The Gran Fondo World Tour rolls out in 2016, offering a global series for amateur cyclists

For amateur riders around the world, the Gran Fondo World Tour—whose first incarnation rolls out this year—offers a new approach to the long-haul, mass-participation cycling format. As the discipline’s first universal circuit, the intent of the project is to create a premium, world-class competitive league for amateur riders.

This year, the Tour’s first installation will present those riders with six events.

Officials with the Gran Fondo World Tour describe it as following the example of other competitions, notably those of the pro peloton. “This project is meant to be a challenge for amateur riders from all over the world,” explained Dani Buyo, the Tour’s general manager. “We think it makes sense to offer them a competitive experience similar to the professional UCI World Tour. Up to this point, both organizers and sponsors have warmly welcomed our project.”

But while there are big, ambitious plans to present a larger and more comprehensive calendar for riders in coming years, this first roll-out, Buyo says, will deliberately be smaller in scale. “There are several events aiming to be included in our calendar in the coming years,” he noted. “For the time being, we prefer to be judicious and to start with this restricted list of events.”

The Gran Fondo World Tour will begin in April with the Oakley Gran Fondo Barcelona in Spain and concludes in September, when the Gran Fondo Kazakhstan kicks off. Riders will be listed among its ranks by participating in one of the calendar events, but to contend, officials say, they should complete three of them. The fastest cyclists on each Gran Fondo’s competitive sector will be awarded 1000 points, while the Styrkeproven Oslo, being a 500 km ultra-distance event, will award riders with a maximum of 2000 points. Like the UCI World Tour scene, each Gran Fondo will see a male and female rider announced as leading the Gran Fondo World Tour—complete with a distinctive leader’s jersey.

In preparing the World Tour’s schedule, officials intentionally chose locations and regional organizations where cycling carries high prestige, and just as importantly, locations that are geographically diverse enough to allow cyclists from around the world to participate. In doing so, Buyo explained, the Gran Fondo World Tour intends to establish itself as a leading global cycling series.

“We want our events to be unanimously regarded as high-quality ones,” he said. “Gran Fondo World Tour’s brand should attach recognition to the event’s brand, and vice versa.”

More information is available by visiting granfondoworldtour.com.

2016 Gran Fondo World Tour schedule:

• April 3: Oakley Gran Fondo Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain)
• May 6: Gran Fondo Kuwait
• June 12: Gran Fondo Marcialonga Cycling Craft (Predazzo, Italy)
• June 17: Strykeproven (Oslo, Norway)
• August 28: Golden Gran Fondo (Colorado, USA)
• September 11: Gran Fondo Kazakhstan (Almaty, Kazakhstan)