Game summary
👥A game for 1 – 6 players
⏳Play time around 60 – 120 minutes
🏢Publisher is Runner Games
Introduction
Take your races to the next level with the Granfondo: New Challengers. This expansion increases the player count to six, introducing two new rider colors, green and pink, so even more cyclists can join the action.
Let’s get in on the table
Please note: you need the basegame Granfondo to play with this expansion!
Take your races to the next level with the Granfondo: New Challengers. This expansion increases the player count to six, introducing two new rider colors, green and pink, so even more cyclists can join the action.
In addition, the expansion features the exciting Legends of the Granfondo Tournament Mode, complete with an extra game board that includes two brand-new tracks for even greater variety.
To support the larger player count, the expansion also includes six new challengers, making every race more dynamic and fiercely contested.
Let’s play
The new tournament mode lets you compete across three consecutive races, each taking place on a different track. Rather than crowning a winner after a single race, your performance throughout the entire tournament determines the overall champion.
Once all three races have been completed, each team’s scores are added together. The team with the highest combined total is crowned the Granfondo Champion.
Between Races
After each race, some elements carry over into the next stage of the tournament:
The starting order of the next race is determined by the finishing positions of the previous one and the riders keep their current performance level for the following race.
Granfondo Tournament Mode
The new tournament mode lets you compete across three consecutive races, each taking place on a different track. Rather than crowning a winner after a single race, your performance throughout the entire tournament determines the overall champion.
Once all three races have been completed, each team’s scores are added together. The team with the highest combined total is crowned the Granfondo Champion.
Between Races
After each race, some elements carry over into the next stage of the tournament. Riders keep their current performance level for the following race.
Tournament Bonuses
Strong performances during each race are rewarded with powerful bonuses that can be used in the next event.
Attack Bonus
The rider who wins the most Position Duels receives the red Attack Bonus Chip, granting +1.5 on the Fate Card during future Position Duels.
Strategy Bonus
The rider who performs the most Belgium Rotations earns the white Strategy Bonus Chip, allowing them to move one additional space whenever they perform a Belgium Rotation.
End-of-Tournament Awards
After the final race, two prestigious awards are presented:
Best Climber
Awarded to the rider who collected the most points across all mountain intermediate sprints during the tournament. This award is worth 5 Victory Points.
Best Sprinter
Awarded to the rider who scored the most points across all flat intermediate sprints. This achievement is also worth 5 Victory Points.
Conclusion & final score
Difficulty: 3.00/ 5
Our score: 7,5 out of 10 dice
Granfondo: New Challengers is an excellent addition for players who are looking for just more different tracks, or when you just want to play it with more people. The increased player count makes race days more exciting, while the new tournament mode adds a fresh layer of strategy and continuity by linking multiple races together into one larger competition.
The persistent rider performance, bonus chips, and end-of-tournament awards create meaningful decisions that carry over from race to race, making every sprint, climb, and duel feel important. Instead of focusing on a single victory, players must carefully balance risk and consistency across all three stages to claim the overall title.
Whether you’re racing with a larger group or looking for a more immersive cycling experience, this expansion offers you replayability and raises the competitive stakes. If regularly Granfondo finds its way onto your table, the Granfondo: New Challengers is a worthwhile upgrade that adds both depth and excitement without changing the core gameplay that makes the base game so enjoyable.
Thanks to Runner Games for this review copy and the opportunity to write about this expansion.
