General News
24 July, 2022
E-bikes tackle Port Douglas GRAN FONDO BIG RIDE
E-BIKES will be permitted along with hundreds of other regular road and mountain bikes in one of the events of the first ever Port Douglas Gran Fondo bike ride this September.
Gran Fondos - meaning ‘big ride’ in Italian - are mass participation cycling events that have enjoyed a huge amount of popularity in Europe for decades, and are now increasingly spreading around the world.
The main events between Palm Cove and Port Douglas include the major ride – the 136km Gran Fondo, 100km Gran Fondo and 48km Medio Fondo.
The three-day festival, from September 9-11, is the first bike riding festival of its kind in the region and in case regular bikes on long rides might be too daunting for some, e-bikes are also okay.
“An e-bike just helps you get there a little easier, up the hills,” Connect Sport Australia Managing Director Bade Stapleton said.
“We wanted to make it more accessible to more people so we’ve included the e-bikes in the 48-kilometre Medio Fondo version so we can have more people on bikes and more people out there enjoying it.”
Organisers said there are hundreds of registrations already in for the events and they include riders, and their families, from all over Australia. They expect up to 1,000 participants for the inaugural rides with growth by the hundreds each year onward.
The 136km and 100km Gran Fondo are the “more serious” courses, and the 48km Medio Fondo (Medium Ride) will be held on Sunday September 11. These rides will be timed but are not a race, so riders can choose to challenge themselves for a best time, or take the time to soak in the beautiful surroundings.
The Port Douglas Gran Fondo courses will take in Great Barrier Reef Drive between Port Douglas and Palm Cove. The road will be fully closed to traffic to allow for the rides.
Other events across the Festival weekend include a ‘Criterium’, a Sprint, Choo Choos free family Ride, a superyacht marina festivalexpo, and local live music.
The event’s ambassador, Mark Beretta said: “The Port Douglas Gran Fondo Festival will be an incredible event that will capture the imagination of people from all over and bring them in to experience the region.
“I’ve ridden through Tropical North Queensland a number of times on our Tour de Cure charity rides and the region blows me away with its beauty. But I’ve never been able to get on Great Barrier Reef Drive that hugs the coast. This is one of the most awesome events I’ve ever been involved with and I’m proud to be telling everyone about.”
