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“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go”
~T.S. ELIOTT
By now, you’ve heard the news, seen our proclamations, and perused our international list of athletes preparing to confront each other at The Growler of Levi’s GranFondo on April 19th. Our once-amateur gran fondo has undergone some historic changes over the last few weeks and is moving with great intention to create something unique and special for the sport of cycling in the U.S.
A multi-year effort has resulted in us creating the toughest road race in North America. Full stop. It is the biggest at 138 miles and nearly 14,000’ of elevation that’s amassed over extremely narrow, technical roads drenched in California’s breathtaking Pacific scenery. Nothing else exists in equal measure.
We have also become the richest one-day race in the world by offering a massive $156,000 payout that will be shared equally between the first ten men and women to finish in Windsor, of Sonoma County, California, where it all takes place.
And now, with all of the attention being given to the “pointy” end of Levi’s GranFondo, it’s more important than ever to reveal the reason why. Being the goodest for some could be achieved with simple milestones like the amount of money given to charity. In fact, to date, we’ve distributed more than $3.5 million through the King Ridge Foundation and impacted the lives of more than 5,000 individual kids. We feel great about that, but this moniker of being the goodest is decidedly more complex for us. It means not only giving to charity but also making the ride accessible and making it stand for something—like the foundation upon which we were built.
As we set out to construct one of the most important road races in the U.S., America has become brutally inhospitable to organizers. As a result, we’ve witnessed a die-off of events in a space that once flourished and inspired people to take up the sport, ultimately leading to our success. Yet in spite of what some might heed as a warning, we’re going to not only try, but succeed.
You don’t have to look very far to understand how important it is for us to respond to road racing’s adapt-or-die situation. In fact one story that’s close to home underscores the importance of what we do next…
When Luke Lamperti first threw a leg over a road bike in 2010, he was just 8 years old. It was right here on our home turf in Sonoma County. By now, Levi Leipheimer had three Amgen Tour of California titles under his belt and was at the height of his career. Unwittingly, he was a protagonist in what fueled interest in the sport. Watching their hometown hero compete live on TV and in person, Luke’s family was drawn to it.
Luke joined Levi’s GranFondo for the first time that year and completed the very challenging 65-mile-long “Medio” route. The rest of the story pretty much wrote itself, and he is now one of America’s most promising young WorldTour cyclists of our time, racing for the very team that Levi finished his career with. But if Luke were 8 years old in today’s landscape, his story would be quite different, if there were a story to tell at all.
A void has now formed where one of the most powerful catalysts for American cycling talent used to exist, and the chances of people like Luke discovering the sport are miniscule. If you want to watch live road racing today, chances are you’re already hooked because you have to wake up before dawn and tune into Europe.
With all of this, our purpose is decidedly bigger than our original spin of an amateur gran fondo. What we produced up until 2024 was not a race. This year, we now hearken back to our roots to inspire and reinvigorate the public’s adoration for our sport. The objective is simple on the surface: to make it more accessible in every way, but in order to do that, we have had to make it harder for ourselves.
Thankfully, as a result of our vision, efforts, and with the generous support of our partners at Skipstone, Zenni Optical, Specialized Bicycles, the Town of Windsor, AshBritt, Sonoma County Tourism, and others, we will create the first live broadcast of any long-distance road race on American soil since the Amgen Tour of California in 2019.
This April 19th, you will be able to witness the return of road racing to the United States LIVE on our website and on YouTube. America’s Toughest Road Race will be the most important moment in our 16-year history.
The Growler of Levi’s GranFondo is our Field of Dreams. Hopefully, with that, you further understand the driving forces behind these changes and why this mammoth effort is being undertaken. We hope you will join us either in person or by watching our livestream on Saturday, April 19th at 11:00 a.m. Pacific for FREE.
Here’s to doing big things.
