Bohemian Gran Fondo

Beschreibung

“Race to Help, Help to Win”

The idea of creating the Gran Fondo bicycle race in the Czech Republic was driven by the large popularity of these events in the world. There are two events which stand out that inspired organizers of the Bohemian Gran Fondo – the iconic La Marmotte in the French Alps and the Pan Massachusetts Challenge (http://www.pmc.org) in the USA. The French event has taken place every year since 1982. It is considered to be one of the hardest bike races in the world and attracts amateur sportsmen worldwide. The American PMC event started in 1980 and also attracts thousands of riders. In addition to the shared ride for 100 and more miles, it also brings an incredible fundraising result (over 39 millions USD raised last year). All of the money went to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, the leading cancer research institution.

BGF is charitable event and its proceeding will go to the specific breast cancer research project for young patients in the Czech Republic.

The center of the Bohemian Gran Fondo that can be easily compared to La Marmotte with its 186 km and the elevation gain of approximately 4500 m is Český Krumlov, a historical town in Southern Bohemia. Its historical center is a part of the UNESCO heritage and the second most visited city after Prague in the Czech Republic. Riders will also visit a second UNESCO heritage - the village Holasovice.

In the past, the bordering mountains, where the race takes place had always provided a natural barrier between the countries, states or the political systems. Now, they are interwoven with a wide net of narrow, infrequently used roads with a good surface, almost a cyclist's paradise. Harsh climbs alternate with downhill rides (downhills are not part of the timed sections strictly because of the participants' safety), so each rider can choose his/her very own pace. Safety of the participants was the biggest concern for the organizers.


The riders have four courses to choose from: Bohemian Gran Fondo (185 km/4216m), Fondo Český Krumlov (123 km/2989m), Medio Fondo (85 km/2105m) and Piccolo Fondo (44 km/1174). All four courses are very challenging and demanding. Their participants can fully fulfill the motto:

“Race to Help, Help to Win”