GranFondo canceled for 2020
The annual GranFondo bicycle race has been canceled for this year, the Tehachapi Valley Recreation & Park District has announced.
“After careful consideration, the 2020 Tehachapi GranFondo, slated to take place Sept. 19, is hereby postponed due to the COVID-19 epidemic. While this decision comes at a time of uncertainty, the health and safety of our participants, staff and volunteers are our number one priority,” wrote District Manager Corey Torres in a press release last May.
According to Torres, this decision comes with much disappointment as TVRPD staff and committee members has been working diligently in preparation for the event.
“Kaiser Permanente has been the proud presenting sponsor of the Tehachapi GranFondo since its inception seven years ago. It is always the top priority of Kaiser Permanente to keep our members, staff, physicians and communities safe,” wrote David Womack, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente in Kern County.
Womack continued: “The decisions we make today will forever change our tomorrow, and it is for this reason that we support the Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Park District’s decision to forgo the GranFondo in 2020.”
Torres stated that registered participants can expect a refund.
“We have all the plans to move forward with the GranFondo next year, but who knows where we will be at that point,” Torres said Monday.
While TVRPD is able to survive in the absence of many of their programs, Torres said the GranFondo is part of the district’s identity.
“It’s what we do. It’s hard to cancel stuff, and it is difficult to do that,” Torres said. “Hopefully, 2021 will look different, and we can get back to some sort of normalcy.”
For more information on the Tehachapi Valley Recreation & Park District, visit tvrpd.org.