Battenkill Final Schedule

Tour of the Battenkill Announces Final Schedule of Events – Apr. 13-15

courtesy of Tour of the Battenkill

Anthem Sports and the Stan’s Notubes Great American Cycling Series, organizers of the 2012 Tour of the Battenkill, announce the final schedule of events for the Tour of the Battenkill, April 13-15.

The event begins on Friday, April 13, at 10 AM with the race expo in Railroad Park on Broad Street in Cambridge. Cycling vendors, local food, and sponsor booths will be onsite throughout the weekend.

An appearance by 3-time Tour de France Champion Greg LeMond highlights Friday’s events. LeMond will be at Battenkill Books located at 15 E. Main Street. LeMond will be joining a book signing with Bill Humphreys, author of Jersey Project – a pictorial compilation of professional cycling jerseys, some of which were worn by LeMond as a professional.

Pro/Am Rider Check-in follows at 12 noon in the nearby Cambridge Freight Yard, where nearly half of the 3000 amateurs racing the Saturday Pro/Am event are expected to attend to receive their race packets and numbers.

The pre-event press conference at 2 PM and the 4-5 PM ‘Ride with the Pros’ event for children and families will both be held at the Cambridge Hotel, located at 4 West Main Street, Cambridge.

Saturday’s Pro/Am event will begin at 8 AM on Gilbert Street (Rte 313) in Cambridge. More than 40 separate races – each with 50 to 150 riders – will compete on the 62 mile Pro/Am course. All races will finish on Main Street near the Cambridge Hotel beginning at 8:30 AM. The last finishers are expected to complete their respective races by 6:30 PM. For safety purposes, Main Street between Union Street and Grove Street will be closed from 8 AM to 6:30 PM on Saturday and Sunday. A detour route and signage will be in place for motorists. Awards, live entertainment, and the race expo will be ongoing throughout the day at Railroad Park on Broad Street.

Sunday’s events include benefit rides, kid’s races, expo, live entertainment and the Professional Invitational. The day’s events begin at 8:30 AM with the non-competitive Bike Marathon Battenkill with Greg LeMond. This recreational ride features a 22-mile or 62-mile course, a chance to meet and ride with LeMond, and a catered post-ride lunch by the Cambridge Hotel at the expo. Riders may register using the link at www.tourofthebattenkill.com

The professional race events begin at 10:30 AM with pro sign-in front of the Cambridge Hotel. The race starts on Main Street at 12 noon and teams and riders will compete on a two-lap, 124 mile course that makes direct passes through the villages of Cambridge, Salem, and Greenwich each lap. More than 150 international, professional riders making up 29 teams and their support cars will race with a rolling closure format allowing riders access to both sides of the road during the race, with the assistance of law enforcement. The race is expected to pass through the start/finish line on Main Street in Cambridge at 2:00 PM on lap 1.

The Kids Tour of Cambridge – youth races will take place on the closed streets in Cambridge at 2:30 PM. More than 200 kids are expected to compete. All ages are welcome. Registration for the kids Race opens at 1 PM at the race expo. Parents must sign a participant waiver.

At 4:30 PM the winners of the silent auction featuring the original work by artist and former professional cyclist Doug Dale will be announced at the race expo and finish line. Dale was injured during the 2011 Pro/Am event.

Proceeds of the auction will benefit the emergency services personnel who not only play an integral part in the Tour each year but also provided emergency care after Doug’s accident.

The professional race is expected to finish at 4:30 PM on Main Street. The awards ceremony will follow shortly after the finish in front of the Cambridge Hotel on Broad Street. For the full event schedule and other race information, please see the event website at www.tourofthebattenkill.com

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