High-fiving in the FoCo Fondo. Photo by Dion Dolva The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today!
Gran Fondos began more than half a century ago as cycling events for the masses. Translating to “big ride” in Italian, they have historically pitted amateurs and professionals side by side on the pedals (for 75 or more miles, according to the Italian Cycling Federation ) in pursuit of cash prizes. And in the realm of cycling—a sport whose namesake publication has openly admitted ( again and again ) that it has a diversity problem—one could argue that a fondo is among the more inclusive events.
But even fondos have room for growth. And the FoCo Fondo , a Fort Collins–based gravel cycling event, aims to push the line closer to where it should be. “We all have our circles,” says professional roadie-turned-gravel-grinder Whitney Allison, who organizes the event with fellow pro rider (and her husband) Zack Allison. “FoCo Fondo’s goal is taking everybody’s circles and making them overlap. We like to say that ‘it’s not your granddaddy’s fondo.’”
1 Year of 5280 for just $19.95 $12.
That’s only $1 per issue!
Subscribe Today »
Started in 2015 with what Allison calls a few riders and a “cooler-hidden-in-a-ditch situation,” the FoCo Fondo has grown every year since its inception. This year, she expects the event, slated for July 23, to hit its 2,000-rider cap across all four different routes: a 12-miler (great for kids), […]
Continue reading the original article at: www.5280.com