The Ride of Your Life
Canada’s #1 rated GranFondo Cycle Race
Whistler Village has long been the centre of celebration for world-class alpine competition in Canada. From World Cups to the Winter Olympics, skiers and other winter sport champions have been feted in grand style over the years, including the legendary beer-in-hand victory lap through the village by skeleton racer Jon Montgomery after he won the gold medal in 2010.
But there’s a new party in town and it happens at the end of summer. It’s called the RBC GranFondo Whistler—and it’s become one of the biggest weekends of the summer in Whistler.
It all happens Saturday, September 9 as some 4,500 cyclists pedal their way from Vancouver to Whistler along the stunningly beautiful Sea to Sky Highway. Recently named one of the top ten places in the world to cycle by the Canadian Olympic Committee, this 122-kilometre route is legendary in the cycling world.
“The popularity of the RBC GranFondo Whistler is growing due to its unique location,” says event organizer Neil McKinnon. “The ride itself is spectacular, but what really makes it special for riders is the fact that ours is the only GranFondo in North America that offers a car-free, dedicated cycling lane the entire route.”
Voted Canada’s best GranFondo by “GranFondo Guide,” the event now draws cyclists from around the world, resulting in a veritable United Nations of colourful cycling jerseys and ultra-light racing bikes at the finish line. What follows is a celebration party that extends all day and long into the night throughout the many restaurants, bars and nightclubs in Whistler Village.
“The riders start arriving around 10 a.m. in Celebration Plaza, with the best of the best competing for a First Place Prize of a cool $15,000,” says McKinnon. “But the vast majority of participants are simply there for the sheer joy of the ride and the party that follows.”
Each rider is greeted at the finish line with a complimentary beer from Vancouver’s Red Truck Brewery. There’s also live music, food trucks, kids’ entertainment and complimentary massages.
Team and individual registration is open right up until September 5, with three classes of participation: the “Medio” division starts in Squamish, and stretches fifty-five kilometres up the highway into Whistler; the GranFondo runs 122 kilometres from Stanley Park to Whistler; and the “Forte” takes a detour up to the summit of Cypress Mountain, adding an additional thirty kilometres and 800 metres of elevation for the strongest of riders.
More information at whistler.com/granfondo.