The Gran Fondo World Tour (GFWT®) will continue to operate the Tour in 2021 despite the COVID related uncertainty affecting the early part of the cycling season. As countries gear up to roll out vaccines and international air travel remains restricted, the GFWT® has managed to continue to operate globally with a bold digital transformation. It has expanded the number of events in the Tour, including addition of new virtual events to the 2021 calendar.
Dani Buyo, CEO and Founder of Gran Fondo World Tour® commented, "We are providing our clients and a growing community of over 60,000 cyclists worldwide with more tools to keep motivated and involved in the series. Digital transformation will be the next big challenge for cyclists around the world to enter into the new eSPORTS era."
FORMAT
- For the new 2021 Gran Fondo Virtual World Championship®, there is no qualification round required to participate in the 2 semi-final virtual heats.
- Direct entry to the final event, to be organized in November by the GFWT®, is FREE for all cyclists.
- Open Men / Women Category: There are no category or age restrictions in Men / Women categories.
- Once a participant finishes an event, he/she gets entered into the series ranking. One winner in each gender category will receive a leader’s jersey, after each event.
2021 Gran Fondo World Tour® Virtual Race Series Calendar
- February 27th, 2021, Ordino-Arcalis Rouvy Virtual Challenge
- *April 2021, Andorra ROUVY Virtual Challenge
- *November 2021, Gran Fondo World Tour® Virtual World Championship
- (*date to be confirmed)
PRIZES
- Each month, a random ranking number will be drawn for that rider to receive a GFWT gift.
- A 3,000 USD prize pool awaits the final World Champion winners, in both categories (Men and Women), in the Gran Fondo Virtual World Championship® finals to be held in November 2021.
ROUND 1 RACE | Feb 27 | Ordino-Arcalis ROUVY Virtual Challenge | 13:00 CET
Gran Fondo World Tour® opens its digital era with the first stop at one of the most iconic “grand tour” finish lines in Andorra. Riders are welcome to beat the results of great names like Ullrich and Dumoulin, the last Pro Tour winner there.
The bike course: 18 km + 900 mts that leads into a Tour de France stage finish line in Andorra.
Race Rules:
- Gran Fondo World Tour® Series ranking is open to all cyclists, regardless of ability.
- All finishers will enter the GFWT® ranking with 100 “bonus” points and will receive a digital badge.
- Participating in the 27th February event and finishing in the top 20 will enable direct entry into the semi-finals of the World Championships event to be held in November.
- Registration is free of charge.
Broadcast: The race will be streamed live on granfondo.tv, granfondoguide.com and twitch.tv (watch the preview in Spanish). The broadcasting will start at 12:30 p.m. CET with 2 journalists driving the action, Sergio Perela (DAZN) and Juan Antonio Flecha (former pro rider Team Sky and Eurosport analyst).
Social tags: @andorraworld @ordinoarcalis
REGISTRATION: Riders are welcome to register here, for free: https://rouvy.com/event-detail/397
About Gran Fondo World Tour (GFWT®)
GRAN FONDO WORLD TOUR ® offers sportive, hobby or amateur cyclists the experiences of a lifetime. GFWT provides the splendor of cycling in the most remarkable landscapes and experience of unique cultures while challenging yourself on two wheels. By taking part in the events in the series, riders collect points for the world ranking system of the GRAN FONDO WORLD TOUR®. The ranking is open to all cyclists, regardless of one’s cycling level. The concept is to build a community of avid cyclists and inspire others to ride. For more, visit https://www.granfondoworldtour.com/
About Ordino Arcalís
Ordino Arcalís, is a ski resort known for offering the best quality and most snow in the Pyrenees in Andorra, now linked to Grandvalira Resorts. In the most remote corner of Andorra, the Arcalís ski resort is located in the municipality of Ordino. For skiing and snowboarding, there are 30 km of slopes available. 15 lifts transport the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,940 and 2,625m. The Ordino Arcalís ski resort is the smallest in Andorra, but offers a lot of variety. Advanced skiers will find plenty of freeriding areas, beginners are provided with many easy, long slopes and enjoyment skiers will enjoy the red slopes. During summer, as soon as the roads are restricted for cars, the place becomes a top destination in the country for cyclists with safe roads. For more, visit www.ordinoarcalis.com