2017 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships Expand
Finish in the top 25% in your age group in any of the 19 worldwide Gran Fondo's, or do three of them and you'll qualify for the 2017 World Championships in Albi, France, and a chance to pull on the coveted rainbow stripes jersey, as a Gran Fondo world champion
The UCI Gran Fondo World Series is a 'cycling for all' series where cyclists from all over the world can participate in events where they can obtain their ticket for the official UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in different age groups. There are qualifier events for both road-races and time-trial. The UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will crown the new UCI Worldchampions in Road racing and Time-trial
The 2017 UCI Gran Fondo series has already kicked off. The Poznan Bike Challenge in Poland and Australia's Amy's Gran Fondo both saw record fields with 6,500 and 5,00 riders respectively. The Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge in the sunny United Arab Emirates has just taken place too.
Back in the USA
After an absence of two years the series returns to the United States at the Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo in Alabama on May 21st 2017.
The Cheaha Challenge, part of the Alabama Backroads Century Series, dates back to 1992 and challenges riders over Mount Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama. It is reputed to be "The toughest ride in the South".
The event starts and finishes on the campus of Jacksonville State Universityand boasts seven routes up to the 200km/124 mile Ultra with 11,733 feet of climbing,
The 100 mile/160 km Century Ride is the UCI qualifier and contains 9,714 feet / 2,961 meters of climbing in the Talladega Mountains.
American riders have brought home their fair share of medals in previous years in the UCI world series. In 2011, the Gran Fondo New York and The Echelon Gran Fondo in Fort Collins, CO were two of the seven qualifier events were in the United States.
In 2012 the Berkshire Cycling Classic in Massachusetts was part of the series, followed in 2013 the Ridge Hill Putnam Cycling Classic in Cold Spring, NY, and in 2014 by the Tour of Winston-Salem.
In 2016 the amateur UCI World Tour was renamed the UCI Gran Fondo World series.
Successful Series expands Globally
More and more amateur cyclists have the chance to qualify and complete for a chance to wear one the coveted Rainbow Jersey's.
There are many rainbow jersey's up for grabs for a range of categories depending on your sex and age, for both the road race and time trial disciplines: 19 - 34yrs, 35 - 39yrs, 40 - 44yrs, 45 - 49yrs, 50 - 54yrs, 55 - 59yrs, 60 - 64yrs and +65yrs
The Tour de Campeche in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula also joins the Series for the first time in 2017 and Canada's Grey County Road Race completes the list of North American events for 2017.
Albama's Chehea Challenge and Mexico's Campeche are two of eight new events, as the Series expands to 19 qualifying rides for Albi in August 2017.
Poznan will host the 2019 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships.
The 2018 championships have not yet been awarded.
Only those who meet the qualification criteria receive invitations to race in the World Championships.
2017 UCI World Championships in Albi, France
Only qualified riders (season 2017) will be able to register for the 2017 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, as well the defender World Champions and the Masters national Champions.
Registration is open for nearly all the qualifying events worldwide.
The registration procedure will be sent in due time via an official invitation email by the UCI.
2017 UCI Gran Fondo World Series Events
| Date | UCI Gran Fondo | Country |
| 10-11 September 2016 | Poznan Bike Challenge | Poznan, Poland |
| 11 September 2016 | Amy's Gran Fondo | Lorne, Australia |
| 16 December 2016 | Spinneys Dubai 92 | Dubai, UAE |
| 3-5 March 2017 | Tour de Bintan | Bintan, Indonesia |
| 4 March 2017 | Forrest Grape Ride | Marlborough, NZ |
| 24-26 March 2017 | Cyprus Gran Fondo | Pafos, Cyprus |
| 1-2 April 2017 | Blayney to Bathurst Cyclo Sportif | Bathurst, Australia |
| 21-23 April | Rhodes Gran Fondo Tour | Rhodes, Greece |
| 29-30 April | Tour of Ayrshire | Kilmarnock, Scotland |
| 20 May | Schleck Gran Fondo | Luxembourg |
| 21 May | Cheaha Challenge | Jacksonville, Alabama |
| 26-28 May | L'Albigeoise | Albi, France |
| 3-4 June | Tour of Cambridgeshire | Peterborough, England |
| 3-4 June | Tour de Campeche | Campeche, Mexico |
| 9-11 June | Maraton Franja | Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| 15-17 June | Grey County Road Race | Blue Mountain Village, Canada |
| 7-9 July | La Leggendaria Charly Gaul | Trento, Italy |
| 8-9 July | Niseko Classic | Niseko, Japan |
| 12-13 August | Gran Fondo Denmark | Helsingor, Denmark |
| 24-27 August | World Championships | Albi, France |
2017 UCI Gran Fondo World Series on Gran Fondo Guide
You can find an overview of all the events, links to registration and the latest news from the 2017 UCI Gran Fondo World Series on our 2017 UCI Gran Fondo World Series Race Dashboard.
Just close this article and you'll discover the dashboard below.
Registration is open for most qulaifying events worldwide - use the registraion links for your chosen event.
Gran Fondo Guide is an official media partner for the UCI Gran Fondo World series.
