Thousands of cyclists take part in Okanagan Granfondo

Thousands of cyclists passing done nan decorativeness statement were welcomed pinch cowbells and applause aft completing nan Okanagan Granfondo.

On Saturday greeting astatine 6:30 a.m., much than 2,000 cyclists took disconnected from Main Street successful Penticton, B.C., and began returning passim nan day.

Riders take betwixt 4 different distances, nan longest 1 being 150 km which takes participants connected a picturesque thrust done nan South Okanagan’s vino country.

Organizer of nan arena and proprietor of OG Events Ltd., Jodi Cross, says that nan thrust draws group from crossed Canada and from astir nan world and says that it’s nan camaraderie that draws specified a ample turnout.

“You get to stop, thrust pinch people, talk pinch people, they extremity astatine nan 8 stations they bent out, they meet people,” said Cross.

After nan cyclists transverse nan decorativeness line, they get a hero’s welcome, a acold towel and immoderate h2o and past they are capable to observe astatine nan after-party astatine Rotary Park. Food trucks, unrecorded music, massage tables and much lined nan park.

The Okanagan Granfondo doubles arsenic a fundraiser for nan Desmoid Tumour Foundation of Canada done an inaugural called Athina’s Ride to thief raise consciousness arsenic good arsenic costs to find a cure.

“My girl is Athina, she has a uncommon illness and each costs that we raise done location goes straight to nan foundation, Desmoid is simply a uncommon illness that affects 3 successful a million, it causes tumours successful nan body,” said Cross.

“Over nan years we person raised $360,000 successful nan past 4 years and this play we are astir apt going to deed [between] $65,000 [and] $70,000.”

This twelvemonth nan apical rider was Lee Agur from Summerland, B.C., who completed nan 150-km Granfondo successful 3 hours, 48 minutes and 48 seconds.