It’s kind of like a marathon for cyclists.
On Sept. 6, more than 5,000 cyclists will complete the beautiful and punishing route from Stanley Park in Vancouver all the way to Whistler Village, but for many participants, it’s less about who finishes first and more about proving themselves equal to the Herculean task of finishing the 16th annual RBC GranFondo.
For Squamish mountain biker Rowan Minnion, it’s been the goal he’s had in mind since injuring his ACL at the Whistler Bike Park last July. As a representative of Blonyx, the hydration sponsor for the GranFondo, he’s been a long-time admirer of the event. But this year will be the first time he’s strapped in for the long haul himself.
“This race is iconic. I’m an athlete at heart, and I needed something to train for. I thought, ‘Why not train for the FonDo?’ I’m normally a mountain biker, but this has given me purpose. From Stanley Park to Whistler, you go up over 2,000 metres, and I know the endurance part is going to hurt: the saddle soreness, the achiness of the knees,” he told The Squamish Chief.
“That’s the part I’m not used to, so that’s what I’ll have to overcome.”
Minnion said it’s also a great opportunity for Blonyx, a local company, as they play an integral role in getting racers to their destination.
“We’re a sport nutrition brand for people with athletic ambition—people who train with purpose to do tomorrow something they can’t do today,” he said.
“We provide electrolytes and drinks at every aid station, so we have staff mixing up drinks, filling water bottles and keeping people on the road.”
In past years, the GranFondo has drawn some locals’ frustration because it closes down the Sea to Sky for half a day, effectively cleaving the community in two and disrupting people’s travel plans. But Minnion feels the inconvenience is well worth it.
“Not everybody is against it. I met with some people who take bacon out of their houses that back onto the highway. They take these trays out and hand bacon to the riders on their way up. I love that the community comes out and embraces the race in that way.”
Training for the big day
It takes a lot of preparation.
Depending on their ambition, participants can complete either the 55-kilometre Medio, the 122-km GranFondo or the 152-km Forte. To help prepare participants, Sport Med BC offers 14 clinics on the Mainland and Vancouver Island to help them wrap their heads around what they’re about to do.
According to executive director Bob Joncas, they see cyclists of all levels of ability.
“Part of our mandate is to support British Columbians to stay healthy, or be healthy. The main thing we’ve been doing is supporting runners to do the Vancouver Sun Run, but eight years ago we were contacted by the GranFondo to help with training for cyclists,” he said.
Their program is 12 weeks long, and can be done both in-person and virtually.
“People meet in person with a coach once a week, and they go through the planned training. We have a coach and a sweep who follows behind in case something happens. We have beginner, intermediate and advanced levels all focused on refining and improving your time,” he said.
“There are many reasons people do it, but mostly people will join because they have no clue. It can be a lot to deal with, and be stressful as well. We see a lot of anxiety, so they join so they can get ready and be prepared and understand what it’s all about,” he said.
“We have people who join on Day 1 who have never been on a bike. They have questions like ‘What should I eat?’, ‘When do I drink?’, ‘Should I stop?’, ‘What if I have to go to the bathroom?’. We explain all those little things.”
“People join our clinics because they want to build their confidence, but there’s also a social aspect that becomes really strong where you’re meeting friends and new people. Maybe there’s someone riding your pace or speed and you say, ‘Let’s do it together’.”
Joncas personally visits every clinic during the 12 weeks they’re running, competes in the GranFondo himself, then provides a certificate of achievement to all the clinic participants once they cross the finish line.
Olympic legacy
The GranFondo began as an Olympic legacy project, and organizers are well aware that an event of this magnitude may not have happened otherwise—especially considering the number of cities involved and the fact that the highway is closed for the entire route.
“We’re well aware that this event, if it were to start today, wouldn’t happen. It just happened that the right people were in the right place at the right time back then. We’re incredibly lucky,” said Oli Cartmell, marketing director of the GranFondo.
“It’s an international destination event now, with incredible backing from the province and the cities. In the world of cycling events, there are very few in North America that have closed roads the whole way.”
According to Cartmell, participants have reported that the views are a huge part of the appeal.
“You add the iconic scenery of the Sea to Sky and the beautiful landscapes, and it’s like heaven. We’re very grateful. Nobody’s going to forget crossing the Lions Gate Bridge when the sun’s just coming up,” he said.
“Then you pass Horseshoe Bay and there’s a little rest stop, you see Howe Sound open up, and it makes the hairs on your neck prick up. Certainly, you’re not bored.”
The race has faced a number of logistical challenges, such as hotel space and a shortage of bus drivers to transport racers back down. Organizers also recognize that the ticket prices are prohibitively high for some, something they’ve tried to mitigate by freezing the rate for team participants.
As for people frustrated with the closed highway, Cartmell said the GranFondo is keen to ameliorate these issues by coming up with dynamic solutions.
“We love engaging with local communities, and of course, we know the GranFondo not only goes through Squamish but participants also travel back through Squamish, so we put a lot of time and effort into creating a space for people to engage with us,” he said.
“Ideas like everybody travelling back through can show a medal and get some sort of promo at a local business, ideas like that, we’re very interested and we’re only limited by people’s desire to engage.”
Ticket sales are surging at the moment, having passed 5,000 with an anticipated additional 500 coming before race day.
“We really do try to be best in class and outdo people’s expectations, which are already high.”
Go to the GranFondo website to learn more about the event, including traffic impacts on the day.
