Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins team up for US hurricane relief at Gran Fondo Hincapie

Hurricane Helene ripped across the southeastern US on September 26 and carved a path of destruction from Florida to North Carolina and three other states, the lingering impacts impairing communities 20 days later. Instead of cancelling the 13th edition of the Gran Fondo Hincapie Greenville on October 19, which passes through sections of the devastated areas, organisers transformed the recreational ride into a recovery fundraiser.

The goal was now to raise $1 million for hurricane relief, with funds directed to Polk County, North Carolina, one of the hard-hit areas just north of Greenville, South Carolina that had been part of the original route. The event will still take place this Saturday but will use a new 19-mile loop that utilises roads exclusively within Greenville County to allow public safety officials in North Carolina to focus on emergency services related to the storm.