Mount Lemmon Gran Fondo: Hill Climbers Apply Within
Mount Lemmon is one of the nicest climbs in the southwest of the U.S and this April 27th just north of Tucson, Arizona you have the chance to take part in this Gran Fondo which features a mass start, electronic timing and CLOSED ROADS.
It's a long, steady climb with near perfect tarmac - a real hill climbers paradise.
Mt. Lemmon is a rare jewel in the Arizona desert. Jutting up 9,157 feet (2,791 meters) above sea level in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona, this magnificent mountain peak stands amidst the pale backdrop of the sparse desert sand and cactus.
Mount Lemmon received its English name in honor of botanist Sarah Plummer Lemmon, who trekked to the top of the mountain with Native American guides by mule and foot in 1881. Sara Lemmon is also known for getting the Golden Poppy adopted as the California State Flower in 1903.
Starting from the base of the climb at Sabino High School, north east Tucson, the timed hill climb will be 26 miles long, and in this distance, you'll climb over 6,000 feet (1,829 meters), which as an average grade is around 5% going up to 10% in places. It finishes in the “Alpine" like setting of Ski Valley.
Hardly anywhere else in the US can you climb so high for so many miles in succession.
Mount Lemmon is in the top 25% of toughest hill climbs in America - with a rating of "hors category" and "category 1" on the scale used to rank climbs in European stage races, like the Tour De France.
For example, the Colle dell'Agnello (Italian) or Col d'Agnel (French) is situated in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur on the French / Italian border and belongs to the Alps range of mountains. Starting from french town of Guillestre, the Col d'Agnel ascent is 26 miles long. Over this distance, you climb 1,736 height in meters. The average percentage is 4.5 % and this climb has been used twice in the Tour De France. Very similar to Mount Lemmon in distance, difficulty and height.
Mount Lemmon is right up there with the famous passes in the Alps, Dolomites and Pyrenees.
Cycling History
Racing up Mount Lemmon has a legendary history as stated on Arizona Cycling Website; “The first recorded bicycle race in the modern era was April 28, 1968 when a handful of racers from Phoenix and Tucson tackled the climb of Mt. Lemmon north of Tucson. The event was stopped by local law enforcement officials not used to seeing packs of cyclists on the roads.
Riders were admonished to ride single file up the climb, with no passing allowed but after the officers left, racing resumed!"
Mike Keller won the climb with a time of 2 hours, 20 minutes for the 31-mile event from the outskirts of Tucson to the observatory right at the very top.
True Gran Fondo
In true Italian Gran Fondo spirit there will be a mass start, fully signed route and electronic timing allowing you to race against the clock.
THE ROADS WILL BE CLOSED.
The event organisers, working with Pima County, the U.S. Forest Service, and the residents of Mt. Lemmon, have received special permission to close the roads in order to allow the Gran Fondo to take place, making this a very special event, rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Gran Fondo New York or RBC Gran Fondo Whistler - who also close the roads for the whole duration of the event.
There will be aid stations up the climb for you to take on more water and nutrition. As locals will tell you - finding watering stops on the climb is difficult unless you know the climb well!
A SAG wagon will follow behind with spare wheels should anyone have a "mechanical" on the way up.
Climbing Mt. Lemmon is a must for any road cyclist, especially if you like to climb.
Ask any local cyclist - you'll feel like your doing a stage of the Tour when climbing Mt. Lemmon.
At the top of the climb will be a post recovery zone.
There will be a KOM QOM presentation ceremony and a free raffle for all participants.
After all that effort, there is a bike and bag valet service with a bus to take you back down the climb (unless you want to enjoy the descent when the road is fully opened).
For those outside the area there will be discounts at local hotels for the week of the event.
For anyone living in the area, there are free training rides for 2 months leading up to the event.
Finishing Medal Times
The bar has been set high, with the following medals being awarded at the finish:
1.Platinum = under 2hrs 15min
2.Gold = under 2hrs 40min
3.Silver = under 3 hours
4.Bronze complete Fondo.
We calculate that an average speed of 11.55 mph over the whole climb will be required to get a platinum medal - which is no walk in the park.
Rumour has it that a well known pro rider (who remains anonymous at present) based in the area, has already shown interest and may line up at the start.
So if you love climbing hills, as we do, then you'll love this challenge!
Registration Is Now Open
If you enter in February, you can take advantage of an early bird discount.
Visit http://www.mtlemmongranfondo.com for full details and registration.
One Mountain, 26 miles, 6000 feet, one EPIC event that you'll never forget.
Make sure you add it to your bucket list.
Training Plan
Training Peaks have devised a beginner plan that is geared towards individuals who would like to do the Mt. Lemmon Gran Fondo with the goal of completing the event. If you have never done a cycling event or a hill climb before, never climbed Mt. Lemmon (or similar climb) and are just looking to finish, this is the plan for you.
Gran and Medio Fondo
