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Dear <firstname>,
You are a registered competitor in the Growler Road Race of Levi's GranFondo, and we're just days away from all the action!
This message serves as a final reminder of what to expect during Levi's GranFondo and to arm you with all you need to know to make the most of your time with us.
On Friday, April 18th, our event kicks off, starting at 2:00 pm at the Windsor Town Green. You must arrive Friday to get checked in, and get the lay of the land for where things will take place on Saturday morning.
We highly encourage you to pre-ride the final 1.25 miles of the race so you understand exactly how to navigate the final roundabouts, and how any potential sprint to the line will materialize. HERE IS THE GPX, and HERE IS THE STRAVA ROUTE for the final 1.25 miles of the Growler which includes the final left-hand turn off of Arata Lane before taking Old Redwood Highway into Windsor.
Rider check-in takes place at the Huerta Gymnasium right next to the Windsor Town Green. You must appear in person to sign a waiver, and receive your bib numbers.
We will conduct a rider meeting at 4:00 pm on Friday afternoon. It is mandatory that you review this meeting prior to the start of the race either by attending in person or by watching it on YouTube. It will take place in the center of the Town Green at the awards stage. We will cover critical course details, race rules, and other important information. You must not skip this part.
Begin to line up at 7:00 AM on Saturday morning. Your number plate will grant you access to the front staging areas of the gran fondo. Men will start ahead of the women at 7:30 am. The Women will start at 7:35 am. Our staff will be present to ensure you enter the proper staging corral.
The Growler follows RED
The Growler riders will follow the RED route arrows. They also contain the word "RED" on them. You will also follow rainbow-colored "ALL" signs which are used when all participants are to travel together along a given section of roadway.
As you reach intersections where different routes go in different directions, you will see multiple colored arrows pointing in different directions. Be sure to always follow the RED arrow, or the rainbow-colored "ALL" arrows.
The Growler has two (2) water stops, and four (4) aid stations as well as one (1) team support zone. The neutral support aid stations are there to provide food and hydration to all participants. There will also be neutral bottle feeds at King Ridge, Lake Sonoma (Team Support), Geysers, and Alexander Valley aid stations.
A designated team support zone is available for you to send support staff to at the Lake Sonoma Warm Springs Recreation Area. This location is approximately 30 minutes from the Windsor Town Green by car. Lead Growler men will reach this location as early as 11:15 am. Lead Growler Women as early as 11:45 am(approximate).
TEAM SUPPORT NOTES AND RULES
Click the links above for a GPX download of the Growler course, or to view the course on Strava. Under no circumstances should you cross over the yellow center line into the oncoming lane. Many of our roads do not feature a center line because they are so narrow. You must expect that at any time there could be oncoming or cross traffic.
Levi's GranFondo features two major components: the non-competitive gran fondo amateur ride routes, and The Growler road race. Because of this, you will eventually start to catch riders who are much slower than you that are finishing shorter routes. This will start to happen as soon as you begin to reach the Geysers just outside of Cloverdale. Please pass safely. Endangering the safety of another person is grounds for immediate disqualification.
All of the rules for competition in the Growler are on the website, and are much more extensive than what we have emailed you here. It is mandatory that you thoroughly read through them prior to Friday's rider meeting.
A total of six professional race media motos with pilots and cinematographers will be beside the men and women of the Growler road race for the entirety of the day from start to finish. They will be at the front, in the middle, and near the back of each pro group. Your race will be broadcast in real time to the world, and is an exciting event in North America as this represents the first long-distance live road race broadcast to take place here in over a half a decade. It is our belief that this new model of racing can provide for greater attention and potential for road racing in North America. You are obviously a major factor in the success that we will have. We ask that you race with this in mind, and represent the sport of road racing with grace, candor and professionalism.
We look forward to sharing an historic day of racing with you in Sonoma County. Thank you for joining us.
