Cyclists qualify for USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship at Sold-Out Highlands Gran Fondo

750 cyclists from across the USA enjoyed great weather as they tackled rides through High Point State Park in New Jersey

In a continued sign that US cycling events are enjoying a surge in participation, registration for the 2021 Highlands Gran Fondo sold out and a record number of riders rolled off the start line in Butler, New Jersey on Sunday, June 6. The event was one of the last opportunities for cyclists to qualify for the 2021 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship event (view list of qualified riders), which will be held in Asheville, North Carolina on July 18 as part of Gran Fondo Asheville. The final qualification opportunity will be at the Cache Gran Fondo in Logan, Utah on July 9-10.

The Gran, Medio, and Piccolo routes at the Highlands Gran Fondo wove through the scenic country roads of northern New Jersey, and Gran Route riders faced the challenge of climbing to the highest point in New Jersey in High Point State Park. The weather created an additional challenge for all riders, with temperatures climbing into the low 90s for the first time of the season.

Professional chip timing kept track of riders out on course and allowed riders to compete for the best combined time through timed sections on route. The Gran Fondo course featured 4 timed sections and 7,400 feet of climbing over 100 miles, whilst the Medio Fondo featured 3 timed sections and 4,300 feet of climbing and the 35 mile and the Piccolo Route had 2 timed sections and 2,450 feet of climbing for all abilities of cyclists.

The timed section format has the added benefit of allowing riders to enjoy their chosen route, ride safely in the company of others and enjoy a bit of healthy competition. Only the timed segments counted towards the competition.

Upon arriving back to the start/finish at High Point Brewery in Butler, Nj, riders enjoyed a fresh post-event meal from Boca Bowls and cold Ramstein Beer as they cheered for fellow riders crossing the finish line. The Hyperice Recovery Zone was a popular destination all afternoon, with Hyperice Normatec recovery boots and Hypervolt percussion massage devices available for weary riders.

The best places to ride are often remote, so @volvocyclingsupport made sure riders were ok. @volvocarusa

Nutrition and hydration products included products from sponsors including Hammer Nutrition and Bonk Breaker.

Margherita Cina from Washington DC won the Women's Overall title with the fastest combined time of 52m 29s ahead of Susan Haid from Chester, NJ in second place, with Nicole Falcaro from Exeter, NH in third place.

Lee Sobotkin from King Of Prussia, PA won the Men’s Overall title, completing the four timed sections in the fastest time of 44m 52s, ahead of Mark Detweiler from Royersford PA in second and Jeremy Scheid from Newton NJ in third place.

Prize Raffle

The popular Colnago Gran Fondo National Series Raffle was held virtually. Prizes from Series sponsors included: Hyperice Hypervolt and Hypersphere recovery devices, Industry Nine hubset, components from Cane Creek, Swiftwick socks, Shimano products, a Lazer helmet, Wahoo Kickr Core trainer, a holiday at Garda Bike Hotel in Italy, as well as other prizes.

Raffle Prize winners:

- Hyperice Hypervolt – Theo Spilka
- Hyperice Hypersphere – Vicky Mei
- 4-night Stay for 2 at Garda Bike Hotel in Italy – Deborah Finger
- Wahoo KICKR Core – Denis Harnett
- Lazer Sphere Mips helmet – Andres Mangones
- Industry Nine hubset – Adwait Tare
- Cane Creek brakes and seat post – John Morris
- Bike Flights travel voucher – Alexander Feng and Stephen Panasci
- Shimano products – Harry Weinblatt
- Shott Performance coaching packages – Ryan Dubois and Rob Makaron
- DNA Cycling “Mid-Pack Attack” – A special prize awarded at all Colnago Gran Fondo National Series events, the Mid-Pack Attack jersey from DNA Cycling is awarded to the rider who finishes in the exact middle of the results sheet. For Highlands Gran Fondo, Mike Barone rode away with the prize!

100-mile Gran Fondo Winners

Custom “Race Winner” cycling kits by DNA Cycling were awarded to all Gran Route age group category winners

60 mile Medio Route Winners

35 mile Piccolo Route Winners

Team Winners

To win the Team Competition at Colnago Gran Fondo National Series, a team’s top three riders have their time’s combined, and then bonus seconds are deducted from the - team’s time based on the total number of teammates who finished the event. The top 3 results from the Team Competition at Highlands Gran Fondo were:

- BLUE BELL WEALTH MANAGEMENT P/B CANNONDALE (with 7 team members)
- SKYLANDS CYCLING (with 4 team members)
- Rogue Racing p/b Sail Away Coffee (with 3 team members)

Race director Reuben Kline commented, “It was great to see a record-breaking peloton of riders at Highlands Gran Fondo this year, especially because so many were new riders who took up cycling during the pandemic. I’m proud to produce events that are welcoming to new riders and challenging for experienced competitors. And I want to congratulate the 93 new riders who qualified for the USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships in Asheville, North Carolina on July 18^th.

Benefitting Boy Scouts of America

Donations from the ride benefit the local Boy Scouts of America troop.

Complete results, including age groups and all split times are available at: https://my.raceresult.com/169056/results