The round table, which for years has served as a meeting point between cycling lovers and stars of this sport, will be the prelude to the two stages of the EPIC Gran Canaria
The EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts will kick off its fifth edition with a round table discussion bringing together five cycling greats in southern Gran Canaria. Mario Cipollini, Abraham Olano, Haimar Zubeldia, Joseba Beloki, and Davide Rebellin will launch the event with a discussion with fans and participants this Friday the 11th at 17 pm.
The round table, which has been serving as a meeting point between cycling enthusiasts and stars of this sport for years, will be the prelude to the two stages of the EPIC Gran Canaria RIU Hotels & Resorts that will sound its horn on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 of February in Maspalomas.
This round table is full of stars, as is the Race, which in this edition to be held from February 11 to 13 , 2022, will bring together Claudio Chiappucci 'El Diavolo' , record holder Fred Rompelberg, the Spanish M30 Cyclocross champion, Martín Mata Cabello, and the Finnish champion Matti Helminen who will seek to retain his title in the EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts for the third consecutive year, in addition to the other participants of the round table, Mario Cipollini , Haimar Zubeldia , Joseba Beloki , the world champion Abraham Olano and the runner-up of the World Cup, cyclist of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the Giro d'Italia Davide Rebellin , who repeats in the event.
Attendance for this roundtable discussion is limited to 50 people and admission is free. This event has become a popular opportunity to talk to and ask questions of cycling professionals about all kinds of topics, enriching the experience, getting closer to their idols, and enjoying their advice and anecdotes. This roundtable discussion was a popular request and attracts more participants and attendees each year.
Registrations brought together more than 300 runners in the first 24 hours of registration, with participants from 15 different nationalities from all over the globe,
Two stages and three times
The EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts will kick off with a pre-event for cycling professionals and enthusiasts, featuring talks, conferences and debates that will serve as a warm-up for the first of the two stages of the race, 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 starting gun will fire for the competition's main event. Athletes will enjoy one of Gran Canaria's most popular cycling routes, exclusively for this race—a stunning circuit that takes in iconic landmarks such as the Maspalomas Dunes, Arteara, Fataga, Tirajana, and El Pajar, all the way to 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 along its 75-kilometer route, where cyclists will tackle 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 climbs to an altitude of 925 meters with an elevation gain of 810 meters and 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,
