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Gruyère Cycling Tour

The adventure of this traditional cycling appointment started with some passionate people of cycling in 1996. The purpose was the 75th anniversary of the local club «La Pédale Bulloise». They organized then their first race called «Classic du 75ème anniversaire».

The idea was to offer to the participants the possibility to discover the gorgeous Gruyère landscapes and for the organizers it was an opportunity to show their vocation for a formative club for young cyclists.

After a first success, the organizers wanted to associate a famous cyclist name to the event and they naturally applied to the olympic champion Pascal Richard and created «La Pascal Richard olympic champion». This partnership with Pascal Richard lasted until 2006. From 2007, the event was renamed and now is called «Gruyère Cycling Tour». Today, it represents the Swiss stage of the international circuit UCI Golden Bike that counts 9 stages all around the world. The Gruyère Cycling Tour also takes part in the Top Tour Swiss Cycling, one of the greatest and most beautiful journeys of the Swiss cycling.

500 benevolents, 100 bikers, 10 official cars are engaged year by year to make this cycling event unforgettable.

This cycling love affair last for 13 years. For this new edition, two choices of run will cross the Gruyère landscapes. The main difficulty of the 85 km run will be the climb of the Mittellberg Pass, and for the 125 km run, the riders will cross two other difficulties: the Pillon Pass and the Mosses Pass.

Accompanied by professional cyclists, the main body of runners will start from the Espace Gruyère in Bulle and will be escorted until Broc. Other sportive guests will take part in the event by following the runners from the official cars.

Due to security, every participant will receive an electronic chip which will be able to time the cyclist running for the position. And also to know the position of every participant at anytime. This is possible thanks to groundsheets placed at different areas of the run.

Children won’t be forgotten. A safe run, espacially built for them around the Espace Gruyère in Bulle, will able them to test their dexterity on a bike. The children race (from 2 till 14 years old) will take place on Sunday morning. A price will reward the three onces of each category.

The «Challenge entreprise» will also take place this year at the same time as the individual race. The firms, which want to participate to the race, must create a team of five runners. The time’s team will be the one of the fourth team member who will cross the finish. If the firm wins three times in a row the trophy on the same distance run, it will be allowed to keep definitively the Gruyère Cycling Tour trophy.

The «Randonnée populaire pour tous» will also take place but on Saturday 28th. It will start in Châtel-St-Denis at 1pm and the finish is scheduled in Bulle around 4pm under the Gruyère Cycling Tour arch. This ride, taking the secondary roads, is free of charge and opened to restricted mobility people and also to valid athletes in the aim to favour meetings and relationship between passionate cyclists.

Online entries ending on Sunday 22nd August, riders will then put their name down at the Espace Gruyère on Saturday 28th between 2:30pm and 6pm and on Sunday between 6:30am and 8am. For the children race, registrations will take place directly on the spot either on Saturday between 2:30pm and 6pm, or on Sunday from 8am and at least 30 minutes before each start. For Saturday night, it is possible to be lodged in the PC shelters from Bulle at the price of 20 swiss francs.

On Sunday 29th, the popular fair will start from 10am with different pits and different children liveliness. The exhibitors’ Village will also have to be discovered inside the Espace Gruyère.