The starting line is about a 7 mile ride from my parents house, and given that we were hear in Roch for Jen's running race, I previewed the route...and more. For those who did it last year, the course is very close to the same except the SW corner is now cut off. You exit a busy road (CR4)near the end of the course and take a gravel road to the foot of the "Oxenburg" climb where you start it all over. So bascially, after the start, you don't see that stretch of road again until the race is over and you are limping back to your cars. The finish of the race this year is at the top of the "Oxenburg" climb....for all you quick thinkers out there, that means we get to climb it 4 times this year. I stopped in at Rochester Cycling and Fitness afterward to say hey to Matt and crew... the only reason I mention this is that it is Matt's fault for including this 4th climb! Matt, the owner of RCF (and thus my sponsor), is a great guy, but he clearly has a cruel streak.
BTW, the gravel roads are dry, but there are a lot of potholes and rough corners. Cross or mountain bikes will work best.
For those that haven't done the race, there are very few flat spots, and the the course is 85% gravel. The "Oxenburg" climb is a steep, several hundred meter climb with grades as high as 24% (right now there is a road closed sign at the bottom of the climb that they use during the winter because it is too steep). Anyway, it is a fun relaxed atmosphere so come on down.
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