GFNY Italia races Tuscany’s historic strade bianche

Written by jenna on .

Sunday’s GFNY Championship Europe was held in Montepulciano on tough course

GFNY was back on Italian soil with the GFNY Championship Europe at GFNY Italia last Sunday. The main challenge of the 101 km course with 1889m of climbing and gradients up to 20% were 26 km of “strade bianche” (white gravel road). The 5 km climb to the finish line ended with a steep 18% climb to the town market square of Montepulciano. No clouds in the sky and perfect racing temperatures made the Tuscan hills an oversized sports ground that has to be described as Disneyland for cyclists: hills, small and twisty roads, historic towns and villages – spettacolo!

32-year-old former Lampre and Vini Farnese pro Alfredo Balloni (IT) took the win in 2:59:15. His average of 33km/h shows the difficulty of the course. The all-Italian podium was rounded out by Alessio Lazzeri in second place, and Fabio Orcame in third. 

With his win, Balloni earned a fully paid trip to the GFNY World Championship in New York City on May 15, 2022 where he will be a hot contender for the win if he is in the lead group at the final climb up Dyckman Hill.

In the women’s race, Italian Chiara Turchi took the win in 03:38:15. Dutch Rochelle Verhagen came in second place with a time of 03:45:06, and Rachele Chisi (IT) rounded out the podium. Race favorite and 2019 GFNY NYC World Champion Jill Patterson (USA) led the race for a long time until two flats ended her day.

“Racing on strade bianche is something that any serious bike racer should experience at least once” says GFNY CEO Uli Fluhme. “Given the good condition of the strade bianche – which are maintained as official local roads – this is far from a gravel race. It’s a road race with a twist. If you show up on a gravel bike, you’ll suffer more on the road sections than you gain on the strade bianche.”

GFNY Endurance Sports Series now returns to the United States with their inaugural running event GFNY Marathon Florida Sebring on this Sunday, October 24.

 

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 their athletes first.

Cycling

20 plus events around the world. View the 2021-2022 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 Racer Corral at every GFNY World event.

GFNY World Championship NYC

The 10th annual GFNY World Championship New York will be held on May 15, 2022. The race features the world’s most international peloton with riders from over 90 countries. Athletes take on a challenging 100-mile route from NYC to Bear Mountain to Fort Lee 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

GFNY Press Images: here
GFNY World calendar graphic: here
Previous GFNY press releases: here

Media Contact

Gran Fondo New York Inc.
Jenna van der Heide, 
Uli Fluhme, 

Strade bianche racing at GFNY Championship Europe

Written by jenna on .

Authentic Italian gran fondo racing in the hills of Tuscany with GFNY Italia on October 17

GFNY Endurance Sports Series is back in Europe with the GFNY Championship Europe at GFNY Italia this Sunday, October 17, 2021. The host towns are Montepulciano and Torrita di Siena, located in spectacular Tuscany which is akin to a gigantic cycling stadium. GFNY Italia offers everything of a true Italian gran fondo, with the added thrill of “strade bianche” (white gravel roads) sectors. 

The course features 101 km of racing with 1889m of climbing over numerous hills and across four “strade bianche” sectors that run among the vineyards and olive groves of the Tuscan countryside.  The finish will be up an 18% climb to the town market square of Montepulciano.

“GFNY Italia is the perfect host for the 2021 GFNY Europe Championship”, says GFNY CEO Uli Fluhme. “At 101km the race may seem short but the relentless hills and 26km of strade bianche ensure that only the strongest prevail”.

Website: italia.gfny.com

 

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 their athletes first.

Cycling

20 plus events around the world. View the 2021-2022 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 Racer Corral at every GFNY World event.

GFNY World Championship NYC

The 10th annual GFNY World Championship New York will be held on May 15, 2022. The race features the world’s most international peloton with riders from over 90 countries. Athletes take on a challenging 100-mile route from NYC to Bear Mountain to Fort Lee 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

GFNY Press Images: here
GFNY World calendar graphic: here
Previous GFNY press releases: here

Media Contact

Gran Fondo New York Inc.
Jenna van der Heide, 
Uli Fluhme, 

Your Site Plan for GFNY Marathon Florida Sebring

Written by jenna on .

We’re nearing race day! I hope you’re well-trained and feeling excited to race the first GFNY marathon. To help you be as prepared as you possibly can for the marathon, we have created a site plan for you. Please check out the site plan and other useful information below.

Site Plan

Getting There on Race Morning

The fastest way to access the GFNY Marathon Sebring parking & start area, is from US-98. Kenilworth Boulevard will be closed for your race, so plan your getting to the start route via US-98. From US-98 turn north into Madrid Drive. Continue on Madrid Dr past Castile Rd on a short unpaved section and through an open gate and continue north on Madrid Dr. Go straight / north on Madrid Dr until you see the entrance into the parking lot. To optimize the parking space, park double file.

Starting in the dark

We made the start time as early as possible, so you get to enjoy running in the cooler temps before the sun rises. The start time is at 6:45am, with a civil twilight at 7:07am and sunrise at 7:31am.

Bring a head lamp for race morning for while you get ready in your car. We will have light towers at the start corrals and the race track has lights that will light the route. The sun will rise while you exit the track and tackle the rest of the run course.

Officially measured: GFNY Marathon Florida

GFNY Marathon Florida Sebring & GFNY Half Marathon Florida Sebring courses are measured and certified! Get your BQ or PR or official finish in a couple of few weeks!

 

GFNY Ecuador Manta: American Jill Patterson in contention for overall win

Written by jenna on .

Ecuadorian Jorge Carrenza takes the win after a fall with Patterson less than 3 minutes behind and in fifth overall

GFNY returned to Latin America for the third time this season with GFNY Ecuador Manta last Sunday. Over 700 cyclists rode the beautiful but challenging 143-kilometer long course that included 2034 meters of climbing, most of which was attacked in the Pacoche forest. 

Despite a crash and mechanical early in the race, Jorge Carranza caught up to his rivals and paired up with Corratec rider Daren Katsuno. Together, Carrenza and Katsuno dropped the lead peloton to finish in 03:59:14 in first and second place. Less than 2 minutes later, the all Ecuadorian podium was rounded out by John Fabricio Palma. 

In the women’s competition, the 2019 GFNY NYC World Champion Jill Patterson (USA) took the win in 04:02:05, just three minutes behind the men’s champ and in fifth place overall. Ecuadorians Daniela Zambrano and Angy Luna rounded out the podium.

Jorge Carranza punched his ticket for the GFNY World Championship in NYC in May 2022, where he will race a course that’s quite similar and can proove that he wasn’t a fluke. Meanwhile Jill Patterson will no doubt be the marked lady come May 15.

GFNY now heads back to Europe for a true Italian Gran Fondo: GFNY Italia Montepulciano-Torrita di Siena, featuring the spectacular “strade bianche” sectors in the Tuscan hills on October 17. 

 

 

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 their athletes first.

Cycling

20 plus events around the world. View the 2021-2022 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 Racer Corral at every GFNY World event.

GFNY World Championship NYC

The 10th annual GFNY World Championship New York will be held on May 15, 2022. The race features the world’s most international peloton with riders from over 90 countries. Athletes take on a challenging 100-mile route from NYC to Bear Mountain to Fort Lee 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

GFNY Press Images: here
GFNY World calendar graphic: here
Previous GFNY press releases: here

Media Contact

Gran Fondo New York Inc.
Jenna van der Heide, 
Uli Fluhme, 

GFNY Florida Sebring wins Sports Tourism Award 2021

Written by jenna on .

Florida’s Highlands County gaining sports tourism from hosting GFNY event

The inaugural GFNY Florida Sebring held on October 25, 2020 attracted 800 cyclists and their families to Highlands County, Florida and earned GFNY the Sports Tourism Award 2021. 

“The award recognizes GFNY’s dedication to sports tourism by consistently growing sports participation, increasing the promotion and marketability of Highlands County to visitors, and producing a series of sports tourism events that show a profound impact on the Highlands County economy through out-of-town visitation,” says Casey Wohl, the Lead Marketing Consultant for Visit Sebring/the Highlands County Tourist Development Council (TDC).

“We’re honored to receive this award because it recognizes the hard work we’re putting into creating not only world class events for participants but also events that directly benefit the host region”, says GFNY President Lidia Fluhme. 

In October 2021, GFNY will be back in Sebring and Highlands County to organize the second annual GFNY Florida on October 31. New for 2021, Sebring will also host GFNY’s  inaugural running marathon: GFNY Marathon Florida Sebring. The race is scheduled for October 24 and will give runners the option to race a full or half marathon and a fun run on and around the Sebring International Raceway.

Website: florida.gfny.com and floridamarathon.gfny.com

 

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 their athletes first.

Cycling

20 plus events around the world. View the 2021-2022 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 Racer Corral at every GFNY World event.

GFNY World Championship NYC

The 10th annual GFNY World Championship New York will be held on May 15, 2022. The race features the world’s most international peloton with riders from over 90 countries. Athletes take on a challenging 100-mile route from NYC to Bear Mountain to Fort Lee 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

GFNY Press Images: here
GFNY World calendar graphic: here
Previous GFNY press releases: here

Media Contact

Gran Fondo New York Inc.
Jenna van der Heide, 
Uli Fluhme, 

Why You Should Also Be a Runner


“You’ve preached for a decade to us why cycling is so great and now we are supposed to be runners?”

“What do you know about running anyway?”

Let me answer the second question first because it’s not only valid but it also supports my answer to the first (hint: I’ve been there).

I started bike racing as a junior. By the time I was 20, I added running to my training because I wanted to finish an Ironman in a one-and-done kind of way. I did the Ironman half a year later and a marathon as preparation before that (oh to be young again). But I wasn’t done with either Ironman or running. The one-and-done turned into 15 years first trying to be the best Ironman and then the best Marathoner I could be. This ended with finishing top 100 both at Ironman Hawaii and the NYC Marathon. But the journey is where the key was: I traveled the world and raced in obvious and non obvious places which gave me great memories.

So if you think I am a cycling nerd, you should have seen me through my running heydays which answers question two: I know much more than necessary at any level.

Now let’s get to the more pressing question: why should you – a passionate road cyclist – be also a runner?

Disclaimer: if you really just don’t like running and don’t want to be encouraged to rethink that, that’s of course fine. And there are obviously a few physical reasons that might keep you from running (interestingly though most aren’t final). In those cases, see you at the next GFNY Cycling race!

 1. It’s fun

Running is fun and it’s why I do it. Many people can’t imagine a strenuous exercise like running to be fun but it truly is if you give it an honest try. If you’ve never tried it since you were forced to do it in high school, you might have to give it 4-8 weeks of consistent running to reap the fun part. And speaking of high school: I could barely do two laps on the track (800m) back then and hated running.

I especially love running in nature. When you get into a flow, it’s pure bliss. A flow like that is harder to achieve in cycling because we’re usually in traffic and cycling requires more situational awareness.

2. You can do it anywhere

Cycling is great but while you can travel with your bike to ride in new places, it isn’t always practical. Few of us would take their bike on the plane for a three day work trip. But there is no reason not to take a running kit and shoes in your carry-on for a run in the morning before breakfast. It’s a great way to experience a place and get your exercise in.

I remember a short business trip to London where I packed gym gear for a workout in the hotel gym. It was January but surprisingly mild so I opted for a run. It wasn’t mild enough for a run in the singlet I brought with me for the gym but a dress shirt later, I was off and running along the Thames and all the sightseeing highlights of London.

3. You can do it in any weather

Ok, almost any weather but snow isn’t rideable and rain riding not for everyone either. Running, however, can be even more fun occasionally in weather that you would never consider riding in. Imagine getting your play time in without having to worry about weather. Yes please!

 


4. It’s healthy

Yes, you are already getting all the health benefits from cycling. But running is important to support your bone density which is something cycling does nothing for. And running uses certain muscles that are more or less dormant on the bike, most notably core muscles.

5. So many race options

Let’s face it, we like to race. And while racing a GFNY cycling event will give you long lasting memories because it was long and difficult and possibly required you to travel far, you can’t do that every weekend.

You can, however, find a run race nearby all the time. The fun about running is that you don’t have to stick to running a marathon. Sure, the marathon can be considered the crown jewel of running but that doesn’t mean you should run a mile race – or a 100 mile race!

 



6. It complements your cycling fitness

As a hardcore cyclist, you might wonder if running is detrimental for cycling. After all, as cyclists we’ve been taught “Why run if you can stand, why stand if you can sit down, why sit down if you can lie down?”

And there is some truth to that: if you are racing the Tour next week or Flanders as part of a pro team, stay away from running. After all, you’re using different muscles and might get an injury.

If you are not a pro cyclist, however, running is likely beneficial for your cycling. In addition to recruiting different and complementary muscles, it is also great to keep the weight down as the calorie burn per hour spent is greater than in cycling. While you do feel every extra weight when climbing on a bike, you feel it even more so when running and it might trip you to just be a little more serious with your diet.

In a future article, I will address commonly raised arguments by cyclists against running.

Let’s run!

 

 

 

GFNY Ecuador: Spectacular coastal roads at the equator

Written by jenna on .

GFNY continues to dominate South American mass participation cycling event with GFNY Ecuador Manta on September 26

GFNY Global Endurance Sports Series returns to Latin America for the third time this year with GFNY Ecuador on Sunday, September 26. The race offers a long course of 143 kilometers and a (non-competitive) medium course of 65 kilometers. 

The competitive long course, with 2034 meters of climbing,  will take riders from the start at Wyndham Manta Gail Plaza along the beautiful Ecuadorian Pacific Coastline, the Pacoche forest, and back through the nearby mountain range. 

“GFNY Ecuador was the first ever mass participation cycling race in Ecuador back in 2019,” says GFNY CEO Uli Fluhme. 

“Breaking ground in a new country is always exciting and provides unique challenges, yet it makes us extra proud when achieved. Huge props to Elena Nolasco, Christian Mendez and the whole GFNY team in Ecuador to further grow and evolve this spectacular event in the midst of a global pandemic.”

“Cycling is a phenomenal outlet and strengthens physical and mental well being, especially in a crisis. And being outdoors, it can be done in a safe way during a pandemic.”

Website: ecuador.gfny.com

 

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 their athletes first.

Cycling

20 plus events around the world. View the 2021-2022 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 Racer Corral at every GFNY World event.

GFNY World Championship NYC

The 10th annual GFNY World Championship New York will be held on May 15, 2022. The race features the world’s most international peloton with riders from over 90 countries. Athletes take on a challenging 100-mile route from NYC to Bear Mountain to Fort Lee 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

GFNY Press Images: here
GFNY World calendar graphic: here
Previous GFNY press releases: here

Media Contact

Gran Fondo New York Inc.
Jenna van der Heide, 
Uli Fluhme, 

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