Former Tour de France rider now turned fondo promoter George Hincapie is expanding his hugely popular gran fondo race series in 2021 to include a gravel race – Gran Fondo Hincapie Gravel in South Carolina, USA.

On 6 March starting from the little mountain town of Jocassee in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Hincapie will host 77-mile Gran, 45-mile Medio, and 15-mile Piccolo races.

In 2019 Hincapie stumbled into gravel with Gran Fondo Hincapie Boise, which was advertised as “road bike-able gravel.” Gran Fondo Daily News Editor John Woodson rode it and was one of only a handful of road bike riders that finished.  Over half the field abandoned due to miles of gravel roads with rough six-inch deep  rock to navigate on 25mm slick tires.  The event did not return for a second edition.

For 2021 Hincapie is not making the same mistake again and clearly states Gran Fondo Hincapie Gravel is only for “gravel specific bikes.”

Since Lance Armstrong has never missed a Gran Fondo Hincapie event, you can expect him to show up and ride with his former Motorola/U.S. Postal Service/Discovery teammate.

Worldwide Gran Fondo and Gravel Fondo Calendar