Hundreds participate in first Gran Fondo Hincapie in NWA

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/FOX24) — Hundreds of cyclists of all ages descended on Bentonville today for the first ever Gran Fondo Hincapie road race on Saturday morning.

Cyclists from around the region and as far away as California rolled off the start line at 7 a.m. and completed either the 22 mile Piccolo ride, the 56 mile Medio ride or the 86 mile Gran ride.

“Gran Fondo” means “big race” in Italian. These are events focused on highlighting the natural beauty of the location while fostering an inclusive environment for people of all riding abilities.

Rich HIncapie and his brother George started this bike series that travels the country each year.

The Gran Fondo Hincapie made other stops in California, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee. Hincapie said Bentonville is a great new addition to their schedule.

“Bentonville is a mountain biking capital of the world really and we were very welcomed by the community,” he said. “They want to sort of grow the sport of road cycling, which is what we do.”

Visit Bentonville was part of the local group that helped bring the event here.

“The energy at 7 a.m. with around 800 riders was just amazing and the weather was beautiful,” said Kaylene Griffith, President and CEO of Visit Bentonville. “It was just a perfect storm for us.”

She said it’s events like this that bring people in to NWA who may not have come here, where they spend their dollars supporting local businesses.

Both Hincapie and Griffith said they hope to bring this event back next year and welcome even more riders to the road.

Local first responders like Bentonville Police and Fire and Bella Vista Police helped create a safe environment for the bikers by guiding traffic at busy intersections and acting as escorts for certain groups of riders.

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