Andy Cicero and Olivia Wiktor win the first edition

New York City, August 9, 2023 – Rockford hosted the inaugural edition of GFNY Rockford this past Sunday.  The race course was 93.6 miles long with an elevation gain of 3583 feet.  

The race started off fast and already by mile 1.5,  forty riders formed the lead group.  After a string of attacks, a group of six riders successfully got away at mile 56, including GFNY Ann Arbor champ Ben Gorodetsky (NYC), Triple GFNY Florida champ Leon Santamaria (Miami) and Andy Cicero (Falls Church, VA).

Gorodetsky managed to break away and extended the lead during 15 miles to over 30 seconds.  

But with 17 miles to go, the remaining quartet caught up with Gorodetsky. Attacks started and in the five man sprint to the finish line, Cicero put in a surprising attack.  He took the win and crossed the finish line in 03:57:12, ahead of Santamaria and Gorodetsky.

In the female race, Olivia Wiktor (Team RETO, USA) took the solo win in 4:40:15, ahead of Mishelle Abreu (Dominican Republic) and Carolina Restrepo (Mexico) in third.

Next up on the GFNY calendar is the fourth edition of GFNY Alpes Vaujany which will take place Sunday, August 27, 2023.

About GFNY Global Endurance Sports Series

GFNY Global Endurance Sports Series is a sports event company with three decades of experience in racing, planning and organizing events. The global endurance sports brand hosts multiple events throughout the year around the world on five continents.

Working with partners around the world to deliver a first-class experience, GFNY Global Endurance Sports Series puts its athletes first.

Events

30-plus endurance sports events held around the world. View the latest calendar here

Riders get to BE A PRO FOR A DAY ® by competing against others, themselves and the clock in a personal endurance challenge.

Top 10% (20% at regional championships) of finishers in each age group qualify for the Elite Qualifier Corral at every GFNY World event.

GFNY World Championship NYC

The 12th annual GFNY World Championship New York will be held on May 19, 2024. The race features the world’s most international peloton with riders from over 90 countries. Athletes take on a challenging route to compete against each other, the clock and themselves in a personal endurance challenge.

The official GFNY website is: www.gfny.com.

Further Material for Media Use

Official GFNY Rockford video: here

GFNY Press Images: here

GFNY Results: here

GFNY World calendar graphic: here

Previous GFNY press releases: here

Media Contact

Gran Fondo New York Inc.

Uli Fluhme,

Caroline Lindsay,