Big money on the line: the Growler at Levi's GranFondo sees huge prize money increase to $156,000
Cycling
The Growler at Levi's GranFondo has cemented its place as
the richest road race in the world, boasting a prize purse of $156,000 to be
split equally between the top men and women. With prize money for first place
at $25,000, second place at $15,000, and awards down to 10th place, the event
has seen a staggering 283% increase in its prize purse.
This sixth edition of The Growler promises to draw an elite
field of cyclists to tackle the gruelling 139-mile course, featuring more than
13,500 feet of elevation gain on rough roads. Scheduled for Saturday, April 19,
the race will run alongside Levi's GranFondo rides and will include separate
start times for elite and junior divisions. Organisers have also introduced new
finish protocols in Windsor, California, allowing top pros to separate from
amateur riders during the final stretch.
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"When you have a prize purse this robust, it will
guarantee a very deep field, one of the deepest fields we've ever seen. Once
that news dropped, every rider globally who can make it happen is coming out of
the woodwork. The win will be much more prestigious than the inaugural
one," said Peter Stetina to Cyclingnews.
Luke Lamperti of Soudal – Quick-Step, who first rode Levi's
GranFondo at the age of eight in 2011, expressed his excitement about competing
again on familiar terrain: "For me, it's home roads here in Sonoma County,
so any time I have a chance I get to ride with a bunch of people in Sonoma
County it's always amazing. Now that it's a race, I'm super excited to come
back to it and hopefully competing to win it," he told Cyclingnews.
Lauren De Crescenzo also shared her enthusiasm for the
event, highlighting the significance of the prize purse: "I’m so excited
about the huge prize purse for The Growler and never thought I would be making
a gran fondo one of my season targets."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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