4 reasons to get excited about the 2018 Gran Fondo Mont-Tremblant

The Gran Fondo Mont-Tremblant will attract thousands of Canadian cyclists for its sixth edition on May 27 and 2018 has more to offer than ever with new elements to the weekend. With a new festival, additional competitive and recreational events plus chances to explore the Laurentian cycling destination it’s a can’t miss early season event.

1. The debut of Crossroads Tremblant

While the Gran Fondo Mont-Tremblant is an exciting event in itself, it’s made even better in 2018 as it coincides with a new mountain bike festival. Part of the Crossroad Tremblant weekend is the 24th edition of the Quebec and Canada Cup mountain bike event at Station Mont Tremblant. Folding together the road and mountain bike scene gives bike enthuasist more ways than ever to indulge in their passions over the weekend. Canada’s best downhill and cross-country racers will take to the trails for elite-level racing while thousands come for the scenic Laurentian roads. If you’re not looking to challenge for a win on the trails, there will be guided trail tours and up-lifts on the gondola, which is only open to mountain bikes during the festival. Crossroads Tremblant runs May 25, 26 and 27.

2. Beautiful, exciting, challenging and fun road events

The Gran Fondo Mont-Tremblant which takes place Sunday, May 27 allows participants to select a distance and speed group to ride with over the course of the day. The event offers 160 km, 125 km, 80 km and 45 km riders and further division in speeds, with the environment emphasizing enjoyment, inclusiveness and safety. Other road bike events over the weekend will include the women’s Peppermint Bikefest event on Saturday, May 26, a recreational time trial on Sunday and a criterium in Mont Tremblant’s resort village. The crit will have two categories: Pro Challenge and a Fixie race.

3. A chance to explore a great Canadian cycling destination

If you are traveling to Tremblant to ride the gran fondo, make sure to stay long enough to enjoy the area’s offerings. The gran fondo organizes an informal sunset ride on the Friday before the event and a coffee ride the Sunday after. As the fondo has grown, so has the cycling culture in the Mont-Tremblant region. Since 2006 when Ironman 70.3 came to Tremblant the infrastructure has developed with newly paved roads with wider shoulders. For a region that has the terrain and scenery of an excellent cycling destination, this was important to establish the culture in the area and today cyclists flock to Tremblant during the warmer months. With an expanding network of singletrack, there is also an extensive network of handbuilt trails to be explored. The longer you stay, the more time you’ll have to explore the region’s other cycling offerings at your own leisure.

4. Take part in a variety of family-friendly activities in Mont-Tremblant

If the gran fondo is enough cycling for one weekend and you want to make the trip with the family or friends who are less keen on cycling there are plenty of other activities to do at Tremblant. With nearby Lac Tremblant, visitors can take part in a variety of watersports, there is hiking on the mountain and visitors can spend hours wandering through Mont-Tremblant village with its restaurants and shops. There is also golfing for a change of pace or for thrill seekers the newly installed Ziptrek Ecotours zip-line. As a year-round sports destination, Tremblant has all sorts of activities to enjoy and with many different accommodations to choose from it’s a beautiful area to spend time with friends and family.

The Gran Fondo Mont-Tremblant is on May 27. To sign up and for more information visit granfondotremblant.ca.