Granfondo (153km)

The Granfondo (153 km) category features more than 1,500 m of elevation gain along the South Okanagan’s most scenic roads. The ride starts on Penticton’s Main Street and Lakeshore Drive, and then rolls along the highway up to Summerland for the Jakroo Reach for the Peach Hill Climb, before proceeding back through Penticton and onto Oliver, B.C. Riders should expect some fast, flat sections alongside several lakes, and rolling hills punctuated by some >7% pitches west of Oliver. The route continues through the White Lake Grasslands Protected Area – a beautiful, remote area that’s home to White Lake (white mineral deposits precipitate from its waters during hot summer months), as well as the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (an internationally recognized facility for science and technology research related to radio astronomy). The Granfondo includes six aid stations spaced roughly every 25 km, and passes as many as 34 of Canada’s top wineries.

In the Granfondo category riders can participate in the Team Competition. Prizes will be awarded to the ‘top male team’, ‘female team’ and ‘mixed team’.