Registration for the 2017 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo opens Wednesday, February 1 at 10 a.m. at BikeReg.com/GranFondo.
For 2017, the event is offering 50 Early Bird Entries ($125). When all of the Early Bird Entries have been claimed, the next 100 registrants can take advantage of Start Line Discounts ($130) before standard registration goes into effect.
The event is capped at 550 cyclists. Previous editions of the event have filled in advance. Hopeful participants are encouraged to register early.
Reserve your Harrisonburg-area lodging as soon as possible. The Alpine Loop Gran Fondo will take place Sunday, October 1, 2017.
All lodging rates listed below are offered to Alpine Loop Gran Fondo participants first come, first served until hotels are booked. Many of these special rates expire 30 days in advance of the event. Book early!
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
The Host Hotel of the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo
The Fairfield is offering discounts for Gran Fondo participants within the dates of September 29 October 2, 2017.
Reservations must be made by September 8, 2016.
One King or Two Queens: $129/night
Reservations are available by calling 540-433-9333 or booking directly.
Mark your calendar to share in this Virginia cycling tradition.
Organizers of Jeremiah Bishop’s Alpine Loop Gran Fondo have announced the 2017 edition of the event will take place October 1, in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Registration for the event will open on BikeReg.com in February 2017. The previous editions of the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo have sold out in advance. Participants are encouraged to register early.
Hosted by professional cyclist Jeremiah Bishop, the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo has become a Virginia cycling tradition, featuring five outstanding cycling routes and an unmatched after-party.
Bishop nicknamed his favorite training route after the glorious mountain top meadows, winding climbs and hillside farms reminiscent of the Austrian, German and Swiss settings where he has competed. This magnificent scenery is the backdrop for the most challenging and adventurous Gran Fondo in the United States – now in its seventh year. The namesake route begins in Harrisonburg, Virginia and covers 108 miles featuring 11,500 feet of climbing.
In addition to the 108-Mile Alpine Loop, there are options that encourage and challenge cyclists of all abilities to join in the Gran Fondo. At 103, 78, 62, and 36 miles, these courses showcase the idyllic scenery that make Harrisonburg and Rockingham County famed riding destinations.
The event serves a charitable mission to support the Prostate Cancer Awareness Project, Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, Build Our Park, and a variety of other local organizations and initiatives.
For more information, visit www.AlpineLoopGranFondo.com.
By popular request, the sold-out 2016 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo jersey is now available for re-order for a limited time. By completing an order, you are guaranteeing a 2016 event jersey will be produced especially for you. Orders will be accepted until Friday, October 14, at 5 p.m. Full-size Alpine Loop Gran Fondo event posters and pottery items are also available.
If you are looking for another way to commemorate your adventure, be sure to check out the Loopie prints that have been designed especially for each of the five routes of the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo. These prints are of the highest quality and can be framed just for you with a special offer from Harrisonburg’s Frame Factory & Gallery.
The Alpine edition of Ridge Supply’s Skyline Dawn classic sock is only available until October 14th. Get yours before the chance is gone! If you participated in the 2016 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo, be sure to take advantage of the special offer Ridge Supply included in your goody bag.
By popular request, the sold-out 2016 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo jersey is now available for re-order. By completing a purchase, you are guaranteeing a 2016 event jersey will be produced espeically for you. Orders will be accepted until Friday, October 14, at 5 p.m. From that time, production is estimated at 6 weeks. Costs included shipping.
The 2016 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo poster that was displayed at the Cycling Celebration and Finish Line Festival was very popular among participants. By request, it is being offered in standard poster size prints of 24″ x 36″, which will arrive rolled and ready for framing (not included). Prints will be produced Monday, October 17 and shipped via USPS within two business days. Cost includes shipping.
Alpine Tankards and Alpine Farmhouse Mugs are handmade in the USA and feature the crest of the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo. These pottery items will be shipped within two business days of receipt of your purchase. Costs included shipping.
To purchase custom designed Loopie prints, visit the special Alpine Loop Gran Fondo Loopie page; and you can learn more about custom framing options being offered by The Frame Factory and Gallery.
The Bruce Buckley Photography team was on the course and at the Start and Finish of the 2016 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo. The team captured thousands of images of the day.
A highlight gallery has been posted, with thousands of images coming soon.
Galleries will be posted at the site linked above.
Ridge Supply, designers of limited edition cycling socks made in the USA, have partnered with the 2016 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo and introduced an Alpine Edition of the classic Skyline Dawn sock design.
The Ridge Supply booth was onsite all weekend at the Gran Fondo, so most participants stocked up, but you can find this limited edition design on the Ridge Supply website until Friday, October 7th.
We are LIVE on course from the 2016 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo.
Follow riders as they pass through Prostate Cancer Awareness Project King of the Mountain timing points and arrive at the finish line.
All the details you need to arrive prepared for the 2016 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo!
The final event newsletter was published on Monday, September 19.
It can be viewed by following this link.
In its Ride Destinations column, BICYCLING Magazine has curated their selection of “mountain passes that promise jaw-dropping vistas along with major bragging rights” in its feature Top Road Climbs with a View; naming the Alpine Loop #1 on the list.
Nicknamed by professional mountain bike racer Jeremiah Bishop, the Alpine Loop is among his favorite training rides and the namesake for the annual event the Alpine Loop Gran Fondo presented by the Prostate Cancer Awareness Project.
As BICYCLING tells it, “This 104-mile loop starting in Harrisonburg delivers a quad-burning 11,000 feet of Blue Ridge Mountain climbing, complete with two dirt road sections (including a 10-mile haul to Reddish Knob—the highest point in northern Virginia). The terraced farms dotting the landscape are so like Europe’s you’ll expect a plate of gooey raclette at the end.”
The 2016 Alpine Loop Gran Fondo takes place September 25. Registration is open until event reaches capacity.