Get ready to Gran Fondo in the Sunshine State!

Kickstart your 2024 season at the Gran Fondo Florida hosted by Dade City Brew House. Mark your calendars for March 17^th! Register NOW and SAVE!

The Gran Fondo Florida is the opening round of the 2024 SUAREZ Gran Fondo National Series.

Who says Florida is flat?

Centred in the rolling orange groves of Pasco & Hernando County, Gran Fondo Florida starts and ends in Dade City, FL.; about an hour north of Tampa and an hour west of Orlando.

The race follows, in part, the proposed Olympic road race course that was part of Tampa’s bid to host the Summer Olympic Games. It travels along rural rolling hills, past horse farms and crystal clear springs. Briefly going through Withlacoochee State Forest and the hills surrounding Brooksville, Florida.

Gran Fondo Florida is the center of attention in Dade City, closing down Main Street for our start, finish and post-ride party!

SUAREZ Gran Fondo Florida Jersey included with Your Entry Fee

Here is a sneak-peek at the 2024 Gran Fondo Florida SUAREZ jersey the will be included with your rider registration fee.

Ride with your Friends, Race with your Friends!

Arguably the “easiest” event of the Gran Fondo National Series based on total elevation gain, but with nonstop rolling hills it’s the hardest gran fondo in Florida and rewards riders who can work well in groups.

Participants can earn points toward the season-long SUAREZ Gran Fondo National Series Points Competition and qualify for the USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships.

Spend the day working together on the road and then swap stories with new and old friends over great food, cold beer, and live music. Stay for the famous Gran Fondo National Series Raffle!

Start-Wave Format Procedure

Unique to Gran Fondo Florida, riders will stage by start waves of 25 to 30 riders every 5 mins, The first wave will roll out at 8:00AM, followed by subsequent waves every 5 minutes. Gran route riders start first followed by Medio and then Piccolo riders. Riders select their start time when registering.

3 Great Courses for all Abilities

There’s a distances to suit any ability level and early season form - or lack of it!

Cyclists can choose from 3 distances: the 30-mile Piccolo Fondo, the 65-mile Medio Fondo and the 100-mile Gran Fondo.

For 2024 you’ll see Revamped Routes on Quiet Roads

Pasco County isn't quite as rural as it was when Gran Fondo Florida began more than 10 years ago. Careful revisions have been made to our Gran, Medio, and Piccolo routes to use roads with less traffic, fewer intersections, and more scenery. Routes will be available for download to devices and the courses will be well marked with signs and paint on the pavement.

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. More competitive riders can compete for overall and category placements by gender and a full range of age categories. No racing license is required. Riders can compete solo or as a team, whilst re-grouping and riding at a more relaxed pace with others between the timed sections, and enjoy the super scenic views!

The team competition is 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.

The Timed Segments

With timed-segment competitions, your overall time from start to finish does not matter. Only the timed segments count.  Your overall, and age group rankings are determined by your combined time for all timed segments on the route you choose.

Qualify for 2024 USA Cycling National Championships

The Series pioneered the time-segment competition format in the United States and organizes the official USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships. This is your opportunity to be crowned National Champion and pull on the coveted Stars and Stripes Gran Fondo National Championship jersey!

Riders can qualify for the 2024 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships, to be held during the Gran Fondo Maryland in Frederick, MD on September 15th, 2024. A USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship title, complete with a national championship jersey and medal, will be awarded to the winner in each age-group category at the National Championships.

Fully Supported with FUN Included

Enjoy the convenience of the Saturday packet pickup in Dade City. Ride with confidence on the marked and marshalled course, supported by law enforcement, mechanic and sag vehicles, as well as feed stations staffed through local youth police program.

There will be four aid stations along the 100 mile route; two on the 65 mile, and one on the 30 mile route (30mi will also have mini-aid with only water, Heed, and Hammer Gel). Each of the other aid station will be fully stocked with: Water, Heed, Hammer Gel, Endurolyte Fizz, Bananas, PB&J Sandwiches, Cookies, Chips and Pretzels, and other snacks.

Aid-Stations will have bathrooms. You will be issued a timing chip, for the timed sections. The route will be very well marked; however, we suggest you get the RideWithGPS App and load the route to your smart phone or GPS.

Upon reaching the finish line, riders will be directed into a one-way finishers' chute where all riders will collect their Finishers Medal, Return Timing Chip and enjoy Post-Ride food and beverage. Riders with particular dietary needs should be prepared with own post-ride food options.

Beer from Dade City Brewhouse and Food from Pig on the Road Kitchen

When you arrive back from your ride, we'll have a fresh, locally-brewed beer for you from Dade City Brewhouse, and your choice of three meal options from Pig on the Road Kitchen (including a vegetarian option).

Happy Hour

Join GFNS and get to know your fellow riders the night before at Happy Hour at Dade City Brew House during Saturday packet pick up.

The Prizes

All 4 segments count for Gran route. 3 Sections count for Medio route, and one section counts for Piccolo riders.

- Awards presented three deep for each age group category for fastest section times

- Custom SUAREZ “Race Winner” jerseys for all Gran Route age group category winners

- Awards for top three in each age group category in each distance Gran, Medio and Piccolo winners

- For the Gran Fondo Route there is the team prize. Teams must have three or more riders to qualify. Team riders are still eligible for individual awards

The Raffle

Each GFNS event features a raffle with over than $5,000 of prizes from Series sponsors, any rider who completes the ride will be eligible for the raffle. Raffle winners must be present to win. The raffle is held after the awards.

BONUS: Earn an extra raffle ticket by wearing any Gran Fondo National Series jersey during the event!

Great prizes from our sponsors such as: (prize list subject to change)

5-day, 4-night Stay at Garda Bike Hotel in Italy
Wahoo ELEMNT Rival GPS Watch
Wahoo KICKR smart trainer (model TBD)
Lazer helmet
Industry Nine hubset
Cane Creek components
Swiftwick socks
Bike Flights travel voucher
Shimano products
Jittery Joe’s Coffee
UNDRBUDR anti-chafe cream
Ride with GPS Premium Membership (List subject to change)

Recommended Lodging

Best Western Wesley Chapel offers a 10% discount just tell them you're staying for the Gran Fondo Florida.
Hampton Inn Dade City Florida is nearby and a good location to stay if you're coming in from the east.

Beneficiary

This event raises funds for Pasco County SRO Explorer Program. The School Resource Officer (SRO) Unit is composed of two squads that provide law enforcement services to schools countywide. The SRO Explorer Program provides services for those aged 14-21.

Register NOW and SAVE!

Register now and save, prices go up on January 8th 2024.

It costs just $145 for the Gran and Medio and $90 for the Piccolo.

A custom Suarez Cycling Apparel event-specific jersey is included for riders who register at least 24 days in advance.

For more information of the Gran Fondo Florida, please visit: https://www.granfondonationalseries.com/gran-fondo-florida or click the button below to register now.

2024 Gran Fondo National Series Event Calendar

2024 Gran Fondo National Series Partner-Events

In addition to the 6 events organized and run by the Series, there are a growing number Partner-Events where athletes can earn points toward the 2024 Gran Fondo National Series Points Championship. Watch for additional Partner-Events to be included for 2024.

For more information on the 2024 SUAREZ Gran Fondo National Series, please visit: https://www.granfondonationalseries.com

About the Gran Fondo National Series

Founded in 2012 by event director Reuben Kline, the Gran Fondo National Series is the largest and most competitive series of gran fondo cycling events in the United States. Gran Fondo National Series was the first series to implement timed-segment racing into US gran fondo events and has crowned Gran Fondo National Champions and Gran Fondo National Series Champions since 2012. Starting in 2020, the organization entered into a partnership with USA Cycling to bring the existing Gran Fondo National Series events into the USA Cycling portfolio including the presentation of an official USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships events. 

The Series has successfully coordinated more than 80 Gran Fondos across the nation, serving more than 40,000 participants.

For more information, or to register for an event, go to www.granfondonationalseries.com.