On the back of a “cycling-for-leisure” revolution boom in the populous nation of China, the Gran Fondo has only just starting to gain traction, but the inaugural 2014 Colorful Yunnan Gran Fondo was proof that the concept can work. It has taken several years of hard work by Nordic Ways in conjunction with Kuai Sports to get the concept accepted by local governments. For a long time, Chinese authorities stubbornly believed such long-distance cycling events were dangerous and for professionals only.

The successful 2014 Colorful Yunnan Gran Fondo week demonstrated that amateur riders can also enjoy the same distances as professionals, and it was encouraging to see the number of riders exceeding 1000 in its first year. The week-long event is a perfect way to see picturesque Yunnan from the saddle of your bicycle with full road-closure. If you are looking for bicycle events with fantastic scenery, good racing, new friends, and sampling of traditional Yunnan food, then the Colorful Yunnan Gran Fondo should be on your bucket list for 2015. Visit www.granfondochina.com for more information and how to enter.