La EPIC Gran Canaria The race is counting down the hours until it starts, with half a thousand cyclists from 23 countries and even three world champions on the starting line. Amateurs and professionals will set off together tomorrow sábado 8 de febrero to the first stage of this eighth edition, with iconic names of this sport in its ranks such as Alessandro Ballan, Igor Astarloa, Haimar Zubeldia, Iban Mayo, David López, Mario Cipollini, Claudio Chiapucci, or the winner of the last edition Luca Chiesa.
In addition, in this edition the island will be the epicenter of world cycling thanks to a dozen content creators such as Ana González, Juliet Elliot, Martín Mata or Daniel Sanz, in addition to the visionary behind the world circuit. Gran Fondo World Tour, Dani Buyo, who will be ambassadors of this event around the globe to open the year in a unique destination.
The test will have two stages on the 8th and February 9, with 115 kilometers ahead tomorrow Saturday and two famous mountain passes and the epic climb to Ayacata, to outline the podium Sunday, February 9th with a 75-kilometre stage and a 22-kilometre time trial to the town of Tirajana and a meeting at the finish in Tunte.
The event organizer, Yojanán Reyes, has highlighted that this event is much more than a cycling event because "it has become the meeting point of the cycling community from around the world” and an event attended by amateurs and professionals, who can share a weekend with some of the cyclists who made history in this discipline and who made the entire world vibrate with their competitions.
As he has pointed out, the EPIC Gran Canaria “shows Gran Canaria to the world” as unique destination for cycling and “the most visited at this time of year”. The EPIC is sport “but it is also spectacular landscapes and images that travel around the world”, showing the benefits of the island, its safe roads and its unrivalled climate in the middle of February.
The same idea has been shared by the Gran Canaria Tourism Councillor, Carlos Alamo, who has celebrated that this event “makes the name of Gran Canaria heard throughout the world” and also, “at the best moment for tourism in the history of the island”. Both in number of arrivals, as well as in connectivity and, above all, in turnover, Gran Canaria is in a great moment and cycling has been an attractive pole “for more than 25 years” and already a “signature of identity” of the destination. The athletes “find here one more motivation”, he applauded.
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The Sports Councilor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Ramon Suarez, has delved into the same idea, highlighting this healthy way of “enjoying the municipality” showing that it is more than sun and beach to position itself as a leading destination in world cycling. He has confessed that for the municipality it is “an honour” to host this event, which has already been consolidated in the calendar and represents the starting shot of the season in Europe.
The sales director for the Canary Islands at RIU Hotels & Resorts, Maurice Damen, has expressed its satisfaction and joy at being able to welcome a new edition, with 500 cyclists of 23 nationalities filling the cycling hotels. Supporting the event from the very beginning, Damen has stressed that it is “very important for the destination”.
Among the participating world champions will be Igor Astarloa, who arrived on the island after his flight was cancelled in the edition that was to be his debut. He was happy to finally “be able to participate in this event, on an island that brings back very good memories” since he finished second only behind a Canarian in the Vuelta a Gran Canaria. “I really wanted to come back and remember those great moments,” he said.
To Dani Buyo and the Gran Fondo World Tour team, this is the race that opens the circuit every year, and since 2017 “it is the start of the season”. He has declared himself “very happy to be here, in this international cycling destination” and with a race that “brings together cyclists from all over the world”. For the Gran Fondo World Tour, he has assured, “there is no better place to start the year” so he has assured that it is a great honour “to be part of the family”. “We do not understand the circuit without this event”, he has confessed.
Tomorrow, Saturday, the starting shot is fired
The EPIC Gran Canaria will begin tomorrow, Saturday, with its grand departure from the RIU Palace Maspalomas hotel to 8.30 hours, after a signature check, and with a 115-kilometre stage with the first ascent to the Cima Pedro González, and passing through Pajar, Filipinas, Barranquillo Andrés, for the iconic climb to Ayacata. With two timed sections, this is a favourite stage for amateur and professional cyclists, due to its landscapes and demanding climbs.
On Sunday, the EPIC Gran Canaria will be back on track with a fast and dynamic second decisive stage of 75 kilometres with a single 22-kilometre time trial.
