The decision to move the date of the event to the fall was a difficult one but has been made in the best interests of the event and the community. We have been busy in the past few weeks, working with the host communities to ensure that venues and courses are available to us for the new date. Now that the details for the event date have been finalized, the date change is now official.

Joe Dixon, Founder of Mission Classic says, “We think that this date change will provide the event with the opportunity to attract more riders and give us further opportunity to work with the community and sponsorship partners to ensure we produce a strong inaugural event. The District of Mission has been a strong supporter of this event from the beginning and we look forward to working with the new Mayor and council to ensure that the event is a success this year and in future. Any time that you have to reschedule and postpone an event it is a tough decision and one that we`ve struggled with making. We apologize for any inconvenience that this change may create for our athletes but we feel it is the best decision for the event.”

Information for registered athletes that are unable to participate on the new event date is available at the event website.

Outback Events is committed in working with the host communities, race crew and sponsorship partners over the coming months, collaborating to produce a safe, fun, and enjoyable cycling experience in September. “Our goal is to bring a first rate cycling event to an area that is known for great riding and has a long history of great local club support and events to area. The combination of a scenic, rural course located just 70Km from Vancouver will make the Mission Classic Gran Fondo an event not to be missed,” says Dixon, the event’s organizer.

The idea for a cycling event in Mission started in 2005.  While looking around the Fraser Valley at venues for triathlon I came across some of the riding available in the area.  Though no venue was possible for a triathlon we always talked about the incredible riding in this part of the Valley, especially above Hatzic Lake.  Fast forward to 2011 and with a little more time on our schedule and looking at possibly adding something to our event calendar we came up with the idea for this event.

With some great rural riding and a course just 70km from Vancouver we are proud to offer a challenging day of catered riding for May 2012.  Mission is a community with great civic pride and a history of supporting local events such as Folk Fest, tournaments and local community events.  The community also has a long history of cycling with the Pheonix Velo cycling club promoting cycling with local events and group rides.

After many months of planning, many meetings and many hours of preparation we`re excited to open up the event and gauge the response of the cycling community.

Joe Dixon
Event Director