More than 600 cyclists will hit the roads for the Gran Fondo Lake Huron event on Sunday, August 21 with the 110 kilometre route departing from the big flag in Southampton at 7 a.m. The 2019 event photo seen here is by Saugeen Shores Hub.
Hub Staff
The Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation (SMHF) is calling on all residents and photographers to come and cheer on cyclists for the Gran Fondo Lake Huron event on Sunday, August 21.
The event is presented by Bruce Power and Suppliers will see over 600 cyclists taking to the roads in support of SMHF, each riding a 30 kilometre, 70 kilometre or 110 kilometre route covering distances from Southampton, Tiverton, Paisley and Port Elgin.
"We strongly encourage residents to come out and cheer on the riders along the routes on Sunday," read an August 17 media release from SMHF. "Bring signs, make noise and give all the riders a big Bruce County welcome," the release said, adding that over half of the riders are from out of town and are coming from areas like Toronto, Ottawa, Guelph, Burlington, London, British Columbia, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and England.
Anyone choosing to cheer on the riders is asked to be mindful of cyclists and park as far off the roadway as possible. "In most areas cyclists will be sharing the road with vehicular traffic so we would like to keep roadways and shoulders as clear as we can," read the release.
All riders will begin by the flagpole in Southampton. The 110 kilometre route will depart at 7 a.m., the 70 kilometre route at 7:30 a.m. and the 30 kilometre route at 8 a.m.
All routes will finish at the Southampton Coliseum.
Some key locations and timings are as follows:
• Cyclists will turn onto Huron Shore Road immediately following their departure so large groups of riders will be able to be seen here in the morning
• The 30 kilometre riders are expected to be at Highway 21 and Concession 6 between 8:15 and 8:45 a.m.
• The Bruce Road 33 / Bruce Saugeen Townline area of the route, also known as The End of the World Hill, where cyclists will be expected between 8:15 and 9:45 a.m., will be the best place to cheer on riders as they tackle the biggest physical challenge of any of the routes
• Cyclists are expected at Wellington Street in Port Elgin between 8:45 a.m. and 12 p.m.
• Cylicsts will be in the Doll Sideroad and Concession 14 area between 9:20 a.m. and 12 p.m.
• Riders are expected at the Tiverton rest stop between 8:20 and 9:10 a.m.
• Anyone wishing to gather at the Southampton Hospital is asked to park in the empty lot on the corner between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
• The finish line, anywhere between the hospital and Martin's Bike Shop on High Street, will see riders between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
The Gran Fondo Lake Huron is in support of the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation and riders will take to the roads for a 30 kilometre, a 70 kilometre or a 110 kilometre route. Click for larger view.
