Two Wildcards for Gran Premio New York City awarded
On May 19, 2024, 180 pro cyclists will start 15 minutes ahead of the GFNY mass participation race with thousands of riders
NEW YORK CITY, February 23, 2024 – The inaugural UCI 1.2 men elite pro race Gran Premio New York City will be held on May 19, 2024 on the same course and same day as the 12th annual mass participation race Michelob ULTRA GFNY World Championship NYC.
The teams
25 teams from over 15 countries will make GP NYC an exciting race. European Pro Tour teams with Grand Tour pedigree will lead the field, followed by Continental Pro teams from the Americas, Europe and Asia. Elite teams receiving wild cards will round out the field and get to measure themselves with the very best.
Team CLN-Wiawis (Switzerland)
Elite Team CLN-Wiawis from Switzerland received one of the few sought after wild cards. Founded and run by ex-pro Jacques Jolidon, the team seems built around his three sons Cedric, Luca and Nicola. However, it’s a very international squad including two Eritreans.
“We are very excited to be able to get this opportunity for the young riders of the team to experience the fantastic organization at GP NYC,” says Jolidon. “We will give it our all to get one of our riders on the podium!”
“I didn’t hesitate to hand a wildcard to Jolidon’s team because Jacques lines up young riders who will be wide eyed and hungry to race in NYC,” says GFNY CEO Uli Fluhme.
Team CS Velo Racing (USA)
Team CS Velo (Combined Strength Racing) out of Philadelphia (USA) was founded out of the idea Luke Bunting had to help his father who had cancer. The team is run in honor of people suffering.
“Combined we are stronger and each team member is invited to race or ride for someone they feel needs to be lifted up,” says team director Kurt Dodds. “East Coast terrain is our specialty. Pairing this race with GFNY NYC will make this a huge opportunity for our squad and our sponsors.”
“There have been dozens of requests from US elite teams to be at GP NYC so selecting one is also a ‘no’ to many others who would deserve a chance,” says Fluhme. “But CS-Velo are based in our neighbor city Philadelphia so it was a no-brainer for us to have them race. Given how many riders at GFNY are local to Philadelphia, they won’t lack support at the race.”
Already announced Teams:
Pro Tour
VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè (ITA)
Continental Pro
Skyline – Cadence Pro Cycling (USA)
Elite
Cannondale Echelon p/b 4iiii (Canada)
Stay tuned for the next announcements.
World premiere
Holding a professional and mass-participation race at the same time on the same course is an event format never held before in cycling, although it’s commonly done in running and triathlon. GFNY is taking a revolutionary step to bring professional and mass participation racing together to augment both race fields and take advantage of existing operations, logistics and exposure.
The course
In this revolutionary format for cycling, the 180 pros from 25 teams will line up 15 minutes before the thousands of amateurs on the closed-to-traffic lower level of the world’s busiest bridge, George Washington Bridge on May 19, 2024.
Both the pro and amateur races are held on the same one-loop course of 85 miles (137 km) and 6,500ft (2000m) of climbing that has the characteristics of a Belgian spring classic which favors allrounders.
The start area looking over the NYC skyline, suspended over the Hudson River, with upbeat music, interviews, announcements and pre-race excitement offers the most amazing race start in cycling.
The course passes through charming towns, beautiful nature and challenging climbs of Bergen County and Rockland County and the metropolitan life of the world’s capital, New York City.
The race’s finish line and post-race festival are located in Fort Lee, NJ, providing easy access to NYC, airports, hotels, restaurants, highways, and more.
Homestays
Homestays have long been a mainstay of endurance sports. For families interested in assisting an athlete from out of town, GFNY is seeking out and coordinating the homestays for pro riders.
Hosting a pro is a great opportunity to see how they prepare for the race. It helps the smaller teams to cope with the accommodation costs involved with attending a distant race, and often a homestay is the difference between being able to come to the race or not. Following the pro’s race day on the live broadcast, seeing their good and bad moments and hearing their post-race stories gives the host a deeper connection to the race.
Sponsorship
The format of this event, with a professional race and a large-scale international mass participation race taking place on the same course at the same time, is providing an unparalleled exposure opportunity.
Cycling embodies the two most relevant topics of our time: health and the environment. GFNY adds to your company as a brand concerned with and engaged in these topics.
If your company or organization is interested to align with this modern health & eco brand, GFNY, as well as be a part of this revolutionary, inaugural, unparalleled event, please reach out to GFNY. There are a variety of experiential, engagement and visibility opportunities available, both in-person and via the live broadcast.
More news to come
As GFNY prepares for this ground-breaking race format, more news about the race is going to be shared. Stay tuned in the GFNY facebook page, on instagram, subscribe to GFNY email newsletters by going to gfny.com and providing your email address.
Website: gpnyc.gfny.com
About GFNY Global Endurance Sports Series
GFNY Global Endurance Sports Series is a sports event company with three decades of experience in racing and planning and organizing events. The global endurance sports brand hosts multiple events throughout the year around the world on five continents.
Working with partners around the world to deliver a first-class experience, GFNY Global Endurance Sports Series puts its athletes first.
The official GFNY website is: gfny.com.
Cycling – Mass Participation
30-plus events held around the world. View the latest calendar here
Riders get to BE A PRO FOR A DAY ® by competing against others, themselves and the clock in a personal endurance challenge.
Top 10% (20% at regional championships) of finishers in each age group qualify for the Elite Qualifier Corral at every GFNY World event.
GFNY World Championship NYC
The 12th annual GFNY World Championship New York will be held on May 19, 2024. The race features the world’s most international peloton with riders from over 90 countries. It is so international, it’s often described as the United Nations of cycling. Athletes take on a challenging route to compete against each other, the clock and themselves in a personal endurance challenge.
The official GFNY World Championship NYC website is: nyc.gfny.com.
Cycling – Pro Racing
Gran Premio New York City is the inaugural UCI 1.2 pro race on May 19, 2024. 25 professional teams will race the same course as riders at the Michelob ULTRA GFNY World Championship NYC – but with a 15 minute head start.
Running Marathons
GFNY Marathons bring the same concept and quality of the cycling races to running, whether it’s giving each runner a BE A PRO FOR A DAY experience, providing the mandatory-to-wear high-end singlet or the family-friendly destinations and organized races. GFNY Marathons are officially measured half- and full-marathon courses and as such, serve as qualifiers for Boston, NYC and the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
Further Material for Media Use
GFNY Press Images: here
GFNY Results: here
GFNY World calendar graphic: here
Previous GFNY press releases: here
Media Contact
Gran Fondo New York Inc.
Tags: Europe, LatAm, North America
