The Top GFNYs of the Year

January 15, 2026

Annual Athletes’ Choice Awards recognize the highest-rated GFNY events based on post-race rider feedback

New York City (January 15, 2026) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – GFNY reveals the top-rated GFNY events of the past season, as selected by the riders themselves through comprehensive post-race surveys. Every GFNY participant is invited to evaluate their race experience, providing both quantitative ratings and detailed written feedback that together determine the annual Athletes’ Choice Awards rankings.

“These awards show how a global racing platform should work,” said GFNY President Lidia Fluhme. “Riders race, riders evaluate, and the best events rise to the top. It creates accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement — exactly what competitive athletes expect.”

Best Event Overall:

First Place: GFNY Cannes (France)

Second Place: GFNY San Luis Potosí (Mexico)

Third Place: Michelob ULTRA GFNY Maryland Cambridge (USA)

Best Race Destination:

First Place: GFNY Cozumel (Mexico)

Runner up: GFNY Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay)

Best Course:

First Place: GFNY Villard de Lans (France)

Runner up: GFNY Chile

Best Packet Pickup and Expo:

First Place: GFNY Cannes (France)

Runner up: Michelob ULTRA GFNY Pittsburgh (USA)

Best Start Area:

First Place: Michelob ULTRA GFNY New York City (USA)

Runner up: GFNY Bahamas

Best Aid Stations:

First Place: GFNY Grand Ballon (France)

Runner up: Michelob ULTRA GFNY Maryland Cambridge (USA)

Best Course Organization:

First Place: GFNY Lourdes Tourmalet (France)

Runner up: Michelob ULTRA GFNY New York City (USA)

Best Finish Line:

First Place: Michelob ULTRA GFNY New York City (USA)

Runner up: GFNY Cannes (France)

Best Finish Festival:

First Place: GFNY Bali (Indonesia)

Runner up: GFNY República Dominicana

Best New Race:

First Place: GFNY Bremen (Germany)

Runner up: GFNY San Luis Potosí (Mexico)

Best Race-Week Activities:

First Place: GFNY República Dominicana

Runner up: GFNY Grand Ballon (France)

Best Year-Round Activities:

First Place: GFNY Bali (Indonesia)

Runner up: GFNY Bahamas

Best Race Communication:

First Place: GFNY Cozumel (Mexico)

Runner up: Michelob Ultra GFNY Miami

About GFNY Global Platform

GFNY Global Platform is an international cycling competition platform that designs, owns, and operates a structured system of races globally.

At its core is a clearly defined competitive hierarchy—from GFNY races to National and Continental Championships—culminating in the GFNY World Championship in New York City. This progression is collectively known as the GFNY Road to NYC, offering riders a consistent and earned route from local competition to a global championship event.

Participants race on fully timed courses and compete within their age groups.

GFNY events are open to a wide range of riders and are designed to combine competitive structure with accessible participation.

GFNY’s long-standing “BE A PRO FOR A DAY®” concept reflects its emphasis on timed competition, standardized rules, and age-group racing.

GFNY operates a fully integrated rider platform, maintaining direct relationships with participants and full control of registration, results, rankings, and historical participation data across all events worldwide. While road cycling is its foundation, GFNY also operates select events in gravel, mountain bike, and running within the same operational and governance framework.

Working with host cities and partners globally, GFNY focuses on athlete-first operations, international consistency, and long-term championship continuity.

The official GFNY website is: gfny.com.

About the Michelob ULTRA GFNY World Championship NYC

The Michelob ULTRA GFNY World Championship New York City is GFNY’s flagship event and the culmination of its global competition structure. The race brings together riders from more than 90 countries and is held annually on a challenging road course in and around New York City.

The event serves as the final stage of the GFNY Road to NYC, connecting GFNY races with National and Continental Championships in a single competitive hierarchy.

The official website of the Michelob ULTRA GFNY World Championship NYC is

NYC.GFNY.COM.

GFNY Pro Series

The GFNY Pro Series is GFNY’s professional racing platform, built around an integrated Pro–Am format that combines UCI-sanctioned professional races with GFNY mass-participation events on the same courses and on the same weekend.

In the GFNY Pro Series, professional fields race minutes ahead of the GFNY mass peloton, delivering a shared race environment that maximizes visibility for teams, sponsors, and host communities while preserving clear competitive separation. This model allows professional racing to take place within fully secured road closures and established event infrastructure, creating efficiencies not available to standalone races.

The format was pioneered at Gran Premio New York City, where professional teams compete on the GFNY World Championship course shortly before the amateur start. GP NYC represents the original GFNY Pro–Am concept and serves as the blueprint for future Pro Series events.

The GFNY Pro Series is designed to expand selectively, with additional UCI-sanctioned races introduced only where local conditions, infrastructure, and funding support professional competition at a sustainable level. Scheduled events include Gran Premio Cozumel in conjunction with GFNY Cozumel, pending UCI approval.

GFNY is also evaluating the introduction of women’s professional racing within the Pro Series, beginning with a potential women’s race in New York City. This expansion would require extended road closures and additional operational resources, and is being developed in collaboration with partners committed to supporting the growth of women’s professional cycling.

The official website of the GFNY Pro Series’ flagship event, Gran Premio New York City, is gp.gfny.com.

Further Material for Media Use

Official GFNY Videos: here
GFNY Results: here
GFNY Platform graphic: here

Previous GFNY press releases: here

Media Contact

Gran Fondo New York Inc.
Uli Fluhme, uli@gfny.com
Caroline Lindsay, caroline@gfny.com