Tour of Battenkill UCI Race Cancelled
America's Queen of the Classics UCI event cancelled due to lack of funding. Gran Fondo and Pro/Am to go ahead as normal on May 20th
Battenkill Valley, NY – Anthem Sports - organizers of the Tour of the Battenkill have announced, the UCI sanctioned race, scheduled for Saturday, June 3 has had to be cancelled.
The Pro race was added to the UCI America's Tour Calendar in April for both Men and Women, taking the place of the cancelled Philadelphia International Cycling Classic. The event joined the USA Cycling Professional Road Tour for 2017. Both the Men's and Women's races received a UCI 1.2 grading for the one-day event, situated 175 miles north of New York City near Saratoga Springs.
The Tour of the Battenkill last held UCI events in 2010 and 2012 for the Men only, where Caleb Fairly and Francisco Mancebo were winners, respectively.
Gran Fondo and Pro/Am to go ahead as normal
The very popular Pro/Am and Gran Fondo events scheduled 2 weeks earlier on Saturday, May 20th are to go ahead as normal.
With approximately 3,000 starters across 38 races in recent years, it probably is America's largest single day Pro/Am raxe and Gran Fondo. Over 2,800 starters in the Saturday amateur races including the Gran Fondo which culminates on the Sunday, with the Pro/Am race attracting over 150 professional bike riders.
Riders mostly coming from the Northeastern states, however last year's event saw riders from 48 states plus hundreds of riders 3 hours north of the border from Canada.
One of the toughest cycling events in America?
The Tour of Battenkill's steep punchy climbs are legendary in shattering fields of riders, both amateur and Pro alike.
At 62 miles for the amateur race and winning times of 2:40-3:00 hours it's not a big distance hitter. But the 62 mile loop that starts in the village of Cambridge is like no other!
The course smashes riders, pummelling them through majestic open farmlands, dark narrow covered bridges, choking dust, gravel, mud, the kind of rural roads you wish you could ride each day.
Battenkill's special ingredient - the numerous dirt sections are it's trademark.
Riders jockey for position. Behind, riders chock on the dust and mud thrown up from the riders in front, desperately hanging onto the wheel in front. Riders on the front have a clean view - albiet smashing an extra 35% effort to stay clear. Those behind suffer tunnel-vision and are constantly in fear of not being gapped.
This is no walk in the park, the Pro race is 124 miles.
For amateurs riders this is as close as it's gets to riding a European Spring Classic like Paris Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders.
For those new to racing or riding a Gran Fondo - this will feel like the toughest event they'll ever had ridden - for sure!
For more information visit: tourofthebattenkill.com