Gran Fondo Belfast 2016

Gran Fondo Trails Through Belfast

Whilst many across Belfast where either snoozing from the late night before or getting ready for Lord's Day services at Belfast churches, thousands from across Northern Ireland have taken to skin tight cycling gear to take part in the second Gran Fondo event in NI.

Sunday the 5th June 2016saw many roads across the city closed to make way for thousands previously inspires by the 2014 NI Giro D'Italia.

Like most things in Belfast now adays the event started at Titanic Belfast at 07:00 and proceeded up East Belfast's Castlereagh Road which is where the photo in our Gran Fondo gallery are taken.

This section complete, the riders took one of two separate routes, the main route through the Mourne Mountains or the other towards Strangford Lough, which ever they choose it no easier feat. The race this year was won by Mark Kane of Dave Kane Cycling Club, with Laura Wylie being the first female cyclist to finish.

Large parts of Belfast where conned off for most of the day with a police operation covering the route but all appears to have passed off without major incident or delay, which could not be said of the first of the 3 Gran Fondo races to take place in Northern Ireland.

Gran Fondo NI has been hailed by organisers as a great success highlighting an increase of 800 in the number of cyclists taking part this year compared to the year before.

Gran Fondo Mourne Route
Start Titanic Belfast to Moneyreagh 07:00 -08:30
Moneyreagh to Dree Hill 07:15-08:45
Dree Hill to Leitrim 08:00-10:00
Leitrim to Hilltown 08:30-11:00
Hilltown to Spelga Dam 08:45-11:45
Spelga Dam to Castlewellan 09:45- 12:30
Castlewellan to Dree Hill 10:00-13:45
Dree Hill to Moneyreagh 10:45-15:15
Moneyreagh to Finish Titanic Belfast 09:30-16:00

Gran Fondo Strangford Route
Start Titanic Belfast to Moneyreagh 07:00- 9:00
Moneyreagh to Balloo Cross roads 08:00-9:30
Balloo Cross roads to Comber Bypass 08:15 -10:30
Comber By pass A21/A22 to Moneyreagh 08:45-11:00
Moneyreagh to Finish Titanic Belfast 09:30-16:00

Whilst its always welcome for Belfast to be in the headlines for all the right reasons organisers of the NI Gran Fondo need to be alert to the fact that their rights to ride cannot impede another's right to navigate the city or get to their place of worship.