Woodstock Women's Cycling Grand Prix- 2014
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Saturday, May 3 was a great day for women’s cycling.
The second annual Women’s Woodstock Cycle Grand Prix took place with nearly 100 entrants in 5 different categories. The pros, cat 1 and 2, rode a 53 mile route which included both Mead Mountain outside the Village of Woodstock and the epic Seven Sisters Climb on Ohayo Mountain. It’s a 1.4km climb with a 9% grade. The masters 40-49 years, the masters 50-99 years, and the Category 3 riders rode a 50 mile route including Mead Mountain which is a 13% grade. Cat 4 riders did a 34 mile route, including Mead Mountain. Kristi Lay was the winner of the Pro 1/ 2 with a time of 2:33:59. Beth Ruiz took second place and Ellen Watters finished third. In the Category 3 race, Cassandra Maximenko took first place with a time of 2:33:00. Melissa Hiller was runner-up and Kristi Nichols James placed third. Amy O’Connell placed first in the 34-mile Category 4 race with a time of 1:48:47. Jodie Hern and Hannah Todd were second and third, respectively. Anna Millenson of Mount Tremper placed 12th in the Category 4 race, the best finish of any local competitor. Tthe race course traveled through the towns of Woodstock, Hurley, Shandaken, and Saugerties in the Catskill Mountains. There are very few women only cycling events in the world, let alone the United States, which is lagging behind European countries in this sport. Race organizer, Martin Ernst Bruhn, a former Olympic cyclist, feels that women need the opportunity to compete against other women on a competitive course. Organizing the WWCGP is a direct call to action for the development of women’s competitive cycling in North America, according to Bruhn, whether to the entry level racer or the professional. As a comparison-the Tour of the Catskills Stage 3 Hunter Road Race held in August of 2013 had 357 men start in 8 skill/age categories, there were 17 women in 2 categories. One of the main barriers to getting more women racing is that female-riders are generally lumped into one or two categories. There is a need to have events that are of equal distance and payout to men’s races, Bruhn explained, by challenging riders to an event that features scenic roads, major ascents that include Mead’s Mountain Road and Ohayo Mountain Road, and bicycle-only views of Shandanken, Woodstock, Hurley and Saugerties, the WWCGP provides a premiere venue for female cyclists from the United States and Canada to compete for top prizes on an international caliber race course in the heart of New York State. “This is a way to show that women parity in cycling,” Bruhn said. The Live Love Velo women’s riding team from Long Island were very excited to have a women specific event to ride in. This is their second year as a team; their goals are to promote health awareness and female biking. “This is one of our prioritized races for the year,” Christian Cone said. |
Karen Schwatz said the race was “beautifully organized”.
Billy Denter, owner of Overlook Mountain Bikes in Woodstock, said the WWCGP shows that an all-female race needn’t be dumbed down.
“This race brings a lot of people out because the course is quite challenging,” Denter said.
This was Sarah Snider’s first race. She’s a local who used to do marathons and recently started riding.
“I just learned about the race last week. I jumped in because it’s a women’s specific event,” Snider said.
The next phase in the movement in my mind of getting more of the management run by women.
“One of the most important things is to get more women involved with the planning and staging of the event; I think that sends a really strong message to the country at large” Burhn said.
For next year’s race Burhn said he’d like to see the finish area be more of a festive place with music, art, and a kids’ race. Part of that will be to make this an event that highlights where we live.
“So that people remember us in Woodstock. And the Woodstock Women’s Cycle Grand Prix becomes a season opener for women when they are choosing their races,” Burhn said.
He plans to stick with Saturday schedule so that riders can commute home and not go to work Monday exhausted. He’d like to see riders stay over and train up here.
Bruhn plans to continue the WWCGP as a standalone women’s event.
“I’ll get someone to help underwrite the cost so that I can keep it a women’s only event,” Bruhn said. “The Theme is so much stronger that way”.
One of the greatest parts of planning the race was the depth of talent of people organizing it.
Courtney Whitebay, who is pregnant and due in five weeks, was one of the races organizers. There are people who have volunteered for the past two years who are now training for next year’s race. It’s the volunteers that made all the difference. A race doesn’t happen without the volunteers.
A piece of parting advice from this Olympic racer turned race promoter has for riders to get out of their wet clothes, and cover their legs, and stay warm.
Peak...
Billy Denter, owner of Overlook Mountain Bikes in Woodstock, said the WWCGP shows that an all-female race needn’t be dumbed down.
“This race brings a lot of people out because the course is quite challenging,” Denter said.
This was Sarah Snider’s first race. She’s a local who used to do marathons and recently started riding.
“I just learned about the race last week. I jumped in because it’s a women’s specific event,” Snider said.
The next phase in the movement in my mind of getting more of the management run by women.
“One of the most important things is to get more women involved with the planning and staging of the event; I think that sends a really strong message to the country at large” Burhn said.
For next year’s race Burhn said he’d like to see the finish area be more of a festive place with music, art, and a kids’ race. Part of that will be to make this an event that highlights where we live.
“So that people remember us in Woodstock. And the Woodstock Women’s Cycle Grand Prix becomes a season opener for women when they are choosing their races,” Burhn said.
He plans to stick with Saturday schedule so that riders can commute home and not go to work Monday exhausted. He’d like to see riders stay over and train up here.
Bruhn plans to continue the WWCGP as a standalone women’s event.
“I’ll get someone to help underwrite the cost so that I can keep it a women’s only event,” Bruhn said. “The Theme is so much stronger that way”.
One of the greatest parts of planning the race was the depth of talent of people organizing it.
Courtney Whitebay, who is pregnant and due in five weeks, was one of the races organizers. There are people who have volunteered for the past two years who are now training for next year’s race. It’s the volunteers that made all the difference. A race doesn’t happen without the volunteers.
A piece of parting advice from this Olympic racer turned race promoter has for riders to get out of their wet clothes, and cover their legs, and stay warm.
Peak...
