The weekend is set to be bustling with activity as 7,396 riders have registered for one of three events in the UCI Gran Fondo World Series.
The Maraton Franja in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, kicks off the weekend today with a time trial on a 21.2km out-and-back loop starting from the commercial center, BTC City. A total of 302 riders are participating in the time trial.
Saturday features a family ride with 1,650 participants, while the main event is on Sunday. On this day, 3,100 riders from 31 countries will tackle the 157km Granfondo course, which includes a challenging 1,470m elevation gain, with the Kladje climb being the key difficulty. A shorter 100km Mediofondo course serves as a qualifier for men over 60 and women over 50.
Also on Saturday, the new Gran Fondo Svendborg in Denmark provides local riders a chance to qualify for the World Championships to be held in their country at the end of August. This event includes a time trial on a 23.2km coastal route on Saturday, and on Sunday, a 157km Granfondo and 77km Mediofondo, with respective elevation gains of 1,134m and 448m. These courses are relatively flat with some gentle undulations. A total of 1,687 riders from 29 countries have registered.
On Sunday, the second edition of the CRC506 Gran Fondo in Costa Rica will see 657 riders from 10 different nationalities at the start.
Beginning in the capital, San José, the Granfondo covers 127.6km, ending at the Pacific Ocean in Puntarenas. Despite finishing over 1,000m lower than the start, the course includes 1,700m of climbing. There is also an 82km Mediofondo, which starts halfway along the same route, serving as a qualifier for men over 60 and women over 50.
