Age Groups for USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships Announced

 New for 2022, riders that win their individual age group at nationals will automatically qualify for the 2022 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships.

(Gettysburg, PA – March 27, 2022) – Gran Fondo National Series, the organizer for the official USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships event, announced new age group categories for the 2022 championships event. Additionally, riders who win their individual age group at nationals will automatically qualify for the 2022 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. The 2022 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships will be held in conjunction with Gran Fondo Asheville, p/b Applewood Manor, in Asheville, North Carolina on July 17, 2022.

The age groups for the USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships event will match the USA Cycling age groups used for other National Championship events, offering more opportunities to compete with those closer in age. This is a change from the age groups used in 2021 for the Gran Fondo National Championships and is different from the age groups used for Gran Fondo National Series events.

Cyclists who qualify to compete at the 2022 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships will compete in the following age groups on July 17, 2022:

·      14-16

·      17-18

·      19-24

·      25-29

·      30-34

·      35-39

·      40-44

·      45-49

·      50-54

·      55-59

·      60-64

·      65-69

·      70-74

·      75 and over

Gran Fondo National Series organizes eight annual events, each featuring three distances, timed-segment competitions, and age group and team rankings. Gran Fondo National Series events will continue ranking age group competitions in 10-year age brackets (23-34, 35-44, 45-54, etc.) for podium positions at their events. Additionally riders can qualify for the National Championships event, and earn series points, at designated partner events across the nation.

Owned and partner events in the Gran Fondo National Series may use different age groups than the National Championships. To qualify by results, a cyclist must finish in the top 25% of their age group field at qualifier event. For example, riders finishing in the top 25% of the Men’s 35-44 age group at a Gran Fondo National Series event qualify for the National Championship. At the Gran Fondo National Championship they will compete in their USA Cycling age groups (either M35-39 or M40-44).

Cyclists who have already qualified to enter the 2022 Gran Fondo National Championships event are listed here. Qualification is based on results and participation at Gran Fondo National Series owned events and select partner events over a rolling 18-month window. Complete qualification criteria can be found here.

Gran Fondo Worlds Qualification

Riders that win in their age group will automatically qualify to race in the 2022 Gran Fondo World Championships in Trento, Italy on September 15-18. This will only apply to age groups that will have a category at the World Championships. You can find out more about the 2022 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships by clicking here.

About Gran Fondo National Series (granfondonationalseries.com)

Founded in 2012 by event director Reuben Kline, the Gran Fondo National Series is the largest and most competitive series of gran fondo cycling events in the United States. Gran Fondo National Series was the first series to implement timed-segment racing into US gran fondo events and has crowned Gran Fondo National Champions and Gran Fondo National Series Champions since 2012. Starting in 2020, the organization entered into a partnership with USA Cycling to bring the existing Gran Fondo National Series events into the USA Cycling portfolio including the presentation of an official USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships event.