September 10/11 21:53 pm - Tour of the Battenkill Announces 2012 Dates and Fall Events

Posted by Editoress on 09/10/11
 

Organizers of the Tour of the Battenkill cycling race in Cambridge, New York are proud to announce their April, 2012 event dates, a return to two days of racing for the nearly 3000 expected participants, and preview events in October of 2011.
 
The difficult, classic-style event in the Battenkill Valley region of New York State will be held on April 14 and 15, 2012 and will feature more than 35 individual races for amateurs and professionals. Amateur races will be scheduled on both days while professionals will race on Sunday as the marquee race of the weekend. The finish will return to Main Street, Cambridge as it was featured in the 2009, and 2010 editions. Professional men will race 124 miles while Elite women and amateurs will race approximately 64 miles on a newly-designed course to be announced in October.

Online registration opens on December 21 where more than 2000 amateur racers registered in less than 24 hours for the 2011 event.
 
As in 2010 and 2011 under presenting sponsor Pepsi, various community outreach events are planned, including school programs, youth cycling races, and benefit rides on the course. American professional teams Kelly Benefit / Optum Health and Jelly Belly Professional Cycling teams were among the teams supporting the popular outreach programs in 2011.
 
Organizers also announce a series of preview events in the region beginning on Columbus Day Weekend, 2011. On Saturday, October 8, the BattenFall Classic will sample parts of the course over a shorter, circuit race format that features many of the dirt roads made famous by the Tour of the Battenkill. On the following day, Sunday, October 9 the 2012 Tour of the Battenkill course route will be unveiled at the annual non-competitive Fall Preview Ride. Registration links and information for these 2 events can be found on the event website - www.tourofthebattenkill.com.
 
The Tour of the Battenkill is the largest road cycling race in North America and featured racers from more than 40 States and 15 countries in 2011. New Zealander Brett Tivers won the professional men's race in 2011, while Lex Albrecht of Quebec won the women's elite race. Previous podium finishers include ProTour riders Caleb Fairly and Evelyn Stevens, and former professional Floyd Landis.
Press release