You would think that our last Hincapie Gran Fondo in Leigh Valley would be impossible to beat as Ari placed 2nd amongst the U19 on the Gran route and won some Speed Hound Recovery Boots, but it did get better in Greenville.
The above picture shows one highlight, we met Sir Mark Cavendish. That’s right, Sir Mark Cavendish, the British knight, the rider that won most Tour de France stages, the Olympian, and 3x World Champion.
Yes, you think, that’s enough to top all our prior five Hincapie Gran Fondo experiences. And, you are right, this would have been enough, but things got even better – we met another knight, Sir Bradley Wiggins, as in Sir Bradley Wiggins the most decorated British Olympian, the Tour de France winner, and the 7x World Champion. And, to top it all off, he agreed to be interviewed by us and here’s the YouTube video.
So, you might wonder, were you riding too in Greenville or just celebrity watching? Yes, as in prior years, we both competed in the Junior Challenge where you get to line-up with some of the best U19 riders in the country. This year’s race was 92 km long with 1,570 meters of climbing and Ari placed 26th and Max 27th out of 31, 31 and 59 minutes behind the winner who finished in a time of 2 hours and 17 minutes. Perhaps we did not do as well as we were hoping, but who cares. Did we already mention that we met Sir Mark Cavendish and Sir Bradley Wiggins?
Can’t wait for our next Hincapie Gran Fondo in Leigh Valley 31 May 2025. But really, how could that one be any better?
