Triple Bypass Ride and Mt. Evans Hill Climb Join the Gran Fondo National Series as Partner Events in 2021

December 22, 2020

EVERGREEN, COLO, Dec. 22nd 2020 — Two legendary Colorado-based cycling events (The Triple Bypass Ride and the Bob Cook Memorial / Mt. Evans Hill Climb) will have “partner status” with the Colnago Gran Fondo National Series for the 2021 season.  Both events are offering the opportunity to earn Gran Fondo National Series Points and qualify for the USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship event in 2022.

The Triple Bypass and the Mt. Evans Hill Climb are both produced by Team Evergreen —  the largest, longest-running cycling club in Colorado. In addition to these events, Team Evergreen added the Beti Bike Bash, and Co2uT Desert Gravel in 2020 with plans to add even more events to its roster for 2021. Invested deeply in the cycling/trail community — the proceeds of Team Evergreen events are donated to a variety of charitable organizations (with over 3 million dollars to date).

Triple Gran Fondo

In true “Fondo fashion”, The Triple Gran Fondo will not be a start-to-finish race. A participant’s overall time from start to finish does not matter for this competition. Only the timed segments count, which means riders can stop to take in the views, refuel at aid stations, and regroup with friends without suffering a time penalty. Rankings are determined by your KOM/QOM standings for each pass as well as the combined time for all timed segments.  The Triple Gran Fondo is what climbing dreams are made of.  Leaving from Avon Colorado, timed segments are on the uphill portions of the passes of the Triple – Vail, Loveland and Squaw.

“The Triple Bypass has been a bucket-list event for 32 years. We were proud to collaborate with the Colnago Gran Fondo National Series in 2020 to bring things up a notch and offer something new. We all know how 2020 went. We are excited to bring this partnership to fruition in 2021,” said Jen Barbour, Executive Director of Team Evergreen. “On August 21st, 2021 we are going back to our roots and finishing in the town where it all started.  Leaving from Evergreen, CO, Triple Riders will travel 110 miles and climb 10,750’ over 3 gorgeous mountain passes – arriving in Vail, Colorado. Timing riders up some of the most challenging mountain passes in Colorado is sure to create one of the most challenging and rewarding events in the country.”

Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans Hill Climb Gran Fondo
Just riding from Idaho Springs to the summit of Mt. Evans has always been an epic feat, and having the “Fondo-option” allows participants to race and record an official time on this iconic climb.  In 2020, Mt. Evans was closed to traffic all summer due to COVID. Cyclists from near and far (including those at the highest levels) came to take advantage of the road closures,” said Race Director, Kim Nordquist. “Since then, we’ve seen a surge of interest in our 2021 event. Folks want to ride it timed to see how they stack up against some of the fastest cyclists in the world.” The Mt. Evans Gran Fondo (July 24th, 2021) starts in the historic mining town of Idaho Springs and finishes just below the summit of Mt. Evans. The race is a mass start and is 28 miles in length and climbs more than 6,600 feet.

“We’re excited to work with Team Evergreen cycling to include the 2021 Bob Cook Memorial/Mt. Evans Hill Climb and the Triple Gran Fondo as Series events, and as qualifiers for the 2022 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship,” said Reuben Kline, series director.  “This partnership allows us to offer more series points events in the region; while the Golden Gran Fondo has been part of the Series for the last seven years, Golden has been the only accessible Series event for those who live in the Colorado / Rocky Mountain region.  This new relationship will allow riders to take part in three events within geographic proximity and score points in the Series standings. Both [Mt. Evans and the Triple Fondo] are very well organized and fit beautifully in the Series. They promote the same positive energy to grow cycling, share the primary goals of giving cyclists an opportunity to participate and compete at their personal level and have a great time doing so!“

• Pre-registration for the Triple Gran Fondo is now open through Jan. 5th for all Team Evergreen Members.
• General registration for the Triple opens Jan. 6th, 2021.
• Registration for the Evans Hill Climb Gran Fondo will open in February.

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Media contact: Katie Macarelli / Thorpe Marketing – katie@thorpemarketing.com

About Triple Bypass: The Triple Bypass Bicycle Ride is recognized as one of the premier cycling events in the nation. Celebrating its 32nd Anniversary, the Triple Bypass takes you on a gorgeous tour through the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains from Evergreen to Vail Colorado.  There’s something in it for everyone from a shorter course of 65 miles or 3 passes over 110 miles and a Gran Fondo option for both. www.triplebypass.org

About Bob Cook Memorial/Mt. Evans Hill Climb: The 55th annual Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans Hill Climb is an iconic bicycle race that takes place on the highest paved road in North America, at 14,264 above sea level. Challenge yourself to an epic event that creates lifelong memories. http://bicyclerace.com/

About Gran Fondo National Series: Founded in 2012 by Series Director Reuben Kline, the Gran Fondo National Series (GFNS) is the largest and most competitive series of Gran Fondo cycling events in the United States, including a season-long series competition and the official USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship. Through the integration of a timed section format, GFNS provides an inclusive alternative to traditional road racing and welcomes more people into the sport of cycling. Acquired in 2017 by the parent company of Haute Route Group, GFNS events are part of an international portfolio of cycling events. granfondonationalseries.com