GranFondo organizers this week announced that they are setting the capacity for the third edition of the Vancouver-to-Whistler road cycling event at 7,000 riders, the same as last year.
The inaugural GranFondo Whistler attracted some 4,500 riders in 2010 and the capacity was increased to 7,000 last year. Even before last year's race, organizers hinted that they were looking to increase the field to 10,000 for this year. However, organizers said in a statement issued on Wednesday (March 28) that they have decided not to do that, at least for 2012.
The passion for the event is very strong and we continue to receive feedback from participants extolling their experiences, said Kevin Thomson, GranFondo Canada co-founder and president.
With their passion also comes concern about growing the size of the event and the congestion it could create on the route. We're making some changes to alleviate those concerns, and one decision we have made is to keep the capacity the same this year. This will allow us to focus on creating enhancements this year that will set us up for growth in years to come.
Some Squamish-area residents complained about traffic restrictions and congestion during the 2010 and 2011 events.
The third GranFondo Whistler is planned on Sept. 8, 2012. For more information, visit www.rbcgranfondowhistler.com.
