Cyclists taking over Penticton this weekend

PENTICTON – Penticton and area roads are filling with cyclists this week, and it’s not just because of the great weather the South Okanagan has been experiencing.

The city’s motel and hotel rooms promise to be filled to capacity again this weekend as the area hosts the fifth annual Prospera Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan.

The race happens on Sunday, July 12, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The mass cycling event begins at Gyro Park, with this year’s event hosting up to 3,000 cyclists of every skill level.

Motorists can expect some traffic delays along the race routes, which are marked with electronic signage placed on the affected highways.

There are three distance races Sunday, including the Granfondo at 160 kilometres, the Mediofondo at 92 km and the Cortofondo at 55 km. Participants can ride casually or race hard.

The Granfondo weekend also includes a kids’ Piccolofondo, a Woman’s Night and a Cycling Expo.

Limited in-person registration will be available at package pickup on Friday, July 10, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre.

Volunteers are still needed for this year’s event. There is a broad range of volunteer positions to fill, including registration, set-up, food station, clean-up, medical and course support.

For more information, including a map of the course, please see the Granfondo website at: http://www.granfondoaxelmerckx.com.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.