The RBC GranFondo Whistler is changing its course for the medio portion for this year鈥檚 event, but really it鈥檚 a return to the past.
Last year, race organizers switched the shorter portion of the Vancouver to Whistler bike race, having it start in Vancouver and end in Squamish.
In the previous five years, it had started in 蜜桃视频appand finished in Whistler, where the competitors from the other portions end up. This will once again be the route.
鈥淭he design of it is better for 蜜桃视频appas a community,鈥� GranFondo president and 鈥渃hief enthusiast鈥� Neil McKinnon told The 蜜桃视频app. 鈥淚t just was a win-win for everyone to go back to our original.鈥�
In terms of the numbers of riders, the medio represents a small portion. The full 150-km race started with about 4,000 riders in 2010, grew to 7,000 in the following years but levelled off to about 4,000 in recent years.聽
Last year, 136 riders took part in the 67-km medio portion between Vancouver and Squamish. While the medio registration has been flat, it is strong for a similar medio the GranFondo organizers run in Banff, although the race runs on a looping course.
Last year, the overall numbers of riders grew over the previous year by eight per cent, and this year, GranFondo registration is already 11 per cent of where it stood this time last year.
鈥淩oad cycling is growing,鈥� McKinnon said. 鈥淭his will be the seventh running of the event, which is very exciting.鈥�
A key reason for the medio race鈥檚 return to the Squamish-Whistler section was primarily for logistical reasons.
鈥淚t was very logistically challenging to get people out of Squamish,鈥� he said.
This was what race organizers heard from participants following last year鈥檚 event in September. Last week, he appeared before council to update the District of 蜜桃视频appon the plan for the coming race.
鈥淚 go there to ensure they have a face to ask,鈥� he said.
McKinnon says most of the riders want to end up in Whistler at the end of the race along with the other riders, as it is where the post-race celebrations are held.聽
For a point-to-point event like the GranFondo, as opposed to a loop race that starts and ends in the same spot, the riders themselves have to deal with travelling to another spot once they are finished riding.
鈥淭he challenge with a point-to-point is the logistics gets transferred over to the participant,鈥� McKinnon said.
By going back to the original medio course, it allows those competitors to come to 蜜桃视频appthe Friday night before the race and end up at the finish line in Whistler. Last year, the organizers had to shuttle riders and bikes up to Whistler for the end-of-the-race festivities.
鈥淲e had to coordinate the buses,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e had to have a whole bunch of us going at different times.鈥�
The Whistler event also includes a Giro race, which offers $50,000 in prize money, and a Forte, with riders leaving to make a steep climb up Cypress Mountain.
蜜桃视频appmarks an important place in the event, McKinnon says, as it offers great spots to view the race, and many local residents come out to set up their own aid stations. One family, he adds, even handed out bacon to the riders.
鈥溍厶沂悠礱ppis, by far, the highlight spot for the riders,鈥� he said.
