Tour of the Catskills Stage Race -- the last of it's kind -- Stage One ITT

ToC stage 1: Individual Time Trial (ITT).

This year sadly marked the end of the 12 years of Tour of the Catskills stage race. Still not exactly sure why road race participation number are dramatically winding down.

Undoubtedly this is a tough one starting with a opening ITT and two longer road races with decent climbing plus the famous Devil's Kitchen Climb the very end. Since last year one of two road races got replaced with a two lap circuit road race instead of a longer single loop road stage.

Py really liked this, no Crits or a like involved.

And also now this year -- due to limited sign ups a joined CAT 3/4 race -- that's going to be interesting fun to a point field destruction...

So it's Friday -- driving up to Windham, NY. Plenty of time as Py's TT was in the afternoon.




The start featured a good 6% grade to power up and then continuing gradually uphill to the turn around point. Py was wondering if his regular road bike may have been a notch more efficient?!?!

But guess that would need a test, not easy to be determined.

However today's scenario included a uphill tail wind. Everything went smooth and efficient. Not sure if much more would have been possible. Even not having a good recent 20min power reference, Py shoot for 300 Watts, knowing 280W been possible in the past -- but it was very variable with wheel shaking winds, up and downs. Still, little short of that goal with 265 W, but better set high... also fact, Py did not managed to do any test TT this year and this was right out of the gun the first one on his PX Stealth bike.

Official TT time (CAT4):  18th place with 00:24:42.90  (vs. 1st: 23:06:40)


Attempt to cool down in a river, but way too warm... so go to the Inn. His favorite place Fairlawn Inn, Hunter.

Hunter to New Paltz -- day 2 self supported

Part 2 of the special "super tour of the Catskills". Starting another day with a great breakfast. Great traveling with little stuff. Around 9am finally on the road to Shandaken and Little Indian and Big Indian. A beautiful morning, still not to hot. The first few climbs behind, long way up to little over 800m on Oliveara to Neversink and a gorgeous decent into Frost Valley. Filling up water in Claryville. Then making it up to the top via Red Hill Rd (dirt). And a fast descent on Sugarloaf. Steaming hot down in the valley! Then going towards Peekamoose and up to the Yeagerville climb in reverse this time. Nice descent to the Rondout Reservoir and back via 55/209 to Kerhonkson for water top off and a new nice rolling way to the Mohonk climb -- where finally Py meet/found James... a little different story not told here now. Quick descent down back into New Paltz. Dinner time!

Epic weekend done!

New Paltz to Hunter -- day1 self supported

Tour of the Catskills. A different ride no one wanted to join. Trying to keep up with some pre ToC race dedicated training weekend. The only plan was to start from New Paltz and make the way via a select set climbs to Hunter and this time to stay over night in Hunter. A steaming hot/humind and high chance of thunder showers filled weekend was expected, a heavy down poor while driving up in the big city area. But improving further up. Prepared with extra supplies/tubes just in case starting out with a little extra payload on the back. Riding towards the Gunks on his usual scenic start out way, passing a few riders and leaving them behind and then catching up to a unkown rider in a Rapha kit, tunred out been a CAT2 racer coming back to riding from some kind of incident, joining up and continuing together for a while -- climbing Yeagerville -- Peekamoose, where he eventually left -- continuing to Woodstock, plan to get a coffee, but way tooooo crowded, still good on water, just heading on en route towards Platte Clove (aka "Devil's Kitchen"), that turned out a little hard on the limit with those extra 12 pounds but making it to Tannersville just fine for dinner and finally to Hunter for the night. What an epic ride.

Rocky Point 2 Mountauk Point

Gregg's ride to the End of the world.... well Mountauk Point. A little last minute decision to join the fun, getting up about 30 minutes before ride start... all set go, good the start is just down the road.



Fun day out, finishing at consistent pace with Trevor. Thx all.