Hurricane Helen, which struck the southeastern United States on September 26, carved a path of destruction from Florida to three states, including North Carolina, and its aftermath reached communities 20 days later. Instead of canceling the 13th annual Gran Fondo Hincapie-Greenville on October 19 because it would pass through the disaster area, organizers turned the recreational ride into a fundraiser for recovery efforts.

The goal is to raise $1 million for hurricane relief, and the funds will be directed to Polk County, North Carolina, one of the hardest hit areas just north of Greenville, South Carolina, which was included in the original route. The event will continue this Saturday, but will use a new 19-mile loop that uses only roads within Greenville County so that North Carolina public safety officials can focus on storm-related emergency services.

Providing star power for the fundraiser will be British cycling star Mark Cavendish, who this year achieved a record 35th stage win at the Tour de France, and 2012 Tour GC title winner and Olympic time trial Former professional rider Bradley Wiggins, who won a gold medal in the time trial at the Olympics. Former German national team member Jan Ullrich will also participate.

“We have already raised $180,000 through word of mouth alone. By the time you write the article, it will be over $200,000,” Rich Hincapie, CEO of Hincapie Sportswear and president of Hincapie Events, told Cycling News on Thursday morning.

According to Rich Hincapie, neither Cavendish nor Wiggins had any hesitation about participating in the Hincapie Gran Fondo.

“Cavendish was going to be here and he made plans to go to Disney World with his family before and after the Gran Fondo. He was going to come alone, but the whole family wanted to come, so he basically cut out the Disney trip,” Hincapie told Cycling News.

He said Wiggins and former pro George Hincapie, Rich's brother and co-owner of the family business, became closer this summer while recording “TheMove” podcast with co-host Lance Armstrong. They became friends, he said. Wiggins was in Greenville all week.

“People can still register (for the ride) on Friday or Saturday morning, and they can still buy tickets for Saturday's after-party because of the live auction. Bikes, wheels, guitars that cost $12,000 to have signed, and jerseys signed by the Sirs will be popular items.”

Cavendish and Wiggins raced together in Sky Pro Cycling the year Wiggins won the maillot jaune; they last raced together in 2016, as Team Great Britain in the men's Madison at the track cycling world championships They won gold medals.

Both have been awarded knighthoods, Lord Cavendish earlier this month and Lord Wiggins in 2013.

Both will attend a celebrity chef dinner, a grand fonds, and an after-party on Friday evening, all of which will be held as ticketed events at the Hotel Domestique in Travelers Rest. This will also be the finish line for the three ride distances, which will be one to four laps of the 19-mile course.

The after party ($75 per ticket) will feature a live painting of Mark Cavendish by local painter Jared Emerson at 9:00 pm (CST). Once the painting is complete, there will be a live auction of the painting with 100% of the proceeds going to the Polk County Community Foundation. A portion of the proceeds from the entire weekend will be donated to the foundation.

The death toll across 20 North Carolina counties rose to 95 people directly related to the massive storm, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday.

After the storm, more than 1 million homes were without power in counties surrounding the Appalachian Mountains, including 100% of Polk County residents and businesses; as of October 16, most of the outages have been restored, and according to USA Today's National Outage Map Tracker, the number of outages statewide is down to about 9,000

The number of buildings without power has decreased to about 9,000 in all states.

Heating was a major concern as buildings were destroyed and insurance coverage was not available.

“Our friends in North Carolina have supported this event for over a decade. Now it is our turn to give back to them and help rebuild our community. We want to bring the global cycling community together and make a difference in Polk County. Our goal is to raise $1 million

“We chose Polk County, home of Saluda, Tryon, and Columbus. Saluda, Tryon, and Columbus have graciously accepted to be stop hosts during the Gran Fondo Hincapie Greenville Ride and have been supportive and helpful with our event,” said Rich Hincapie.

Polk County, North Carolina, was one of the western regions of the state that suffered significant damage and casualties from Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida's Gulf Coast on September 26. The torrential rains caused heavy flooding and landslides that wiped out buildings, homes, roads, communication services, and power supplies.

“At first we were thinking of canceling the event. But then we realized that by using the Gran Fondo, we could draw attention to the massive damage in our area and turn the whole thing into a massive fundraiser. We understand that many counties are in need, but we wanted to focus on our Polk County neighbors who have partnered with us and supported the Gran Fondo event for 13 years”

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Hincapie added that although the event will not pass through the Wildflower Bakery, a popular rest stop, the bakery's owner will be making his famous sticky buns and serving them at the short route aid station.

The Gran Fondo Hincapie, which has been held since 2012, began as a retirement ride for Grand Tour veteran George Hincapie. Currently, Gran Fondo Hincapie holds events in Arkansas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and California, in addition to the Greenville event. Donations for hurricane relief are accepted online.