More than 1,100 people from 34 states and five countries officially rode in the first expansion ride of the Gran Fondo Hincapie series Saturday in Chattanooga, leaving event organizers hopeful about the future of the cycling event.
Event organizer Rich Hincapie and his brother George – one of the most decorated American cyclists in history – already have announced future expansion to Fort Worth, Texas, next year, in addition to continuing the event in Chattanooga and the brothers’ hometown of Greenville, S.C. George Hincapie admitted he was a little nervous about how the day would go, but ultimately, he was happy with the city and the ride.
“It’s always hard when you do something away from your hometown. We know everybody there, and we’ve done it six times already,” George Hincapie said. “There was a little bit of doubt in my mind about how it would go here, but it ended up going really well. We had great partners here and enjoyed the way it went.”
For the ride, Chattanooga offered an outdoor destination the brothers felt was in the right market with a route that left customers happy.
Cyclists wound 80, 50 or 15 miles through the region (depending on what length registrants chose). The route started near the Bessie Smith Cultural Center before winding through Chattanooga, Hamilton County and Marion County. The 80-mile ride featured nearly 6,000 feet of climbing up Raccoon and Sequatchie mountains.