Catherine NicollIsle of Man
GRAN FONDO ISLE OF MAN
The new event will have a route that travels through the island’s plantations
The first edition of a new mass-participant off-road cycling event through the Isle of Man will take place on 26 July, organisers have confirmed.
The reincarnated event, which was previously held on closed public roads, will see riders compete in two classes – the Gran Fondo Gravel race and the Gran Fondo cross-country mountain bike race.
Ahead of the main events, two warm-up races – a non-competitive off-road version and a family-friendly ride on a closed-road circuit – have been arranged for 25 July.
Organisers said the new off-road race had taken inspiration from the former End2End Mountain Bike Challenge, which had been run through the island’s plantations for 19 years until 2019.
Although full details of the course have not yet been released, organisers said it would start in the north of the island before “sweeping south through rugged coastline, open moorland, and scenic trails”, with the finish on the southern coast.
The flagship races would be run on a 62-mile (100km) route featuring 5249ft (1600m) of elevation gain, they added.
Event schedule
Saturday 25 July 2026
11:00 BST – Minisculo Fondo
13:00 BST – Gran Fondo Challenge
Sunday 26 July 2026
09:30 BST – Gran Fondo Gravel
09:30 BST – Gran Fondo XC MTB
GRAN FONDO ISLE OF MAN
The main events on the Gran Fondo Isle of Man take place on 26 July
The event was run for the final time in its previous road race guise earlier this year, attracting more than 1,000 competitors.
Originally run under the banner of CycleFest in 2016 the event evolved into the Gran Fondo Isle of Man brand, attracting competitors from places including Australia and South Africa, as well all-time Tour de France stage win record holder Mark Cavendish.
Encouraging competitors to sign up for new event, organisers said it promised to be “an unforgettable riding experience in a truly unique setting”.