Gran Fondo Colnago Philadelphia on August 14th

All set for the sec­ond edi­tion of the Gran Fondo Colnago in Philadelphia! In a few days, hun­dreds of rid­ers will par­tic­i­pate to the excit­ing sig­na­ture event of Gran Fondo USA. The appoint­ment is for Sunday, August 14 at 7:00 AM, in front of the iconic Museum of Art. Gran Fondos are rides, not races, which include mass starts, well-stocked aid sta­tions, a con­sumer expo, and a fun post-ride pasta party. The courses present a chal­leng­ing goal both for the novice and the expert alike, bring­ing together an ever-growing pop­u­la­tion of bicy­cle enthu­si­asts. The 3 routes designed for Philadelphia, are espe­cially sig­nif­i­cant from a his­tor­i­cal point of view: 108 mile, 73 mile or a 33 mile routes through lush wood­lands, charm­ing vil­lages, and river-views in the region, known for its impor­tant role in the American Colonies fight for inde­pen­dence. The medium and long dis­tance routes will pass through Valley Forge National Historic Park, home to George Washington’s Continental Army dur­ing the famed win­ter of 1777 - 1778. Along the way, a num­ber of chal­leng­ing hills will be encoun­tered, includ­ing the climb that will be chip-timed for “King & Queen of the Mountain” scor­ing pur­poses (long route only).

In Fairmount Park, next to the Please Touch Museum, there will be a lively Expo on August 13 (10:00 am to 6:00 PM) and Sunday, August 14 (from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm). The Saturday expo includes the manda­tory ath­letes’ packet pick-up and on Sunday fea­tures the post-ride pasta party. This year, the Gran Fondo Colnago Philadelphia sup­ports the Kisses for Kyle Foundation, a non-for profit orga­ni­za­tion sup­port­ing local fam­i­lies in the Delaware Valley whose chil­dren (from birth through age 21) are bat­tling child­hood can­cer.
Don’t miss the next, final appoint­ment of the 2011 Gran Fondo USA series, the inau­gural edi­tion in Miami on November 20!