After 10 years hosting a mass-start UCI Gran Fondo World Championship qualifying road race, organizers of Gran Fondo Isle of Man in Great Britain have switched gears – and surfaces.

Due to ongoing logistical challenges, gone is the closed-road asphalt gran fondo that attracted thousands of participants each year, including Tour de France superstar Mark Cavendish.

Instead, the event will be reborn as an epic gravel race on 26 July 2026 – Gran Fondo Isle of Man Gravel.

Graveleurs will race on a point-to-point 100km route along the coastline and through open moorland, finishing in the south in Castletown. While the exact route is pending, organizers describe it as a “carefully crafted route [that] will include a mix of gravel roads, single tracks, bridle paths, tarmac, and private land, offering a rich sensory experience for all participants willing to embrace this challenge.”

With a long history of organizing a world-class road gran fondo, we have no doubt the new gravel version will be festive, fun and very, very competitive.

Or what Gran Fondo Daily considers a bucket list ride.

Organizers plan to release full details and open registration in January HERE.

Photo Credit: Facebook/granfondoiom

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