Rode along - Cyprus Gran Fondo
All sections start in or near Paphos in the west of the island. Stages two and three are particularly tough: with 2000 and 1400 metres in altitude respectively, there are many long climbing sections, interrupted only by a few technical descents.
Interesting for the ambitious: In addition to the overall classification, there are also daily classifications that offer a total of three qualification opportunities for the UCI Granfondo World Championships for the top 25 per cent of each age group. This inevitably leads to tough selection processes on the mountain: at the front, the Russian ex-pros Ilnur and Aidar Zakarin set the pace, which few can keep up with in the long term.
The older one, Ilnur, won mountain stages at the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia and now organises bike camps in Cyprus. But the level behind the strong climbing brothers is also high.
TOUR author Joscha Weber
For me, these are strenuous days with long sections at or above my threshold performance. But the effort was worth it: in the end, two fourth places in my age group earned me qualification for the World Championships.
Further back, some of the starters, who have travelled from 40 countries, take a more relaxed approach. For many, the journey is the destination and it is sometimes breathtakingly beautiful: deserted valleys surrounded by green, flowering slopes and picturesque mountain villages line the route, which is not officially closed, but only secured.
However, this works perfectly, as does the rest of the ever-present and very familiar race organisation, which is delighted with the growing number of participants. Pasta party at the opening, bike service, refreshment stations en route and at the finish, results in real time and an award ceremony on the beach with snacks, drinks and a DJ. Most of the starters enjoyed this mix.
Beautiful, Leg-hard
- Route: 3 out of 3 stars
- Catering: 2 out of 3 stars
- Organisation: 3 out of 3 stars
- Costs200-370 Euro (depending on time of registration)
- Info: www.activatecyprus.com
- Date: 29-31 March 2024
