By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — About 200 cyclists from 20 different countries will test their endurance in Rockford on Sunday during the long-distance Gran Fondo New York cycling marathon.
The international cycling series is considered the premier global cycling marathon circuit and consists of 25 races in 17 countries. The Rockford region is one of five destinations to host the event in the United States. The others are Sebring, Florida, York, Pennsylvania, Cambridge, Maryland, and New York City.
The race takes place Sunday morning starting near the Venetian Club on Elmwood Road.
“We are excited to welcome this premier cycling event to the Rockford Region for the first time,” Lindsay Arellano, vice president for the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, said in a news release. “It’s thrilling to know that racers will be coming from not only all over the U.S. but from South America and Europe as well.”
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Represented countries at the event are the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Switzerland and Venezuela.
Nelson Vails, who won a silver medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, will participate in Sunday’s event here. The 2009 inductee of the U.S. Bicycle Hall of Fame was the first African American and the first person of African descent to medal in Olympic cycling.
Racers participating in GFNY Rockford can choose between two distances. The long route covers 93.6 miles long with 3,583 feet of climbing and the medium route is 63 miles with 2,326 feet of climbing.
The medium route is non-competitive and although the participant’s individual total time is provided there are no rankings. The long route riders are taking part in a competitive race. Competitors range in age from 18-80 years old.
The race starts and ends in Rockford near the Venetian Club and it passes by some of northern Winnebago County’s scenic forest preserves and stretches of rural land. Along the route are Myrna Nygren Wetland Preserve, Williams Tree Farm, The Pavilion at Orchard Ridge Farms, Colored Sands Bluff Nature Preserve, Calvin and Sophia Ferguson Forest Preserve and the route crosses over or runs along the Pecatonica, Sugar and Rock rivers.
The race begins at 7:30 a.m. and awards ceremonies are scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. at the Venetian Club, 2180 Elmwood Road. Festivities will continue through 3 p.m.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas