Famous in road racing circles for its rolling New York dirt roads, the ninth annual Tour of the Battenkill will this year include a new gran fondo category that is open to the general public.
Held this year April 13-14 in Cambridge, New York, the event will include age group and category races on Saturday and Sunday. The new gran fondo will take the place of the recently-eliminated professional men’s race on Sunday. Participation in the gran fondo will be limited to the first 1,000 registrants.
The pro event is gone, but the challenging dirt roads remain
The gran fondo will cover the same 65-mile course as the racers. But unlike the race — where the one goal is to be first across the finish line — gran fondo riders will compete on various timed segments of the course which includes 10 dirt road sections and climbs.
Winners in various age-group categories will be awarded.
Online registration for the gran fondo will open Friday, January 25 on www.tourofthebattenkill.com .
Last year, The Tour of the Battenkill attracted more than 3000 amateur racers from 40 States and 15 countries in 2012. This year, it's the first stop on the Stan’s Notubes Great American Cycling Series.
Held in rural New York near Vermont, the Tour of the Battenkill is now in its ninth year
