In 2007, Kevin Thomson and Neil McKinnon had the vision of producing a world-class cycling event to serve as a legacy event of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. In September 2010, after three years of work, that dream became a reality. The inaugural RBC GranFondo Whistler allowed 4,000 passionate cyclists the opportunity to ride the cycling version of the marathon on world-renowned Sea to Sky Highway in a dedicated car-free lane from downtown Vancouver to Whistler. Rider capacity grew to 7,000 cyclists in 2011 and 2012 as participants were pouring in from all around the globe as the event quickly established itself as one of the premier cycling events in North America.
With the 9th edition occuring in 2018, RBC GranFondo Whistler has been the largest Gran Fondo event in North America since 2015. It was awarded Best Canadian Gran Fondo by GranFondoGuide.com in 2017, usurped by the crown of best North American Gran Fondo by the same organization the following year.
In late 2017, the world governing body for cycling, UCI, announced that RBC GranFondo Whistler would be the official host of the UCI 2020 World Gran Fondo Championships, with a qualifier event to be staged in 2019. Over this period, new elements will be added to RBC GranFondo Whistler, including time-trial and team crit formats, to further welcome cyclists from around the world. Who will win the coveted rainbow jerseys? Only time will tell.
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