The EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts returns to its usual dates with the largest number of star guests in its five editions. With more than a dozen international champions and hundreds of world championship podium finishes to its name, southern Gran Canaria is already shining with top-level professional cycling, and 400 participants from 18 countries.
Two-time world champion and Giro d'Italia record holder Mario Cipollini, world champion Abraham Olano, track and cyclocross rider with 29 Grand Tours and Tour de France top 10 finishes Haimar Zubeldia, three-time Tour de France podium finisher Joseba Beloki, and World Cup runner-up and Olympian Davide Rebellin are just a sample of the peloton of cycling stars who will gather for this event, which will also feature climber Claudio Chiappucci 'El Diavolo' (Tour and Giro podium finisher) , record-breaking top speed holder Fred Rompelberg (268 km/h), Spanish M30 Cyclocross champion Martín Mata Cabello, and Finnish champion Matti Helminen, who has won the last few editions and is looking to defend his title with his third victory in Gran Canaria.
Several riders are returning, including Mario Cipollini and Davide Rebellin , in a race that, as they themselves admit, is truly captivating. For Rebellin, the selection of mountain passes and the chance to enjoy a winter under the sun make this race a special and unique event in Europe, attracting more and more loyal athletes each year. This is the case with three-time world champion Óscar Freire, who began his cycling career in Gran Canaria. Other participants in this race include Dani Moreno, winner of three stages of the Vuelta a España; Manolo Sainz, former director of the ONCE team; and Javier Guillén, director of the Vuelta a España.
This year, the EPIC Gran Canaria RIU Hotels & Resorts continues to reinvent itself, with more technical equipment and surprises to solidify one of the island's most coveted events. In just 24 hours, this cycling tour filled all available spots and promises to deliver an unforgettable experience for its athletes, who will enjoy a celebration of sport from start to finish. Live broadcasts via Instagram, on-site interviews with the athletes, live music, a batucada (percussion band), a communal paella, massages and a sports physiotherapy recovery area, and a host of other surprises along the route are just some of the highlights. Entertainment, costumes, and some of the most iconic figures in the sport will accompany the cyclists on their climbs, creating a spectacular sporting spectacle.
There will be no shortage of Canarian products and nods to traditions at the refreshment stations, special mallots, gifts and a team dedicated to the test, with more than a dozen motorcyclists and up to fifty volunteers, a red arrival carpet and a hotel that already It has become the epicenter of international cycling.
The first event of the EPIC Gran Canaria RIU Hotels & Resorts will be a discussion panel with fans and participants of the race on Friday the 11th at 17 pm. With a limited capacity of 50 people, it will serve as a prelude to the two stages of the EPIC Gran Canaria RIU Hotels & Resorts, featuring Mario Cipollinni, Abraham Olano, Haimar Zubeldia, Joseba Beloki, and Davide Rebellin.
Pre-EPIC: February 11
In this fifth edition, the EPIC Gran Canaria RIU Hotels&Resorts is once again committed to going beyond healthy competition and enriching sport with some of its protagonists. With the aim that amateur participants can get closer to professionals and learn about their stories and anecdotes, the preEPIC will once again be, as requested by popular request, a talk to talk about cycling, sports, and professional careers of success.
With races of different types, at different moments in international cycling and with various outcomes, each sports professional will tell their experience and the decisions and experiences they enjoyed on the bicycle, which took them to the top. The EPIC Gran Canaria RIU Hotels & Resorts increases its programming to offer fans, veterans and young cyclists the opportunity to ask questions and get up close and personal with the guest stars.
First stage: February 12
The first stage, consisting of 115 kilometers and two timed sections, will be held on February 12.
Starting at 8:30 a.m. from the Maspalomas Dunes viewpoint at the RIU Palace Maspalomas, the competition's flagship event will take athletes along one of the island's most popular cycling routes. The route, beginning at the foot of the Maspalomas Dunes, passes through Arteara, Fataga, Tirajana, and El Pajar before reaching Pasito Blanco.
This stage begins with a timed section from Aqualand to Ayagaures, finishing atop the Pedro González climb in a 12,3-kilometer time trial at an altitude of 470 meters . The cyclists will have to contend with a 460-meter elevation gain and an average gradient of 4,4%, with a cut-off time of 50 minutes.
This stage introduces a new feature in this fourth edition. The second time trial will start from Pasito Blanco and climb to Ayacata, a challenging 45-kilometer ascent to 1.304 meters in altitude, with a vertical gain of 1.038 meters. The most demanding section, with an average gradient of 4,7%, will test the endurance, effort, and strength of the fastest riders. This time trial will pass through El Pajar, Cercados de Espino, Soria, Barranquillo Andrés, the Las Niñas dam, and culminate at the summit of Ayacata. This second stage has a cut-off time of 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Second stage: February 13
The second stage, taking place on February 13th, will feature a single timed section. Fast and dynamic, the second stage covers 75 kilometers , including a 22-kilometer uphill time trial. This crucial climb, key to securing the podium, will give the fastest riders the opportunity to give their all and claim the title.
Starting from the RIU Palace Maspalomas hotel, participants will head towards the competitive stage from the Mirador viewpoint, following a route through Fataga to Tirajana , reaching an altitude of 925 meters, with an elevation gain of 810 meters and average gradients of 4% . After the timed section, the cyclists will begin their descent on one of the island's most popular cycling routes, exclusively for the EPIC Gran Canaria Riu Hotels & Resorts. This downhill ride passes through Santa Lucía, La Era, Vecindario, Doctoral, and Bahía Feliz along the GC-65 and GC-500 roads, before reuniting at the hotel where the grand celebration of sport will begin at midday. With all necessary safety and COVID-19 prevention measures in place, this gathering will serve as a prelude to the highlight of the event: the podium ceremony.
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, Esenat, Fund Grube.