Gran Fondo Hincapie-Lehigh Valley welcomed more than 700 riders
Riders enjoyed beautiful warm weather while taking on up to 13 sectors of ‘Pennsylvania Pavé’ to experience the Pennsylvania ‘Spring Classics’ last weekend
Gran Fondo Hincapie has created spectacular cycling experiences for over 12 years, and its Lehigh Valley, Penn. event, now in its third consecutive year, took place this past weekend. More than 700 riders, aged nine to 78, residing from 30 states and three countries, participated in this weekend’s Ultimate Cycling Experience.
The format of this weekend’s event gave riders a taste of the European ‘Spring Classics’, one of George Hincapie’s favorite riding styles. Cyclists tackled the short climbs of Flanders, the smooth dirt sections of Strade Bianche, and the iconic velodrome finish of Paris-Roubaix, all in one epic ride. Gran riders ventured out onto the best roads that Lehigh Valley has to offer made up of 13 sectors of ‘Pennsylvania Pavé’, seven bergs (short steep climbs), three covered bridges, and the stadium atmosphere of a finish at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center.
Hosted by former professional road cyclist and Olympian, George Hincapie, and the Hincapie family, Gran Fondo Hincapie events captivate riders of all skill levels with its unique blend of challenging routes, stunning landscapes, and friendly cyclists. Participants of the Lehigh Valley event this past weekend commented on the sense of community that Hincapie events cultivate. They also commented on the impressive expo and family-fun festival (complete with a kids’ water balloon flight), clear signage and attention to safety, well-stocked rest stops, and the ‘epicness’ of the course.
Hincapie Gran Fondo events are also acclaimed for the cycling celebrities in attendance. One such celebrity appearance this past weekend was Bobby Julich, ex-pro cyclist and Olympic medalist, who participated in this past weekend’s Hincapie Gran Fondo.
“Bobby is my oldest cycling friend,” said Rich Hincapie, President of Hincapie Sports. “We met at the Olympic Training Center in 1986, and the following year he and my brother George started racing together internationally. Yesterday, Bobby, his daughter Olivia, George, and his son Enzo participated in the Gran Fondo weekend. That’s what these events are all about - bringing families together, building friendships, and helping to inspire and connect people through our love for cycling.”
Cyclists chose to ride the paved roads of Pennsylvania on Saturday, choosing from multiple distance options—a shorter 14-mile Piccolo, a mid-length 52-mile Medio, or a longer 82-mile Gran ride. Gran Fondo Hincapie-Lehigh Valley also featured Speed Zones along the course. Designed to challenge riders, showcase their speed and skill, and keep everyone safe, these timed segments allowed participants to push their limits and vie for top honors in a friendly competition. The Gran distance had four Speed Zones, the Medio distance had two Speed Zones, and the Piccolo had one Speed Zone.
Chris Caruana (age 34, Brampton, ON) took home first place in the Gran men’s category with a combined segment time of 44:03. In second, Ian Anderson (age 24, Grand Junction, Colo.) finished in 44:12, followed by Brad Green (age 25, Schnecksville, Penn.) in third, completing the four segments in 44:27.
In the women’s Gran category, Liza Ray (age 26, Brooklyn, N.Y.) took home first place with a total segment time of 47:12. In second, Chelsea Borden (age 32, Buffalo, N.Y.) finished the four timed segments in 52:45, followed by Jessica Chong (age 38, Allentown, Penn.) who got third place with a time of 58:03.
During the podium ceremony, a few lucky winners also walked away with a brand new Ventum Bike and SpeedHound Recovery Systems.
Link to the 2024 Hincapie Gran Fondo-Lehigh Valley Results here.
The Lehigh Valley event is just one of Gran Fondo Hincapie’s six world-class events; the next will take place in Bangor, Maine (June 21-22). This year, Gran Fondo Hincapie has launched a new event in Bentonville, Ark. that will take place Sept. 7-8. The final event of the year will take place in Greenville, S.C. (Oct. 18-19), where the Gran Fondo Hincapie events all started back in 2012.
Registration is now open for all 2024 events, including the newest event location in Bentonville. Link to register here.
To learn more about Gran Fondo Hincapie please visit https://hincapie.com or follow along on social media on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
About Hincapie Sports
Cycling is our life. It’s what we know, and it’s who we are. But we are not a bike company. We’re a people-who-ride-bikes company. We are cyclists, and we are makers. We are master craftsmen of custom-made, high-performance cycling apparel. Our team is our family. Not only do we design our cycling apparel, but we also make it in our family-run factory. We also create and run upscale cycling events. We have a restaurant and hotel that hosts visiting cyclists from all over the world. We manage a spring series of races. Cycling inspires everything we do, and every day we work even harder to improve the sport, make it more accessible to others and build a strong community for future cyclists. Join us on our journey.
