Gran fondo world championships coming to Whistler in 2020

In 2020, cyclists from around the world will gather in Vancouver for the start of the gran fondo world championships. The event will take the participants to Whistler and be based around the gran fondo Whistler, a  pre-existing mass participation event launched in 2010.

In 2017, 4,500 cyclists participated in the gran fondo Whistler which organizers say is North America’s largest gran fondo. The event’s longest route follows the scenic Sea to Sky Highway for 122 km from Vancouver to Whistler.

It will be the first time North America host the gran fondo world championships. In 2011, the UCI launched UCI gran fondo world series. Qualifying events around the world make it possible for participants to then go to the UCI gran fondo world championships. If you want to ride in Whistler in 2020, you’ll have to  target one of those qualifying events. The only Canadian event on the 2018 calendar is the Grey County Road Race which takes place near Collingwood, Ont.

The UCI also announced changes to team sizes at UCI road races. In an effort to make pelotons safer, the UCI have capped the limit of riders in a race at 176. This means team sizes will be capped at seven for all men’s road races with the exception of grand tours where teams will be able to enter eight riders. In women’s races,  teams will be capped at six riders in one-day races and seven riders in stage-races.

The UCI also  announced where the gran fondo world championships, the UCI also announced that the 2020 cyclocross world championships will be held in Dübendorf, Switzerland.  The 2018 para cycling world championships will be held in Rio de Jainero which hosted the Olympics and Paralympics in 2016. In 2018, they will be held in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands. The 2019 track world championships were announced for Pruszkow, Poland.