The biggest (and sunniest) edition of the Gran Fondo Conwy to date!

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Riders crossing the finish line on Conwy Quay.

Over 800 cyclists saddled up to tackle one of the three rides on offer at the Gran Fondo Conwy cycle sportive on Sunday, April 17.

The Mawr (102 miles), Canol (70 miles) and Bach (42 miles) routes attracted senior riders from across the UK and beyond.

The riders set off in beautiful weather, as groups of 25, on a route that took them through some of the most impressive and iconic sights in the counties of Conwy and Denbighshire, including the towns of Conwy, Llandudno, Llanrwst and Ruthin..

One of the main highlights of the sportive is the ‘High5 Storm the Orme’ time challenge. This was a mile long, timed hill climb section on a completely closed road, giving participants a great chance to time themselves against the clock.

The Gran Fondo Conwy will not only be remembered for its incredible cycling but also for the festival atmosphere that was generated at the event village on Conwy Quay. Overlooking Conwy Castle and the Irish Sea, Conwy Quay is the perfect location to host a festival of cycling. Spectators, supporters and members of the local community turned up in their thousands to watch the action and enjoy the entertainment on offer which included market stalls, vendors and other attractions that Always Aim High Events had organised.

One participant summed up the quality of the event via Twitter:
@aahevents First sportive I’ve done. A big thank you to all those involved in planning and running the event. Couldn’t fault it. Thank you

Always Aim High Events Director and event planner, Tim Lloyd, was thrilled with the success of the Gran Fondo Conwy and is already looking forward to the 2017 edition.

“The Gran Fondo Conwy 2016 has exceeded all our expectations.  The new routes have proved to be a fantastic success. This really is the perfect early season sportive. All the riders crossing our finish line had a smile on their face, the views and the roads out there are breathtaking – in every sense of the word!”

“The Storm the Orme challenge is a brilliant part of the event and the unique opportunity to ride the Great Orme on a closed road and in reverse makes the ride a special opportunity, even for seasoned local cyclists”

“We’re already underway in planning for 2017, and very excited for the Snowdonia Etape Eryri and the Tour de Mon which will be awesome this year”

Full event times for all routes can be found at: http://granfondoconwy.com/