The race has also been held last year October as qualifier for the same World Championships, but the courses of both time trial and granfondo have been updated compared to last year with a brand new 20km time trial course in Coimbra along the Rio Mondego river back and forth over the same road for a complete flat course.
On Sunday, there are two distances. The 147km Granfondo distance counts as qualifier distance for all men up to the age of 65 and women up to the age of 40. The race starts and finishes in Montemor-o-Velho as last year, but the course now heads east through Coimbra with a challenging loop and several mountains up to a height of 450m for a total elevation of 1600m.
The shorter mediofondo course has the same start and finish sections, but makes a shortcut halfway for a total distance of 106km and 960m of elevation. It skips some of the climbs and counts as qualifier for all men 65+ and women 40+.
1200 riders have signed up for the different disciplines.