Bohemian Gran Fondo 2019
Parkán 124
38101 Český Krumlov
Contact: Spolek pro Bohemian Gran Fondo,z.s
Telephone: +420 728 009 265
Location: Český Krumlov
Type: Highlights
"Race to Help, Help to Win"
Bohemian Gran Fondo is a charity event for a wide cycling community, which combines exceptional sporting performances with the expression of human belonging. The five tracks of Bohemian Gran Fondo have got the one common characteristic - their profile belongs to the hardest tracks in their length category in our country.
Date: in 2019 the event is unfortunately not taking place
What is Gran Fondo?
Gran Fondos are usually 160-225 km long races or just rides. The majority of them offer an additional fondo course (120-160 km) and sometimes even a Medio Fondo course (under 120 km) for those not willing to ride the longer distance(s). These shorter courses are just abbreviated versions of the longer ones, mostly utilizing the same roads, but taking shortcuts to avoid some of the climbs.
The idea to create the Gran Fondo cycling event in the Czech Republic was born thanks to the large popularity of these events in the world. There are two events which stand out that inspired the organizers of the Bohemian Gran Fondo the most – the iconic La Marmotte in the French Alps and the Pan Massachusetts Challenge (http://www.pmc.org) in the USA.
The center of the all five courses of Bohemian Gran Fondo is Český Krumlov, the historical town in Southern Bohemia. The historical center is a part of the UNESCO world heritage and the town is the second most visited city after Prague in the Czech Republic with greatly developed accommodation capacities.
In the past, the bordering mountains, where the race takes place, have always provided natural borders between the countries, states and/or political systems. Now, they are interwoven with a wide net of narrow, infrequently used roads with a good surface- almost creating a sort of cycling paradise. Harsh climbs alternate with downhill rides (downhills are not part of the timed sections strictly because of the participants' safety), so each rider can choose his/her very own pace. The participants’ safety is the organizers’ biggest concern.
Participants may choose from five demanding routes of different length. All the routes present a challenge to the riders.
What differentiates the Bohemian Gran Fondo from other similar events in the Czech Republic and beyond is its charitable purpose. The participants’ starting fee supports different projects focusing on breast cancer. The event date, the first weekend in October, corresponds to the start of the international Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The charitable character of the event resonates in the motto of the Bohemian Gran Fondo:
“Race to Help, Help to Win”.
Retrospect to 2017