Gran Fondo

Gran Fondo is Italian and translates approximately to “Big Ride". It means long distance or great endurance (there are running and cross country ski gran fondos too). Gran Fondo rides have their origin in Italy and France, where the general public was invited to ride a single stage of one of the professional grand tours, the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia, after the pro race went through.

Everyone, of any age and ability, was invited to participate. Ex-professionals and elite racers lined up side by side with 80-year-old farmers toting baguettes in the baskets of their 1920’s era commuter bikes. Family members lined the route and handed out food and water bottles. While some choose to ride fast and test their endurance, by definition, a Gran Fondo is not a race, but rather a mass start event designed to draw the community together and give everyone a chance to enjoy the fun of riding a bike on the same course as the pros. It is truly a ride for everyone! 

 Cache Valley hosted it's first Gran Fondo ride and 
Mark made sure that his name was on the registration. 
Because he's cool like that.

 This is the route and and he enjoyed the full course.

 The Sidewalk Sale was going on downtown as well as so many other 

great events...Cache Valley is extra sweet in the summer! 

Lots to do and see.

 You can see by the skies that it was a perfect 

morning to make this ride.

A great finish for papa!

 We were counting up about 11 who rode from our neighborhood! Some did a shorter route and had time to go home and shower up - an elite few like Geno the Great, had a phenomenal ride!(He came across the finish line as the number one rider.)Very, very cool for him.  
He is a very s t r o n g rider. It was a great day for everyone who participated and inspiring for people like me who cheered them all on.

 Mark with Maddy, Brian and Kevin. More great folks from our neighborhood. (Maddy's first 70 miler!)

Mark came home and showered and we went back down to grab lunch - all the riders had a free meal pass.  As we were sitting down to eat the rain came...in buckets!  What a down pour!  And so badly needed.  We were feeling for the people still out on the road but so grateful to get the moisture.