USA Cycling, the governing body for USA competitive cycling, signed a 5-year partnership deal with Gran Fondo National Series (GFNS) to make the GFNS Gran Fondo National Championship race part of the portfolio of official USA Cycling National Championship events.

Amateur riders in the USA will now have the opportunity to compete for an official USA Cycling stars-and stripes national championship jersey at the USA Gran Fondo Championship race in Asheville, North Carolina on July 19, 2020.

Riders will need to qualify for the championship race at GFNS events throughout the country.  Qualifying rules, events and procedures are to be announced in January.  A USA Cycling license is not required to participate in the qualifying races, but a USAC license is required to compete in the championship event.

GFNS events are mass-start and score riders over short timed segments, rather than start-to-finish time.  Medals are awarded by age-group.  The USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship event will use this same GFNS racing format.

In addition, USA Cycling will help the Gran Fondo National Series season-long competition expand to include more gran fondo events.  USA Cycling members may gain special GFNS benefits such as early registration, entry incentives, priority check in and preferred start positions.

GFDN Worldwide Gran Fondo Calendar