Take Part in Gran Fondo Asheville this July 18th
A huge celebration as cyclists from across the USA come together for the 2021 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship. Likely to SELLOUT with over 1,000 participants expected. Register now to secure a place!
The Colnago Gran Fondo National Series believe everyone should enjoy cycling, so they have routes to suit everyone and you don’t have to qualify for the National Championship to have a super day out on the bike. There are routes for all abilities with a 30 mile Piccolo Fondo, 60 mile Medio Fondo and the 100 mile Gran Fondo. Riders do not need to qualify to participate in Gran Fondo Asheville, all normal Gran Fondo Asheville routes (Gran, Medio, Piccolo) are open to all riders to register and do not require qualification.
Those who want to, can push themself on the timed sections and receive awards and prizes too!
2021 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship
The 2021 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship will be held in conjunction with Gran Fondo Asheville. For athletes to compete they must have already qualified for a starting position. Riders in the National Championship category will start in their own wave, departing 30 minutes prior to all Gran Fondo Asheville riders. Due to 2020 event cancellations caused by COVID19, riders who qualified in 2019 are automatically qualified for 2021.
Winners will be crowned Gran Fondo National Champion, across each age group category. The National Championship is held on the Gran route comprised of a challenging 100 mile route with 8,827+ feet of climbing.
The age categories for men are: MU23, M23-34, M35-44, M45-54, M55-64, M65-75, and 75+
The age categories for women are: WU23, W23-34, W35-44, W45-54, W55-64, W65-75, and W75+
Each age-group winner in the Gran Fondo National Championship will receive an official USA Cycling National Championship Jersey. All riders in the National Championship category will receive a commemorative 2021 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship participation jersey as seen below:
In addition to the one-day USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship, at the end of the 2021 Colnago Gran Fondo National Series season, riders with the best three Gran Fondo Route finishes (including the National Championships and Series Partner Events) in their age groups will be crowned winners of the Gran Fondo National Series.
A fun day on the bike with World Class support
No matter if you’re competing for the championship or not, you’re sure to have a well-supported fun day on the bike. Ride with the people you want to ride with, at the pace you want to go. Regroup between timed sections, stop at aid stations, and enjoy the incredible views.
Ride worry-free with fully stocked aid stations and on-course sag support.
There’s a huge celebration at the finish line, with a party with great food, drinks and cold beer from Twisted Laurel and of course the much anticipated award ceremony and raffle!
Prizes for Everyone
The series believed riders on podiums shouldn't be the only people to get cool stuff too! At every Gran Fondo National Series event, any rider could win one of the following, plus additional prizes from our incredible sponsors:
- Hyperice Hypervolt
- Hyperice Hypersphere
- 4-night Stay for 2 at Garda Bike Hotel in Italy
- Wahoo KICKR Core
- Industry Nine hubset
- Lazer Sphere MIPS helmet
- Cane Creek components
- Bike Flights travel voucher
- Shimano products
- Swiftwick socks
- Shott Performance coaching package
- DNA Cycling Mid Pack Attack (awarded to rider in the exact middle of the overall results)
- A 3 night Stay at Sourwood inn and dinner on 12 night for Fastest time on Elk Mountain time section
- A 2 night stay at the Sourwood Inn
The Timed Segments
Asheville features small, twisting and turning tree-lined quiet roads, which is part of the reason that its drawn professional cyclists to North Carolina for decades. The terrain is stunning, demanding, and a ton of fun to experience on a bicycle!
Award-winning timed segment format: Competitions based on best combined time through timed sections.
4 timed sections in Gran Route, 3 in Medio Route, 2 in Piccolo Route
Overall, Age Group, and Team Competitions
Custom Winner kits from DNA Cycling awarded to the fastest riders in each age category of the Gran Route.
Team category winner - 3 complimentary entries good for an event in the next 12 months
Pick your distance, register, and start training for your best day on the bike all year!
T1- Bear Creek
This timed section is part of the Piccolo, Medio and Gran. Its 3.5 miles with 225 feet of climbing, two distinct climbs feature.
Time Section #1; counts for 30mi, 60mi & 100mi riders:
https://bit.ly/3guwiBz
T2 - Walnut Creek
This timed section is part of the Gran only. Its 6.1 miles with 1,015 feet of climbing and is considered a category 2 rated climb, a real test for the Gran Fondo riders.
Time Section #2; counts for 100mi riders only;
https://bit.ly/35qma6z
T3 - French Broad River
This timed section is part of the Medio and Gran only. Its 7.2 miles with 374 feet of climbing which is a shallow grade upwards of around 1%.
Time Section #3; counts for 60 & 100mi riders;
https://bit.ly/3q0FIYQ
T4 - Elk Mountain
This timed section is part of the Gran and Medio. Its 6.1 miles with 1,471 feet of climbing at an average of 5% and is considered a category 2 rated climb, another real test for riders.
Time Section #4; counts 60 & 100mi riders;
https://bit.ly/3wzEEgS
Downloadable Course Maps
The routes will be very well marked, but we encourage you to get the RideWithGPS App and load the route to your smart phone or GPS. Use this RSVP LINK to access premium RideWithGPS features and get turn by turn navigation for free.
Solo, Team and Age Group Prizes
Professional chip timing keeps track of every rider on course and allows riders to compete for the best combined time through up to 4 timed sections on route. Riders can compete solo or as a team, while also riding at a more relaxed pace with others between timed sections to and enjoy the super scenic views!
More competitive riders can compete for overall victory and age group podiums for men and women. There is also a team competition, won by the combined time of a team’s fastest three riders. Bonus seconds are awarded for additional team members who finish, meaning there’s a benefit to bringing a larger team.
Lodging
Looking for a place to stay the series highly recommend Sourwood Inn. It’s a great place to stay in a fantastic location to take advantage of the road biking opportunities.
Fast section time posted on Elk Mountain during Gran Fondo Asheville will win a Stay at Sourwood Inn and dinner for 2 at the Sourwood Inn’s incredible restaurant. It’s a package valued at more than $850… that you can win by riding your bike up Elk Mountain!
Click here for additional lodging options: https://bit.ly/35sYKh4
Benefiting Asheville on Bikes
Asheville on Bikes cultivates the culture of urban and commuter cycling through advocacy and celebration. We believe that cycling has direct benefit to the health of our community.
Register NOW and SAVE!
Over 1,000 participants expected, register now to secure a place, prices go up July 9th!
Current price is just $140 for the Gran, $120 for the Medio and $85 for the Piccolo.
For more information on the Asheville Gran Fondo, please visit: https://www.granfondonationalseries.com/gran-fondo-asheville
To register now, please visit: https://www.bikereg.com/asheville-gfns or click the button below:
For more information on the 2021 Colnago Gran Fondo National Series, please visit: https://www.granfondonationalseries.com