Final Gran Fondo cycling event to be held in 2025

A wide range of people took part in the events, from elite cyclists to children

A major cycling event on public roads will come to an end after its 10th anniversary on 19 and 20 July next year, organisers have said.

Launched as part of Cyclefest in 2016, Gran Fondo Isle of Man has attracted more than 8,000 entries, including Sir Mark Cavendish who competed twice.

Race director Colin Kniveton said the decision had been taken as the "scale of the event has become enormous" and its organisation required "significant effort".

However, he said the team behind the event would now work on plans for future cycling events on the island, which would be announced in 2025.

He said that during the pandemic in 2020 the Gran Fondo was the largest mass participation cycling event in the British Isles, in addition to having hosted four rounds of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series.

The team were "proud" to "close this chapter knowing the event has never been in better shape", he added.

The two-day event features a range of races including a 1km family-friendly ride, 32km and 72km races and a time trial, and has attracted a raft of Manx professional cyclists as well as Sir Mark.

'Nothing quite like it locally'

Fellow director Paul Phillips said the decision also presented an opportunity to "stop doing this particular version of the event whilst it's in very good health, and then look to do something else with our team in the future".

He explained that the team would be looking at holding a "large scale competitive and recreational event" in 2026, which would "almost be a replacement" for the current Gran Fondo.

Echoing Mr Kniveton's comments about the demands of the event, Mr Phillips said: "It's difficult to imagine how complex it is, but we run to a really high standard of customer service, professionalism and risk management.

"We closed significant roads down, had massive traffic management implications, on a scale where there was nothing quite like it locally."

"To do all that really well is very expensive, complicated and requires a lot of manpower," he added.