes will not be competitively timed for GFNS Route placement and points. All riders will be eligible for prizes based on random drawing throughout the day.
For more information regarding the 2021 Colnago Gran Fondo National Series, and qualify for the 2021 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship please refer to: https://www.granfondonationalseries.com.
Always Going Bold on the Finisher Medals!
The Cache Gran Fondo is renowned for having bold finishing medals that participants love, lead organizer Troy Oldham enthused “Last year’s medal was a 4x4inch polished chrome medal with red epoxy inlay, our logo, and a statement, ‘I Outrode Covid’. The medal is in the shape of the coronavirus. So many riders told us this is a keeper, to remember how hard last year was, and how much fun they had on the ride!”
“We’ve got something special planned for 2021 too!”
Save $25 on Registration!
All Gran Fondo Guide fans and followers can save $25 using our special discount code!
Use ‘FondoGuide21’ on checkout when your register online at https://www.bikereg.com/utahcachegranfondo21
For more information, please visit: https://www.cachegranfondo.com
