It is all happening in Glasgow and across Scotland from 3 to 13 August, and the 2023 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships are part of it. The Gran Fondo road races will take place on the second day of competition – 4 August – and the time trials will be held three days later, on 7 August.
To be part of this incredible event and battle for the coveted rainbow jerseys in their respective age groups, riders can qualify via one of the 27 events that make up the 2023 UCI Gran Fondo World Series.
Five new events on the calendar
The road to the 2023 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships has already begun, with the first four events on the 2023 UCI Gran Fondo World Series already taking place in late 2022: in Australia (Amy’s Great Ocean Road Gran Fondo), Italy (Tre Valli Varesine), Indonesia (Tour de Bintana) and Turkey (Granfondo Antalya).
The series continues to grow, with 27 events now registered on the calendar. That means there are still lots of opportunities to qualify, with a packed calendar featuring events all around the world. Attention soon turns to Jordan, with a Gran Fondo on the shores of the Dead Sea (2-4 February), and to the United Arab Emirates, with the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge (19 February, a week after the UCI Women’s WorldTour UAE Tour and on the eve of the men’s professional event).
In addition to the Gran Fondo Jordan, four more events join the UCI Gran Fondo World Series for the first time: the Istria Granfondo (Croatia, 14-15 April), the CRC Gran Fondo of Costa Rica (4 June), the Gran Fondo Matildica (Italy, 4 June) and the GF Gran Fondo de Guatemala (2 July). The Gran Fondo Matildica, in Reggio Emilia, has been held for half a century (since 1973). This year, its first as a launchpad to the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, it will host a time trial for the first time.
The cream of the crop
The top 20% of riders in the different events of the 2023 UCI Gran Fondo World Series will qualify for the UCI Worlds, with the last qualifying event being held not so far from Scotland: the Granfondo Isle of Man (Great Britain, 22-23 July), on the training ground of British pro Mark Cavendish.
While some riders in qualifier events participate simply for the sheer joy of being part of a major event with like-minded cyclists, others are fully dedicated to giving their best. Racing is intense, with riders hoping to qualify for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships and nursing the dream of succeeding the 2022 UCI World Champions.