Woodstock event looks to become bigger
Event’s course, proximity to major cities among its strengths, race director says
The Woodstock Women’s Cycling Grand Prix returns May 6 with a 62-mile Olympic-length Category 1-2-3 Pro race and a 34-mile Category 4-5 race.
Both women’s-only races leave from a “neutral start point” at The Woodstock Community Center on Rock City Road at 8 a.m. and travel a course that passes through parts of Woodstock, Saugerties, Shandaken and West Hurley.
The race ends a little farther up Rock City Road, with most cyclists expected to return by 11 a.m.
The race, in its fifth year, is sanctioned by USA Cycling, and it provides the referees, race director Martin Ernst Bruhn said. The pro race is capped at 100 participants, and the category 4-5 is limited to 75, he added.
He declined to give an exact figure of this year’s registrants.
“I’m not sure, but I don’t check it out of superstition,” Bruhn said. “I couldn’t provide a figure. I leave it to the riders to get excited.”
Bruhn added he’d be happy with about 130 racers.
“Ours is a true road race that goes out and back,” said Bruhn, a former competitive cyclist who competed with Team Canada in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics. It’s a world-class circuit with no loop, he added.
“This race is a worldclass, flats, rolling sections with small hills, which are really difficult,” Bruhn said. “We also have a mountain road, known as Meads Mountain Road. That one is two miles of climbing, up and up for two miles.”
The Grand Prix, the lone single-day women’s only race in the U.S., is one of the toughest courses in women’s cycling in the U.S., according to Bruhn. It also has a “Queen of the Mountain” competition, a coveted prize that awards points to the best climber in the climbing stages, he said.
This race features a total of three “queen of the mountain” sectors. The first is at mile 14 on Stoll Road in Saugerties, the second is on Meads Mountain Road and the third is on O’Hayo Mountain, he added.
“They win a jersey and get prizes,” Bruhn said. “It’s a very coveted award.”
Bruhn, who was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, but grew up in the United States, said Ulster County is the perfect place to host a cycling competition.
“Colorado is mountainous, but there are open roads,” he said. “The South has warmer temperatures. May in the Catskills is beautiful weather.”
Ulster County has a perfect mix of roads and strong support, Bruhn added.
“Every year, we will grow,” Bruhn said. “People live in this county. That message gets out.”
The race is aided by a close proximity to New York City, Boston and Montreal, according to Bruhn. Participants include a mix of locals and competitors who come from Philadelphia, New York City, Montreal and Ottawa, he added.
Each year, Bruhn said, the race gets better organized with safety always a major focus. He rattled off some of the risks road cyclists face.
“You have to deal with the potential of someone pulling out of their driveway, and people in a hurry to get to an appointment,” Bruhn said.
Letters are passed out to most residents along the course to tell them to be on the lookout for a bicycle race that morning.
“There are over 50 law enforcement, fire police and volunteers to make sure these riders get the safest possible bicycle race possible,” Bruhn said.
Bruhn grew up bicycle racing with his brother in the United States, but he did so on Canadian licenses. He eventually attracted the attention of Team Canada, and he took part in the 1980 and 1984 games and later raced in Europe.
By 1986, he retired from competitive cycling.
“I realized there was more than racing, being a father and setting up a company,” Bruhn said.
But he never completely lost his interest in competitive cycling. Years later, he watched as the men’s cycling world was rocked by doping scandals, mostly notably the downfall of Lance Armstrong.
“Bicycle racing was getting a bad reputation,” he said. “That was hard for me to handle.
That’s when Bruhn got the idea to promote a women’s-only bicycle race in Ulster County. He said he hoped to give women’s cycling more exposure and races that were as competitive as men’s races in terms of distance.
“I strongly believe women have the stamina do to anything men do in endurance sports,” Bruhn said. “Women will change the world. “Why not show them off in a bicycle race, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Bruhn also said he hopes this race encourages more people to hop on a bike for the wellness and recreational value.
“It’s a family-oriented sport that’s been lost over the years,” Bruhn said.
Bruhn said he’s highly impressed with the support the Grand Prix has received from local businesses, county leaders and six different law enforcement agencies. He encouraged residents to come out and watch the race, and he offered a few recommendations of places to watch.
“The finish is really a great place on Rock City Road,” Bruhn said. “One of the most interesting places to watch the race is always on a climb. They don’t go by fast.”
They’re very competitive, as they try to gain points, he added.
“We really can not thank the community enough,” Bruhn said. “If the support continues, Ulster County will be hosting one of the top women’s cycling events in the country.”
Registration remains open at https://www.bikereg.com/wwcgp. Registration is $65 for categories 1-2, $50 for Category 1-2-3 45+ and 55+, and $40 for Category 4-5.
To volunteer, or for more information, email wwcgp2014@gmail.com.