A Massive Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo Announcement!

The Darwin Cycling Club and AusCycling have once again been working hard behind the scenes to organise the 2023 edition of the Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo, and it’s time for you to make your plans, round up your friends and get those entries in!

There is a lot to be excited about for 2023 and we’re excited for you to join us for the Territory’s biggest cycling event this July.

COURSES

This year’s courses are a little different to last year’s, and we’ve focused on safety by increasing focus on traffic management and speed reductions for this year’s rides. The longest ride, the 145km Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo, takes in all the sights and sounds of last year’s route including the famous loop of the Territory Wildlife Park, and takes in more of Palmerston on the return leg with the addition of Roystonea Ave.

The Inpex 110km Top End Tonne also heads out to the Territory Wildlife Park, and takes the same return through Palmerston.

The 52km Darwin Family Law Top End Half Fondo shares the same start and return as the longer two rides, but takes a left at Chung Wah Ave and heads through Palmerston rather than over the Elizabeth River bridge like it did last year and does not include a loop in Charles Darwin National Park.

The 22km NTRS Top End Short Fondo tackles the curves of Tiger Brennan Drive to Hidden Valley Rd, before the rise up the overpass and over to the other side and a return to the Finish.

Full courses are available to view here.

FAMILY RIDE

Last year’s 3km and 9km options have been replaced with a City of Darwin Family Ride, to be held on a closed course around the Start/Finish Area at Fort Hill Parkland. Aimed at beginner skill levels and open to all ages, the City of Darwin Family Ride provides a FREE opportunity to get involved with the Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo without having to commit to a longer ride option with a large group. The first 200 entrants to sign up will receive a 2023 TEGF Bag and Drink Bottle to take home and remember the day by!

JERSEY DESIGN

The 2023 Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo Jersey Design has been finalised and extends an already great partnership between the Darwin Cycling Club and Larrakia, Wardaman and Kurrijarri artist, Danella Lee. This year’s motif is a sea turtle, painted in similar colours to the popular 2022 Kingfisher design. We’ve partnered again with Santini to ensure this year’s jerseys are of the highest quality – we want you wearing this kit all year round, until the next Fondo!

The first 100 entries in each of the two longest rides (the 145km Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo and the 110km Inpex Top End Tonne) will have their jersey available for collection on the event day. An additional order of jerseys will be made after the event for any further entries in those two events.

2022 Jerseys are still available to purchase from the Darwin Cycling Club, and we’ll have all remaining stock there in person at the Rego desk on Saturday, July 1.

ENTRIES

Entries for the 2023 Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo will open from Monday, May 8 at 8am. Entry will be via the RaceResult Platform, and the pricing of events is as follows:

· Sunbuild 145km Top End Gran Fondo: $170

· Inpex 110km Top End Tonne: $130

· Darwin Family Law 52km Top End HalfFondo: $70

· NTRS 22km TopEnd Short Fondo: $40

· City of Darwin Family Ride: FREE

The first 100 participants in each of the Inpex 110km Top End Tonne and Sunbuild 145km Top End Gran Fondo will receive a 2023 TEGF Jersey guaranteed on event day with subsequent entries receiving their jersey after the event. Participants in the shorter events will be able to purchase a jersey (RRP $149) for $99 during the entry process. Entries will close on Saturday, July 1 at 3pm – but don’t wait until then because those first 100 entries with jerseys will get snapped up quickly!

PARTNERS

AusCycling and the Darwin Cycling Club are excited to announce several ongoing and new partnerships for the 2023 Sunbuild Top End Gran Fondo! Naming rights sponsors and long time event Sunbuild are returning for 2023, joining them in the line-up are returning partners Darwin Family Law, EcOz, NTRS and AANT, Inpex, City of Darwin and new partners for 2022 in Jetstream Electrical and CycleZone. We’d also like to recognise the contribution of the NT Government to the event this year, without which we would not have been able to deliver the 2023 event.

View all of our Partners for the 2023 TEGF here!