Berkshire Cycling Classic returns to Lenox

LENOX – It is almost time to hop back in the saddle.

The bicycle saddle that is, as the second annual Berkshire Cycling Classic will take place on Sunday, June 9, starting and ending in downtown Lenox.

Last year’s race, which was an International Cycling Union race, helped establishThe Berkshires as an international cycling destination. While the race has lost that sanction, organizers hope this year’s race can still build as an event.

For 2013, the Berkshire Cycling Classic will continue in its role as an innovator and leader in cycling by presenting a new format event, designed both for better safety and enhanced competition.

The 2012 was run in a classic format known internationally as a Gran Fondo or Cyclosportif, in which all of the riders started together in one group, known to cyclers as a peloton, and awards were given to men’s and women’s age group winners at the end of the event.

“I’ve been creating professional races for the past 20 years,” said Race Director John Eustice. “After having organized three of these Gran Fondo events in the past 12 months, I have come to the conclusion that the actual racers need to be separated out from the recreational riders, given their own peloton complete with officials and run under racing rules.”

Mr. Eustice, under his company Sparta Cycling, runs several races around New England.

Founded in 1998, Sparta productions have included the Tour of Connecticut, the Housatonic Valley Classic, the Univest Grand Prix and Cyclosportif 100k, the US Open of Cycling, the USA Cycling Espoirs Time Trial and the USA Road Racing Championships.

The 2013 Berkshire Cycling Classic will be run with four waves of cyclists. The first two waves will be 81-mile races for master’s and fourth category amateur men and the third and fourth waves, the 81-mile and 62-mile recreational rides open to cyclists of all ages and abilities.

The UCI World Cycling Tour status for 2013 went to Putnam County, N.Y., but there is a movement in the Berkshire business, civic and cycling communities to bring that status back to the region for 2014.

“The UCI were very happy with our technical execution of the Berkshire and Putnam County events and asked if we would prepare a bid to host the World Master’s Championships in 2015 or 2016,” said Mr. Eustice.

“The worlds would be perfect for The Berkshires and provide an energizing long-term goal for the community,” he added.

Posted by Kameron Z. Spaulding on May 30, 2013. Filed under Community Events,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry