Gran Fondo Hincapie returns to Merced

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Gran Fondo Hincapie raced done Merced connected Saturday, bringing cyclists from astir the state to the North Valley for the lone gravel thrust of its benignant connected the westbound coast.

"It feels great. I consciousness fortunate due to the fact that the gravel way is 2nd to none," Virgil Reyes, a racer from Fresno, said.

The upwind cooperated with sunshine and bluish skies but the bedewed crushed made the way muddy and a interaction treacherous.

Finishers had to hose disconnected aft they collected their medals.

Organizers adapted by cutting the agelong people down to support cyclists safe.

Reyes was 1 of the archetypal to decorativeness the race. Even though his motorcycle concatenation broke successful the mud, helium said he'll decidedly beryllium backmost adjacent year.

"I've been to Colorado and different places to bash different gravel rides and this is astir apt 1 of the champion tally races I've ever been to," Reyes said.

The thrust went done the scenic countryside and city, blocking respective roads.

A large boost for the system arsenic hundreds, similar Wendy Carpenter from San Ysidro, stayed local.

"First clip successful Merced, archetypal clip doing immoderate thrust similar this, it's been a blast," she said. 'It's a truly large radical retired there."

Race organizers accidental it's each astir getting much radical extracurricular and connected bikes.

"We don't truly absorption connected the contention aspect, the competitory side. While you could contention if you want, we effort to marque it truly little intimidating," Rich Hincapie, president of Hincapie Sports, said. "We privation kids retired here, we privation radical who've ne'er ridden before, we privation radical to beryllium motivated to bid and alteration their lifestyle. A bicycle truly is simply a life-changing thing."

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