Tom Pidcock will be returning to the roads of Yorkshire this summer to launch his own Gran Fondo on home roads.
The Tom Pidcock Gran Fondo will be a mass participation event taking in some of Pidcock’s favourite climbs on the stunning Yorkshire Dales, with two distances on offer for riders.
Ineos Grenadiers rider Pidcock has already taken the WorldTour by storm in his first pro season and will be competing in the Tokyo Olympics mountain bike race later this summer, before returning to Yorkshire for his first ever signature Grand Fondo on Sunday, August 1.
Tom Pidcock has launched his own Grand Fondo
The 21-year-old said: “As a young rider I trained on the grippy Yorkshire roads. For sure, they made me the rider I am today. I’m really excited to be showcasing what I believe to be the best of the Yorkshire Dales in this event.”
Pidcock’s Grand Fondo will feature a long 180km route, which features Kidstones, Fleet Moss and Halton Gill climbs, with a shorter 110km route also on offer.
The event is organised by Struggle Events, which organises a number of Yorkshire sportives, including Struggle Moors and Struggle Dales.
The 180km route for the Tom Pidcock Grand Fondo
Struggle Events director Matt Mannakee said: “With cycling events now back up and running in the UK after the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s exciting to see a high-profile professional rider putting on a brand new Gran Fondo in Yorkshire. It features one of the UK’s toughest climbs - Fleet Moss - which is 3.4 miles long with an average six per cent gradient maxing out at 15.5 per cent. It’s going to be a tough ride.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The shorter route for the Gran Fondo
Pre-registration for the event is now open with entries going live on Friday, April 30 at midday. Pre-register here.
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
