Riders celebrate Maine’s beauty from two wheels during the Gran Fondo Hincapie-Bangor this past weekend
Gran Fondo Hincapie has created spectacular cycling experiences for over 12 years, and its Bangor, Maine event, now in its third consecutive year, took place this past weekend. 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.
More than 400 riders, aged nine to 81, residing from 27 states and five Canadian provinces, participated in this weekend’s event, which spotlighted the region’s rolling hills, open countryside, and charming coastal villages, as well as its vibrant downtown, even amidst rainy conditions.
“This is one of my favorite events! I actually got to ride this course with my dad this year, and it was amazing to see it from a rider's perspective,” said Bella Hincapie, Operations Coordinator at Hincapie Sportswear. “The course itself is beautiful; lots of rolling hills and views of the water. The volunteers and support from the local community in Bangor are excellent and it really makes the event.”
The weekend kicked off with a happy hour presented by Bangor International Airport, which took place during packet pick-up. For the event riders chose between three distance options - 80, 52, or 15 miles, each showing off the very best that Bangor and the surrounding areas have to offer including challenging rugged terrain and serene coastal views.
The 80-mile Gran course had over 5,200 feet of elevation gain and gave riders epic views of the Penobscot River and Bay. The 52-mile Medio distance challenged riders with over 3,100 feet of elevation gain, giving them a great taste of the Greater Bangor Region. Finally, the Piccolo distance offered the perfect option for riders looking to dip their toes into a Gran Fondo Hincapie experience.
New for this year, the Hincapie team introduced Timed Speed Zones, elevating the participant experience to new heights by adding an extra layer of excitement and enjoyment to an already thrilling event. Timed Speed Zones were set up along select marked sections of the course and were designed to challenge riders and showcase their speed and skill.
Steven Edwards (age 55, South Portland, Maine) took home first place in the Gran men’s category with a time of 3:16:19, as well as the overall win for the Speed Zone timed segments, with a total time of 24:59.0. In second, Justin Harris (age 39, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) finished in 3:16:20, also coming in second place for the Speed Zone segments with a total segments time of 24:59.9. In third, Greg Harkay (age 40, Orono, Maine) completed the course in 3:18:34 and the timed segments in 25:45.8.
There was a shake-up in the women’s field in terms of the overall Gran finishers and the Timed Speed Zone top finishers. In the women’s Gran category, Janet Davis (age 48, Travelers Rest, S.C.) took home first place with a time of 4:30:11 and Linda Bross (age 58, Pepperell, Mass.) won the Timed Speed Zone with a total time of 35:04.9. In second, Sallie-Ann Wheeler (age 59, Princeton, Mass.) finished the Gran course in 4:35:02, while Emily Thunberg (age 25, Concord, N.H.) finished the Time Speed Zones in second, with a time of 35:41.8. In third, Tammy Swift (age 54, Kingston, Mass.) finished the overall Gran course in 4:59:26 and also got third place in the Timed Speed Zone segments, with a total time of 35:44.
View all of the Hincapie Gran Fondo-Bangor results here.
The Hincapie-Bangor event is just one of Gran Fondo Hincapie’s six world-class events; the next will be Gran Fondo Hincapie’s newly launched event in Bentonville, Ark. which 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.
Register Now for Bentonville and SAVE 15%!
use code BENTONVILLE2024 for 15% off!
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.
