In 2024, the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, the UCI’s series of mass participation Granfondos, will expand to 30 races, making it the largest edition to date. These events will span across five continents, promising a global celebration of cycling.
The latest UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, which were part of the inaugural combined UCI Cycling World Championships held in Glasgow and across Scotland, garnered significant media attention. Former professional riders and the world’s best amateurs – some defending their rainbow jerseys from 2022 – from 69 countries contributed to the event’s success.
As a precursor to the 2024 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships next autumn, six qualifying events have already taken place following the UCI World Championships in Scotland. Eighteen more events, some of which have been part of the calendar since the inaugural edition in 2011, are scheduled in the coming months : notably, Maraton Franja in Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Amy’s Granfondo in Lorne (Australia) have been fixtures since the launch of the series.
The 2024 calendar welcomes four new races, starting with The Millars Granfondo in Vila-Real (Spain) on March 10. This challenging 178km course features elevation changes from sea level to a peak at 900m above the sea.
Another new addition to the series is the 3RIDES Gran Fondo, part of a major bike festival that already hosted a UCI Gravel World Series event in Aachen (Germany). Both races will take place on May 12 along the German-Belgian border.
Gran Fondo Svendborg (Denmark) on the Danish Island of Fyn, a UCI Bike Region, will serve as the home qualifier for many Danish participants aiming to secure a spot in the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in their home country. This event, scheduled for June 8-9, includes a time trial and Gran Fondo/Medio Fondo.
The last new qualifier, Gran Fondo Novi Sad, will be held on June 16 in the second largest city of Serbia. The race incorporates two challenging 10km climbs in the midst of a 100km course.
The 2024 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Aalborg (Denmark) will maintain the traditional program opener with a time trial on Thursday, August 29. This will be followed by the team relay on Friday, August 30. For the first time, the team relay becomes an official part of the championships program, with rainbow jerseys awarded to team members of the winning nation. Already a popular feature of the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, the team relay’s official integration adds a new dimension to the event. The format remains the same: a short relay featuring teams of four riders from different age groups, including at least one male and one female. The Gran Fondo and Medio Fondo races will take place on Sunday, September 1.
