RBC GranFondo Whistler’s 7,000 riders shone beneath sunny skies along the Sea to Sky

As the sun rose this morning, 7,000 riders began the ride of a lifetime. A mass participation event, the second annual RBC GranFondo Whistler encompassed 122 km’s of cycling up the Sea to Sky Corridor from Vancouver, through Squamish - Canada’s Outdoor Recreation Capital – on to Whistler, BC. It all began with Jim Cuddy and Barney Bentall signing Oh Canada prior to joining the ride which started at 7:00 am on Georgia Street. By early afternoon, all participants were celebrating in Whistler’s Olympic Plaza with live music, awards, cheque presentations and a beer garden. The entertainment will continue this evening with a live performance by Vancouver’s own rock band, 54-40.  

“Today was a terrific day for cycling and a great weekend for B.C.” said Neil McKinnon, CEO and co-founder of the event. “There is an increasing interest in cycling and we’re incredibly proud to be part of its growth.”  

With friends and family sharing in the experience, it is expected that more than ten thousand people are in Whistler for the event.  

“Our community is pumped to be welcoming these riders to Whistler again this year. You can feel the excitement in the air.” says Mayor Ken Melamed.  

Over 2,000 cyclists from outside of the province came to explore the spectacular terrain and vistas. Riders came from Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Hong Kong, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, UK and across the US. Many are experiencing the Sea to Sky corridor for the first time.  

Located on the north end of Howe Sound, The District of Squamish marked the half-way point in the ride. In fact, the 61 km point in the event is located when the riders passed by the Stawamus Chief, one of the most iconic landmarks in Squamish.  

“It was thrilling to be part of such a large event that showcased the beauty of the Sea to Sky Corridor, said Greg Gardner, Mayor of the District of Squamish. Seeing the Stawamus Chief come into view after riding alongside Howe Sound was breathtaking. Squamish is famous for its sport tourism and the GrandFondo has highlighted road cycling opportunities in the Corridor.”  

Both Mayor Ken Melamed and Mayor Greg Gardner participated in the event with times of 4:55:56 and  5:16:30 respectively.  

In honour of the RBC GranFondo Whistler, the RBC Blue Water Project donated $25,000 to Ecotrust Canada. Ecotrust Canada is a non-profit whose purpose is to build the conservation economy in coastal B.C and they have a number of current initiatives underway in the Sea to Sky corridor. One of these initiatives includes the Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF), a partnership between the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the Squamish First Nation and the Lil'Wat First Nation, which is now responsible for managing the watersheds around the resort of Whistler.

RBC GranFondo Whistler participants and British Columbians were invited to vote on where the $25,000 should be directed. The voters chose to see the funding go towards building a new management model for community forests.  

"Congratulations to everyone who rode in the 2011 RBC GranFondo Whistler," said Graham MacLachlan, Regional President, BC, RBC Royal Bank, and an RBC GranFondo Whistler participant.  "This year's event was a complete success, the weather was perfect and to top it off, the scenery was spectacular.  It's incredible to see the popularity and support continue to grow and become a September tradition for all the local communities involved."

First to reach the finish line were GIRO competitors. The GIRO is a sanctioned race for licensed cyclists. 120 Racers competed for a share of a $12,000 prize purse. $6,000 for men and $6,000 for women.  

The top 3 finishers for 2011 were:  

Registration for 2012 begins on Thursday, September 15th. However, Founding GranFondo Canada Riders (those who participated in last year’s inaugural RBC GranFondo Whistler and this year’s inaugural RBC GranFondo Kelowna) will have an exclusive period to register beginning Monday, September 12^th at noon. 

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Media Contact:

RBC GranFondo Whistler 2011:  Kirsten Mihailides 604-618-3572 or kirst@direct.ca

http://rbcgranfondowhistler.com/;https://www.facebook.com/GranFondoCanadaWhistler

http://twitter.com/#!/granfondocanada;http://www.youtube.com/user/GranFondoCanada

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About GranFondo Canada

Founded in 2007, GranFondo Canada is an event management company committed to providing world-class cycling experiences in world renowned locations. Rooted in the growing domain of sport tourism, these events appeal greatly to cyclists looking for unique and memorable experiences. 2011 events include the inaugural RBC GranFondo Kelowna on July 16 and the second annual RBC GranFondo Whistler on September 10. For more information and a listing of 2012 events, please visit: www.granfondocanada.com.

About the RBC Blue Water Project
The RBC Blue Water Project is an innovative, wide-ranging, 10-year global commitment to help protect the world's most precious natural resource: fresh water. It includes a $50 million philanthropic commitment to organizations that protect watersheds and ensure access to clean drinking water. The RBC Blue Water Project also promotes responsible water use through awareness programs and supports programs that encourage businesses to develop and commercialize innovative solutions to the water issues facing the world. Since 2007, RBC has pledged over $28 million to more than 400 not-for-profit organizations worldwide that protect watersheds or ensure access to clean drinking water. For more information, visit www.rbc.com/bluewater.

GFW2011-WrapRelease.pdf