For Sonoma County’s most famous cyclist, it will be the largest peloton he’s ever led and the biggest in Sonoma County history.
On Oct. 3, Levi Leipheimer will lead 3,500 cyclists through picturesque west county vineyards, along coastal views and up the heart-pounding, punishing climb to the top of King Ridge north of Cazadero. “It’s a ride, not a race,” said Mo McElroy, executive director of Santa Rosa’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is helping coordinate “Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge GranFondo” (Italian for long-distance race) event. Riders from as far away as Europe have paid the $75 to $115 entry fees to participate in the event that includes 36, 65 and 103-mile rides geared to various cycling levels of the participants. McElroy said 65 percent of the ride’s profits will go to efforts to secure Santa Rosa’s role in the tour, while the remaining 35 percent will go to Forget Me Not Farm, a non-profit supported by Leipheimer’s wife, Odessa Gunn, that provides therapy for at-risk and abused children. A $1,000-a-plate dinner with Leipheimer the night before the ride will generate another $40,000 for seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong’s cancer-fighting charity. This year’s race, which began in Sacramento and ended in Escondido, attracted more than two million people who lined roads as the race passed by.
While the popularity of the Tour of California has been growing, those involved in the Gran Fondo were taken by surprise by the widespread outpouring of support for the first-time event.