A world-famous annual bike race called Levi’s GranFondo, which sends 1,500-plus hardcore cyclists racing down multiple routes in Windsor, Healdsburg and the surrounding countryside each spring, is set to return to our roads on Saturday, April 19. Actually, for its first 13 or so years of existence, Levi’s GranFondo was just a ride, not a race, according to the Press Democrat. But all that changed last year, when organizers turned the most grueling of their seven routes — a 138-mile loop called “The Growler,” including 14,000 feet of uphill climbing — into “the toughest one-day road race in America.” And now, for the 15th annual event, “it’s also the richest,” the PD reports.
That’s because Levi’s GranFondo is upping the stakes even further this year by offering a record-setting pot of prize money to the top 20 finishers in The Growler race, thanks to a bunch more money in the mix from a local winery sponsoring the race. First-place finishers in the men’s and women’s races will get $25,000 each, second-place finishers will get $15,000 each, and so on. From the PD:
To lure a deeper field of elite riders to this year’s GranFondo, which starts and ends at the Town Green in Windsor on April 19, organizers have injected $156,000 in prize money.
That sum, $101,000 more than last year’s purse, provides equal payouts to the first 10 men’s and women’s finishers.
It comes courtesy of the event’s new title sponsor, the Alexander Valley winery Skipstone, and makes Levi’s GranFondo, named for ex-pro rider and former Santa Rosan Levi Leipheimer, the world’s richest single-day pro road, according to event organizers.
Of course, when you’re trying to defibrillate a sport, and raise the profile of your own event, it helps if people can actually see it. This year, Levi’s GranFondo announced Thursday, the final three hours of the Growler will be livestreamed and available on YouTube.
So, yeah. Now you can witness these growing hordes of extreme athletes killing themselves to scale our gorgeous local hillsides — aka, “the goodest day on two wheels,” as Levi’s fancies itself — from the comfort of your own couch. And if you do have to leave the house and brave local roads that day, make sure to check the race website for updates on which roads will be closed or otherwise impacted. (Last year, there were closures in downtown Windsor and big delays on Old Redwood Highway, Westside, Eastside, Chalk Hill and more.)
Also: Scroll down to the bottom of this page to find maps of all seven Levi’s routes for 2025. If you’re interested in joining a ride, FYI, registration is free for the 10.8-mile “Family Fondo” route just east of Windsor; The Growler costs $305 to enter; and the other five routes fall somewhere in between.
I’ll leave you with this message from race founder and pro cyclist Levi Leipheimer, a Tahoe resident who used to live in Santa Rosa, on what these local upgrades mean for the the road-racing scene worldwide:
Please join us in welcoming Skipstone as the new title sponsor of Levi’s GranFondo. With Skipstone’s support, we are reshaping the state of continental racing in North America. Today, the future of the Growler becomes more certain.
With this partnership we now become the “richest” single-day professional road race in the world. Top men and women finishers will chase a record $156,000 purse, and we will now offer a separate race for junior men and women.
Today, the Amgen Tour of California, USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and Tour of Utah are long gone, and many other notable domestic races have fallen like dominos. This has eliminated opportunities for aspiring cyclists in North America to compete at the highest level. The chances of being discovered by the eyes of USA Cycling and international teams are few and far between.
Having come from the cauldron of American professional road racing, we’re inspired not to sit and watch our sport slip away. High profile pro racing is at our core, is a part of our foundation, and must be strengthened. With the invention of The Growler we have created a true road race, and a test for the worlds best athletes in a setting that brings more than just elite racers together for one day. Levi’s GranFondo is truly now something for everyone.
With expanded coverage of the racing component of Levi’s GranFondo, we will reach more people, inspire talent, and expand the reach for our charitable efforts for King Ridge Foundation.
The past 16 years have been storied, to say the least — for us, for cycling, and for the world. I hope that you will join us this year, and partake or witness this groundbreaking shift for Levi’s GranFondo as we vie to become one of the most important events not just for novice and amateur participants, but for aspiring and seasoned WorldTour professionals.
