The Gran Fondo is making its second appearance in the Badlands.
The annual bike ride will be taking place this weekend, June 27 and 28, and is expected to have almost 700 riders participate, Rick Skeith one of the managers of the event said. This number is up from the just under 500 who participated last year.
Skeith said the town has welcomed the riders and the hotels, restaurants, caterers and other suppliers in the area have been, “very nice to deal with.”
He said the increase in participants is mainly from word of mouth from those who took part last year.
“It has scenery that you don’t see anywhere else in the world pretty well,” he told the Mail.
Skeith said the ride begins at the Badlands Community Facility at 8 a.m. and heads towards the Royal Tyrrell Museum out to the ferry. The bikers then cross the ferry, which Skeith said is a highlight.
“It’s a five minute ferry ride, but it is a ferry ride, and in Alberta that’s a big deal,” he said.
After crossing the ferry, Skeith said the group heads up the hill and back towards town on South Dinosaur Trail.
“Those that just want to do 50 kilometres for the day turn left at Walmart and make their way back along Riverside Drive to the community centre,” he said. For those wanting to go further, the route continues to the east where the riders will head towards Wayne, and go across 10 of the 11 bridges. If those participating have had a long enough ride at 75 kms, Skeith said, they can turn around and head back towards the community centre. If they want to do the entire ride, then riders will continue by turning right and heading towards Dorothy, up the hill and then they can turn around.
Skeith said there is turn around points at 100, 140, and the last turn around is at 165 kms on top of the hill and finished by saying about 40 per cent of those participating will do the entire ride.
He also mentioned there are five aid stations throughout the route to allow riders to stop for snacks and drinks.
Those wishing to register can still do so, and Skeith said they will still take registration up until the ride leaves.
