UPDATE 03 October 2025: The Okanagan Granfondo has been cancelled indefinitely and will not return, according to an announcement from organizer Jodi Cross.

UPDATE 29 July 2025: The cyclist killed at Okanagan Granfondo on 13 July has been identified via an obituary and Go Fund Me as 49 year-old Ava Choy of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report one cyclist died and two were seriously injured when a vehicle crashed into them during the 13th Okanagan Granfondo on Sunday afternoon in Penticton, British Columbia.

“Penticton RCMP are now investigating a fatal collision that occurred on White Lake Road near St Andrew’s Drive earlier today. The incident involved a motor vehicle and cyclists participating in the GrandFondo event,” RCMP posted via press release. 

Two other granfondo riders were transported to hospital after sustaining life threatening injuries in the crash. One of them, Karen Martens who qualified for the 2019 and 2021 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, has a Go Fund Me to help with the cost of recovering from serious internal injuries, a broken arm, knee damage as well as lacerations.

RCMP has not released additional details of the crash, but other cyclists who claimed to be at the event posted on social media that the crash involved a male driving a red Honda Fit and women cyclists traveling on a narrow two-lane road marked with signs for the event.

From Facebook:

And from Reddit:

Okanagan Granfondo officials have not provided details of the crash, but the route used in the 2025 edition was new and “carefully designed to highlight the beauty of the area while providing a safe, fun and unique experience for every cyclist, Jodi Cross, Executive Director/Owner of Okanagan Granfondo told Castanet news in November.

This is not the first deadly incident at the event. Last year cyclist Greg Clark, 67, died from a reported cardiac event while participating. In 2019, when it was called Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan, a peloton crash caught on dash cam video almost turned tragic.

The mass start gran fondo cycling event is one of the most popular in Canada, attracting about 3000 riders each year to British Columbia’s Okanagan wine region

In near record breaking temperatures close to 40C local rider Lee Agur won the event for a second year in a row, finishing the 150 kilometer route in 3:52:31 – results.

Photo Credit: Okanagan Granfondo, Facebook, Reddit

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