Tri-States Gran Fondo

In the last year or so, new events are popping up all over the country calling themselves Gran Fondo. What's that?

The Gran Fondo is a hugely popular and celebrated tradition in the Italian cycling world. Meaning "the big ride" or "the big endurance," a Gran Fondo is a long distance, timed cycling event (NOT A RACE) that welcomes competitive, amateur and recreational cyclists of all abilities.

While not strictly competitive, Gran Fondo events typically have a mass start and are timed. Some of the Gran Fondos are named for and led out by a pro cyclist, like Levi Leipheimer, or sponsored by big companies with a long heritage in cycling.

We're just going to keep it simple. No celebrities, no corporate big wigs.

The Tri States Gran Fondo will be fully supported with at least four feed zones (we call them checkpoints) along the route, roving SAG, and a great lunch after the ride. All riders will wear a timing chip, and results will be posted at the finish line and also on the website.

The truth is, while calling an event "Gran Fondo" is a new, sort of trendy concept, Planet Ultra has been bringing you these types of timed events since 2001.
We know that most folks participate in distance events simply for the pure enjoyment of riding through beautiful scenery with their friends. We also know that some cyclists have a competitive spirit and it's important for them to have an accurate time to compare to others. So we offer the best of both worlds.