Whistler/Vancouver selected to host the 2020 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships

Tourism Whistler media release

For immediate release - October 3, 2017

October 3, 2017: Bergen, Norway, the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Management Committee awarded the 2020 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships to Vancouver/Whistler.

In partnership with Gran Fondo Canada, Toit Events, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Tourism Whistler, Sport Hosting Vancouver submitted a bid to transform the highly successful annual Gran Fondo Whistler into a World Championships event in 2020. This will be the first time the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will be hosted in North America.

"The Whistler community will be pleased to welcome international athletes, along with their coaches, families, and support teams for both training and competition. The Gran Fondo World Championships fit with our sport culture and build on our reputation as a world class destination for events" said Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden.

The very popular Gran Fondo Whistler takes place annually on the second weekend of September. This existing closed course race offers beautiful landscapes, a clear passage over the picturesque Lions Gate Bridge and a challenging climb to Whistler. The 2020 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will take place on September 12, 2020 along the established course from Vancouver to Whistler.

The timing of the 2018 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships is consistent with the FE&A program strategy to invest in events during periods where there is the greatest potential to generate incremental economic benefit. Further, RMOW council and staff are working hard to introduce measures that spread our economic success from dominant peak seasons, smoothing out the spikes in visitation to ease local employment, housing, and transportation pressures, ensuring that Whistler remains a place where residents can continue to thrive.

"Tourism Whistler is pleased to partner with the Resort Municipality in welcoming the UCI GranFondo World Championships to Whistler," said Barrett Fisher, Tourism Whistler’s President & CEO. "The RBC GranFondo Whistler has a long-established reputation in Whistler and has become an important anchor to the resort’s robust year-round events calendar. Hosting the 2020 UCI GranFondo World Championships is a natural evolution for the event, as well as for Whistler as a premiere destination for high-calibre sport events."

The 2017 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships took place in Albi, France on August 24 and saw over 2,900 riders register for the event. The UCI Gran Fondo World Championships event has seen a steady increase in participants since 2011.

-30-

About the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale)

Founded in 1900, in Paris (France), the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the worldwide governing body for cycling. It develops and oversees cycling in all its forms, for all people as a competitive sport, as a healthy recreational activity, as a means of transport, and also just for fun. (www.uci.ch)

About Sport Hosting Vancouver

Sport Hosting Vancouver is a partnership between the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association, Tourism Vancouver, the BC Pavilion Corporation (operating BC Place Stadium and the Convention Centre) and the University of British Columbia. We attract, develop, and support world-class sport events in Vancouver through great partnerships, enthusiastic guidance and an innovative approach.

Keep up to date with the world of sport hosting in Vancouver – connect with us on Twitter and Facebook (@SportHostingVan) and visit our website at http://tourismwhistlermedia.cmail20.com/t/r-l-jlkybly-qjhitjttr-j/

About the Resort Municipality of Whistler

The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is a destination resort community, local government organization and leader in providing municipal programs, services, progressive planning and infrastructure for almost 12,000 residents and three million annual visitors. Our vision: to be the premier mountain resort community as we move towards sustainability. How we’re doing: whistler.ca/monitoring

About Tourism Whistler

Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.WHISTLER and whistler.com – Whistler’s official source for visitor bookings and information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.

Media Contacts

Resort Municipality of Whistler Communications | 604-967-3030 | communications@whistler.ca

Website http://tourismwhistlermedia.cmail20.com/t/r-l-jlkybly-qjhitjttr-i/

Facebook RMOW

Twitter @RMWhistler

Instagram @RMWhistler

Tourism Whistler Communications | 604.938.2726 | myoung@tourismwhistler.com

W: http://tourismwhistlermedia.cmail20.com/t/r-l-jlkybly-qjhitjttr-u/

T: http://tourismwhistlermedia.cmail20.com/t/r-l-jlkybly-qjhitjttr-o/

F: http://tourismwhistlermedia.cmail20.com/t/r-l-jlkybly-qjhitjttr-b/

As a service to our readers, Around the Rings will provide verbatim texts of selected press releases issued by Olympic-related organizations, federations, businesses and sponsors.

These press releases appear as sent to Around the Rings and are not edited for spelling, grammar or punctuation.

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only