GRAN FONDO DEGLI SQUALI

Location Cattolica to Gabicce Monte, Italy Date May 14 Distances 136 km, 84 km Cost €30–€40, depending on registration date Website granfondosquali.it

Gran Fondo degli Squali starts at the aquarium in Cattolica, right along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. For those who don’t speak Italian, and if the shark mascots in the photos on the website don’t give it away, “squali” translates to sharks. Participants can become cycling sharks for the day, hunting the hills along the 136-km or 84-km routes that loop inland for the climbs before following the coastline to the finish in Gabicce Monte. The finish, as with any complete fondo, includes food – seafood, in this case – and a celebration.