Cipollini won a good number of stages in the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España and up to 43 in the Giro d'Italia, which gives him the title of international record holder.
The EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts is back, and it's not just any old return. The most popular cycling event in southern Gran Canaria is back with Mario Cipollini once again among its participants, returning to the island after competing in the last edition just a few months ago. The Italian cyclist is a self-proclaimed fan of this event and will enjoy it again at its next edition from February 11th to 13th , 2022.
Mario Cipollini , now retired, was a two-time world champion and between 1989 and 2005 amassed over 180 victories , making him one of the most successful cyclists in the history of the sport. In addition to these two world titles, Cipollini won a significant number of stages in the Tour de France , the Vuelta a España, and as many as 43 in the Giro d'Italia, earning him the title of international record holder.
The EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts will be packed with stars, following the confirmation of several cycling greats. Joining the competition is one of the fastest men in history, Fred Rompelberg, who held the record for 23 years and, although surpassed by Denise Mueller-Korenek in 2018, still holds the record for the longest period of absolute world speed in cycling.
Joining them will be cyclists Haimar Zubeldia , Joseba Beloki , and world champion Abraham Olano , with more riders expected to join soon. Davide Rebellin, runner-up in the World Cup, Olympic cyclist at the 2008 Beijing Games, and Giro d'Italia competitor, has also confirmed his participation and will be competing again in Gran Canaria.
This event is completed with more stars of this discipline who will make the EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts shine, which returns to its usual dates in February, along with the Spanish M30 Cyclocross champion, Martín Mata Cabello, as well as the Finnish champion Matti Helminen who will seek to retain victory for the third consecutive year.
Registrations brought together more than 300 runners in the first 24 hours of registration, with participants from 15 different nationalities.
Two stages and three times
The EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts will kick off with a preliminary day for cycling professionals and enthusiasts, a prelude to the first of the two stages of the race, one with 115 kilometers and two timed sections and a second of 75 kilometers and a time trial climb.
The first stage starts from the Maspalomas Dunes viewpoint at the RIU Palace Maspalomas, where the horn will signal the beginning of the competition's main event. Participants will enjoy one of Gran Canaria's most popular and sought-after cycling routes, which will be exclusively for this event and will pass through iconic locations such as the Maspalomas Dunes, Arteara, Fataga, Tirajana, and El Pajar, ending at Pasito Blanco.
The first timed section begins at Aqualand on the way to Ayagaures , finishing at the summit of Pedro González. It's a 12,3-kilometer uphill time trial at an altitude of 470 meters, with a 460-meter elevation gain and an average gradient of 4,4% . The second time trial starts at Pasito Blanco on the climb to Ayacata , covering 45 kilometers, reaching an altitude of 1.304 meters, with a 1.038-meter elevation gain and an average gradient of 4,7%. This uphill time trial passes through points such as El Pajar, Cercados de Espino, Soria, Barranquillo Andrés, the Las Niñas dam, and finishes at the summit of Ayacata.
The second stage features a single timed section within its 75 kilometers, a 22-kilometer uphill time trial . The stage starts at the RIU Palace Maspalomas hotel and heads towards the Mirador viewpoint, passing through Fataga before reaching Tirajana. This section has an altitude of 925 meters and an elevation gain of 810 meters, with average gradients of 4% . After the timed section, the cyclists will descend back to the RIU Palace Maspalomas hotel via Santa Lucía, La Era, Vecindario, Doctoral, and Bahía Feliz, following the GC-65 and GC-500 roads.
Teamwork
For its V edition, the EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts is sponsored by RIU Hotel & Resorts, the City Council of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, the Cabildo of Gran Canaria and Turismo Gran Canaria, and within the framework of the European Island project. Sport, AVIS Canarias, Coca Cola, AquaBona, Maspalomas24h, La Estrella, Sonocom, Free Motion, Phisiorelax,