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Regional Victoria, with support from the Victorian Government, has secured the world’s leading amateur road cycling event, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Gran Fondo World Championships in 2025.

Gran Fondo translates from Italian as “big ride” and describes a mass participation event attracting riders of all ages and abilities, such as Amy’s Gran Fondo held in Victoria.

The UCI Gran Fondo World Championships consists of road race, time trial and team relay events for qualified male and female riders competing across multiple age groups. The three-day event will be staged in September 2025 with the location to be determined.

The championships are the culmination of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series and are expected to attract more than 3,200 international and interstate participants and crew to regional Victoria.

The Victorian Government supported Cycling Australia’s bid to host the event in regional Victoria as part of its commitment to secure world championship events in regional locations and spread the economic benefits of major events across the state.

Cycling Australia Chief Executive, Steve Drake advises “the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships provide an incredible opportunity for cyclists of all ages to compete for a chance at the World Champion rainbow jersey.

“We look forward to hosting a fantastic event in Victoria that will welcome riders from all over the world.”

The event will mark only the third time that the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships have been staged outside of Europe. Competitors from more 50 countries will land in Victoria and the event is forecast to deliver a $9.8 million economic benefit to the state.

As the host of the 2025 world championships, regional Victoria’s tourism and cycling options will be showcased to 60,000 participants in the UCI Gran Fondo World Series over the course of the season.

The 2025 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will add to Victoria’s roster of premier cycling events including Amy’s Gran Fondo, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, the Jayco Herald Sun Tour and Ballarat’s Road National Championships.

Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula notes “Victoria knows how to stage global sporting events better than anyone and it’s fantastic that these championships are headed here in 2025.

“It will be a great event and a tremendous opportunity to promote our state’s cycling tourism offerings to the world.”

Image courtesy of Gran Fondo Guide      

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