Cyclists tackle muddy Spring conditions at the Gran Fondo Hincapie-Merced

March 20, 2025

Hundreds of cyclists rode under sunshine and blue skies on Saturday, while enduring tough conditions due to recent rainstorms throughout the North Valley.

Greenville, S.C., (March 19, 2025) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – This past weekend, Gran Fondo Hincapie took its event series to Merced, Calif. for its second year. As the only West Coast and gravel event of the Gran Fondo series, and in partnership with El Capitan Hotel Merced and the City of Merced, the Hincapie event was filled with thrill and excitement thanks to Spring showers leaving the course wet, muddy, and exhilarating for participants. This multi-day cycling celebration delivered over 500 riders with stunning views and challenging climbs, followed by a post-ride Family Fun Festival with gourmet food.

“I’ve been to Colorado and other places to do other gravel rides, and this is probably one of the best run races I’ve ever been to,” said participant Virgil Reyes of Fresno, Calif. Another participant commented, “Wonderful people, a great opportunity to ride with a legend – and the mud made it an even more epic memory!”

Due to the recent rainstorms affecting course conditions, event organizers had to cancel the 81-mile Gran course to keep riders safe. In the Medio race, Thomas Reed (age 31) of Castaic, Calif. took first place with a time of 3:47, followed by former Cuban/USA professional road cyclist Ivan Dominguez (age 48) with a time of 3:53. Scott Trummer (age 33) of Livermore, Calif. rounded out the top three with a time of 4:01.

In the women’s Medio race, Tina Eakin (age 54) of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii took first with a time of 4:54. Marin Voth (age 46) of Grover Beach, Calif. took second place with a time of 5:06, and Jennie Phillips (age 63) of Danville, Calif. finished in third with a time of 5:12. View all of the 2025 race results here.

“Even with the muddy conditions, the weekend event was an incredible celebration of community, endurance, and the sheer joy of cycling,” said Rich Hincapie, President of Hincapie Sports. “It was inspiring to see riders of all levels come together, tackle the challenging terrain, and embrace the spirit of adventure. Events like this remind us of the power of sport to bring people closer and create lasting memories.”

As part of the event weekend, the Hincapie team, alongside Operation Get Out, a 501c3 nonprofit, teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club of Merced to host a bike giveaway. This collaborative effort, supported by Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, Centurion Boats, Trek Bicycles, and the City of Merced, provided 50 bikes and helmets to local kids. On Saturday, many of the kids who were recipients of the bikes and helmets led the entire group of riders down the red-carpet corral along N Street to start the ride. Days before the donation, Centurion & Supreme Boats employees and vendor partners came together at the Merced factory to assemble all the bikes.

Gran Fondo Merced kicked off the 2025 Hincapie season, with the next event taking place in Chattanooga, Tenn. (May 3), then Lehigh Valley, Pa. (May 31), and finally Greenville, S.C. (Oct. 18), which is where it all started back in 2012. Registration is now open for all 2025 events.

To learn more about Gran Fondo Hincapie please visit https://hincapie.com/ or follow along on social media on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

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Photo Credit: Hincapie

General Hincapie Gran Fondo photos HERE (Credit: Hincapie)

About Hincapie

Cycling is our life. It’s what we know, and it’s who we are. But we are not a bike company. We’re a people-who-ride-bikes company. We are cyclists, and we are makers. We are master craftsmen of custom-made, high-performance cycling apparel. Our team is our family. Not only do we design our cycling apparel, but we also make it in our family-run factory. We also create and run upscale cycling events. We have a restaurant and hotel that hosts visiting cyclists from all over the world. We manage a spring series of races. Cycling inspires everything we do, and every day we work even harder to improve the sport, make it more accessible to others and build a strong community for future cyclists. Join us on our journey.

​​About George Hincapie

George Hincapie is a retired professional road cyclist who was one of the most accomplished American cyclists of his generation. Over his 19-year career, he competed in 17 Tours de France, the most of any American cyclist, participated in five Olympic Games and excelled in the Spring Classics, including winning Gent-Wevelgem in 2001 and securing multiple top-10 finishes in Paris-Roubaix. Since retiring from professional cycling in 2012, Hincapie has remained active in the sport as a co-founder of Hincapie Sportswear, which specializes in cycling apparel, and launching a professional cycling team. He is also the co-owner of Hotel Domestique, a luxury cycling destination in South Carolina, and hosts the Gran Fondo Hincapie series with his family.

Media Contact:

Verde Brand Communications
Alexa McRoberts
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