Gran Fondo Isle of Man Cycling Event to Conclude After 2025 Edition

A significant cycling event held on public roads, the Gran Fondo Isle of Man, will cease after its 10th anniversary, scheduled for 19 and 20 July next year, organisers have announced. Launched in 2016 as part of Cyclefest, the event has attracted over 8,000 entries, including Sir Mark Cavendish, who competed twice. Race director Colin Kniveton stated that the decision was made because “the scale of the event has become enormous” and its organisation demanded “significant effort.” However, he mentioned that the team behind the event would now focus on developing plans for future cycling events on the island, with announcements anticipated in 2025. Mr. Kniveton highlighted that during the pandemic in 2020, the Gran Fondo was the largest mass participation cycling event in the British Isles, and it had also hosted four rounds of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series. He added that the team was “proud” to “close this chapter knowing the event has never been in better shape.” The two-day event features a variety of races, including a 1km family-friendly ride, 32km and 72km races, and a time trial. It has attracted numerous Manx professional cyclists, as well as Sir Mark. Fellow director Paul Phillips commented that the decision also presented an opportunity to “stop doing this particular version of the event whilst it’s in very good health, and then look to do something else with our team in the future.” He explained that the team intends to explore holding a “large scale competitive and recreational event” in 2026, which would “almost be a replacement” for the current Gran Fondo. Echoing Mr. Kniveton’s comments regarding the event’s demands, Mr. Phillips said: “It’s difficult to imagine how complex it is, but we run to a really high standard of customer service, professionalism and risk management.” He continued, “We closed significant roads down, had massive traffic management implications, on a scale where there was nothing quite like it locally.” He concluded by adding, “To do all that really well is very expensive, complicated and requires a lot of manpower.”