THE COURSE

LONG ROUTE: With close to 4000 meters of climbing over 117 km, the GFNY Alpes Vaujany long route is a test of your legs, and your willpower.

The race starts with a controlled 5km descent from the mountain town of Vaujany. After the quick descent, the first challenge of the day begins: the 25-km climb up Col de la Croix de Fer, first through the forest, then past lac de Grand’Maison, then to its breath-taking top at 2,067 meters. After descending on the other side, and flat 10k in the Maurienne valley, you’ll climb Col du Glandon. After the descent off Glandon, you will face the final challenge of the day: the climb back to Vaujany and your finish line celebration.

LONG COURSE IS A COMPETITION: Only the finishers of the 117 km long course are eligible for category rankings and Overall and Podium awards. If you want to race and be ranked in your category, you must complete the long course. Top 20% of finishers in each age groups qualify for the Racer Corral at every GFNY World event.

Learn more at: gfnyfr.com

At the start of GFNY in 2019, I found myself on my bike, suspended above the Hudson River on the lower deck of the George Washington Bridge, surrounded by 5,000 fellow racers from over 90 different countries. Even though this was my third consecutive GFNY, I stood there, shaking my head in disbelief thinking, “WOW, a bicycle race has shut down the busiest bridge in the world!” The bridge remains open through snowstorms, high winds, repairs, maintenance, and accidents. And all of this in a country where cycling is certainly not a national pastime. It seemed to me that the magnitude of this bridge being closed just for the sake of our bicycle race was being lost or not fully comprehended by most of us.

It also occurred to me that since a great majority of GFNY racers are either from another state or another country, there’s a pretty good chance that most of the riders around me on the bridge would enjoy some insight to where they were, what they were looking at, where the racecourse would be taking them, and the significance of it all.

We compiled this “Points of Interest Guide” to help you get to know the GFNY racecourse from a slightly different perspective. It’s so much more than just rolling hills, quaint towns and Bear Mountain. This guide will make your race experience and trip to New York more fulfilling.

MILE 2-8 / Henry Hudson Drive:

A River and Cliffs.

The majority of the race takes place on the banks of and the cliffs above the Hudson river. Native American’s called the Hudson River “a stream that flows both ways” since it is an estuary which ebbs and flows with the ocean’s tide. The Hudson River, which serves as a major thoroughfare between New York City and the rest of the state, was also the most strategic 150-mile-long battlefield of the Revolutionary War. The river separated the northeast from the rest of the country. British control of the Hudson would mean dividing the Northern American Colonies in two. Whichever side controlled the Hudson would control communication, transportation and the entire course of the war.

The magnificently steep cliffs here are the Palisades, called “We-awk-en” by the Lenni Lenapes Native Americans which means “rocks that look like rows of trees”. By the late 1800’s the Palisades were being heavily quarried for building foundations, city streets and piers in New York. If you have ever ridden on New York City pavé, chances are you rode on blocks of rock quarried from these cliffs. The growth of New York City was taking place at the expense of the destruction of New Jersey. It was the activism of local Women’s Clubs from nearby towns like Englewood which eventually passed legislation to preserve the Palisades and create the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC). This was the late 1890’s and, despite having no right to vote, women were remarkably still able to persuade politicians. The PIPC was given power to acquire land and preserve scenery which is what they did along Henry Hudson Drive and Bear Mountain.

MILE 9 / Alpine Climb:

You think climbing this is hard…

After the British captured Forth Washington, they had their sights to capture Fort Lee along with the 2667 American troops stationed there led by American General Nathanael Greene.  The British planned to approach Ft. Lee by surprise. During a heavy rainstorm on November 20th, 5,000 British troops sailed six miles north, well out of sight of Fort Lee, and landed near the base of Alpine Climb.  They proceeded to climb directly up the muddy cliffs, with heavy packs, dragging cannons and supplies uphill with barely a trail beneath their feet.  Their plan was to then march south to Fort Lee.  From the top of the Palisades in Closter, a farmer spotted the British, immediately mounted his horse and rode straight to Fort Lee to warn the Americans of the impending attack.  This warning provided just enough time for the American troops to make a hasty evacuation westward towards Hackensack to join the rest of Washington’s troops. If that anonymous Closter farmer had not warned the Americans, Fort Lee would have easily been captured by the larger British Army and the American Revolution would have ended that day.  This anonymous Closter horseman is the “Paul Revere” of New Jersey and his image is on the Closter Borough seal. The decision to retreat was also strategically decisive as it bought precious time for the American army to regroup and play cat and mouse with the British.

When they finally arrived at Fort Lee, the British were pleased to find it abandoned and fully stocked.  They captured 12 drunk American soldiers who had remained behind, 50 cannons, ammunition, and 1,000 barrels of flour. This was the darkest hour of the American Revolution, yet had the American troops not suffered and endured through it, the war would have been over.  Which ties nicely to my most inspiring cycling quote which comes from the book Romans.  “We rejoice in our SUFFERINGS, knowing that SUFFERING produces ENDURANCE, and ENDURANCE produces CHARACTER, and CHARACTER produces HOPE, and HOPE does not disappoint.

MILE 17 / Piermont:

Where Paper is Made

It’s a bridge so we must mention it. As you make the left-hand turn into Piermont, look to your left and you may get a glimpse of the red painted towers of the Sparkill Creek Drawbridge built in 1880. Chains lift the bridge when an operator turns a crank. It’s simple and functional, very much like a bicycle.

The Piermont aid station is a great place to view the new Tappan Zee Bridge off in the distance. The Tappan Zee Bridge is the second Hudson river crossing which you will cycle directly beneath during the race.  It is worth mentioning because this new bridge has dedicated pedestrian and cycling lanes which are still being constructed. Piermont and nearby 9W are popular routes for local cyclists, and soon we will be able to cross the Hudson River and explore new routes and destinations like Tarrytown and Ossining.

Older local cyclists like myself will recall the giant Piermont Paper Mill which dominated the waterfront space. Today, it is replaced by rows of condos with art galleries, restaurants, shops, and of course Piermont Bike on the ground floor. The world’s first affordable cardboard box (the kind used for cereal, then and now) was invented in that paper mill.  Locals were sad to see the mill demolished, and when demolition workers had a difficult time removing the giant flywheel, they were told to leave it. The flywheel can be seen prominently on display in the courtyard.

MILE 32 / Stony Point:

By July 16, 1779 George Washington’s Army had won few battles but managed to keep the British at a stalemate. The British has secured Stony Point with a perimeter of cannons. The approach was swampy and then escalated to steep and rocky. General Washington organized his best trained unit, the “Navy Seals” of back then, and used a midnight stealth sneak attack which was uncommon at the time. His men approached with bayonets affixed to their muskets. Their muskets were deliberately unloaded to prevent any misfires which would alert the British. Once in position, a second American unit located in the opposite direction, fired muskets and made noise as a diversionary tactic. In less than 30 minutes and with minimal loss of life and injuries, the Americans took control of Stony Point, only to abandon it within a few days. This was the first-time guerrilla warfare tactics were used by Americans and they proved to be successful.

 

Highly Recommended:  Visit Stony Point Battlefield Historic Site (between Haverstraw and Bear Mountain) and experience their living history cannon and musket firings. Reenactments and a functional replica of the camp are open to the public between April and October.

MILE 40 / Bear Mountain base:

From Prison to Park

In 1908, Bear Mountain was not a park yet, and New York State had decided to relocate Sing Sing Prison from across the Hudson in Ossining, NY to Bear

Mountain. Construction of the prison began on what is today the great field in front of where the Bear Mountain Inn stands today. Concerned about the prison and its location, the Harriman family agreed to give the state 10,000 acres of land to be used for a state park and one million dollars to administer it, as long as the prison building ceased. With this endowment, the Bear Mountain State Park was born.

MILE 41.5 Bear Mountain climb:

More Forts?  The Bridge marks the spot.

During the Revolutionary war, Fort Clinton was built at the base of Bear Mountain, and fort Montgomery was built about a 1/4 mile to the north. To block passage of the British navy up the Hudson River, the Americans stretched a 75-ton iron chain across the Hudson River. The chain was secured to floating logs with sharpened tips and the forts guarded the chain. The Bear Mountain Bridge marks the spot where the great chain once stood. The chain was effective, and more were stretched further north and fortified by West Point. Pay attention and you will see remnants of the chain preserved and displayed throughout the region.

MILE 43 Perkins Drive:

This scenic road to the summit of Bear Mountain was built almost entirely by manual labor between 1932-1934 and is named after George Perkins who served as the president of the PIPC for 20 years. This is where taking in the spectacular views can ease the pain as you climb to the top of Bear Mountain.

MILE 44 Bear Mountain Summit:

See the entire racecourse from here!

At an elevation of 1283 feet, Bear Mountain is the most well-known peak of the lower Hudson Valley, as well as the highest point of the racecourse. After filling your water bottles and grabbing some food at the aid station, it is almost mandatory to appreciate the view looking south. If you are going for the win, a top ten finish, or have been here before, you can be excused not to stop. From the top of Bear Mountain, you have a complete aerial view of the entire racecourse below, complete with visual markers.  Look directly south and you will see George Washington Bridge, the race start/finish.  Then follow the mighty Hudson River, through Piermont, Haverstraw, all the way to the base of Bear Mountain. Slowly pan your head to the right and a tall radio tower clearly marks the summit of the Cheescote climb.

History is alive on the GFNY course and in the surrounding area. There are many historic sites to see along the route and to visit while exploring the GFNY area. If you are coming from outside the NYC area for the race, do what you can to soak in the history of the region, and how a nation and its industries were born along the mighty Hudson River.

by Chris Geiser

Longitudinally, even a little further South than San Juan, Argentina, where we last raced (at GFNY Argentina), in early November, is the beautiful beach town of Punta Del Este, Uruguay. Situated on the Atlantic, about a 2 hour drive from the capital city of Montevideo, Uruguay, Punta Del Este has been the home of GFNY Uruguay since 2016. Now, with two races in Uruguay on the calendar for 2020, Punta Del Este has become a GFNY entity unto itself. With the GFNY Uruguay shifting to the beautiful vacation destination of Colonia, Uruguay, a short ferry ride from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Somehow 52 years had passed without setting foot in South America, and here we are, on our way to South America for the second time in 6 months, and probably the second of three trips within a 12 month span, all under the GFNY banner. There is a pattern here. Beyond the obvious – the constant flow of cycling stories from Colombia, the riders, the races, the pros going there for training – cycling is definitely a thing in South America. in anticipation of this next adventure, I was able to catch up with Nestor Piñon. Nestor and Andres Borras Fernandez are the organizers of GFNY Punta Del Este, and now also GFNY Uruguay in Colonia. With the Punta Del Este race on the Brazil side of Uruguay and the Colonia race on the Argentina side, Uruguay has become a GFNY destination for racers all over South America.While in San Juan, we noticed that cycling was everywhere. Casual cycling, commuting cycling, racing, and mountain biking. We had been hearing so much here in the States about Colombia, but to see it thriving in Argentina, brought home the notion that it was a cultural mainstay, and that Colombia while it may currently feel like the center – is not the limit So, I of course had to ask – what is happening with the explosion of South American cycling?

“I don’t know, I guess like we have heard cycling is ‘the new golf’. Executives tend to be younger than several decades ago, and so they like to be more fit, but still have the social networking (face to face) opportunities that they can have during golf. South America craves sporting victories, sporting heroes. Cycling gives the rider a chance to emulate, or follow in the footsteps of major winners from Colombia, and even here in Uruguay, where we had the Olympic medalist (Milton Wynants) in the points race in track cycling. This is the food for the craving of South American athletes. Cycling gives the chance for someone working alone and almost anyone can do it. It’s also no news that cycling gives a special kind of camaraderie among riders, and this is catching on. It’s like an addiction that is catching on and on and on.”

That said, bringing cyclists together in beautiful seaside locations from all over South America is a no brainer. Naturally – Mr. Curious that I am, I have to see more of this for myself. With February making us shiver, with each pedal stroke we deliver, starting March with the smell of the brine, and the sound of the waves lapping the beach in Punta Del Este seems like exactly the right way to go about it.

GFNY Uruguay – The Colonia Del Sacramento Experience

“Colonia and Punta Del Este are the main touristic points, here in Uruguay,” Nestor continued, “we thought in the beginning Punta Del Este would be mostly Argentinian riders but we were surprised to see that it was mostly Brasilian riders. So for Colonia, Argentinians come to Colonia to ride and vacation. It’s a historic town and just a few kilometers away, you are in the country. Over in Buenos Aires, they have to drive two hours to get out of the city. For Colonia, just a one hour ferry ride.” A one hour ferry ride to a place where once out of the quaint resort that sits in a small, preserved town that might look a bit like a town you would see in Europe. According to Nestor, “a paradise for a tourist getting away for the weekend – like a town from the Pinocchio story.”

With beautiful farmlands outside the town riders will be treated to empty roads, as the race will take place outside of the busy agricultural season. The course is not very demanding from a climbing perspective, but at a distance of 160km, and mostly flat, you can bet that it will be a fast race from the start. On the 11th of October the race will be on, and the town of Colonia Del Sacramento will be alive with the GFNY Guppo going all out!

GFNY Punta Del Este Awaits — Just Around the Corner

But now it’s back to the mental and physical preparation that goes into the next race. The first on my GFNY 2020 calendar. Plans for this GFNY calendar year are “A tutta” to say the least. WIth new races being added to the calendar, and old grudges (mostly with climbs) to be settled, it will be a busy year, starting on March 15, in Punta Del Este. The course in Punta Del Este is not all sea and sand. Rolling out to the West from the beach start area, the 170km course is one of the longer GFNY courses in the Global Cycling Marathon Series. With 2000 meters of climbing, it’s not necessarily the toughest in terms of climbs, but Nestor assures me that it is challenging. “We are starting on the main street on the causeway. So it will be 171 kilometers, with all together almost 2000 meters of climbing, it’s not steep but there is 70km of constantly going up and down. There is one climb that is steep.”

As this is the kickoff to my GFNY 2020 season, the length may present a challenge. Having gone that distance last at GFNY Argentina (and even then not that far), the training plan has mostly been stretching to the 100km mark. While the climbing isn’t steep – there is a concentrated amount of it for that 70 kilometer stretch as Nestor indicated, very similar to the stretch from Bear Mountain to the bottom of Cheesecote on the GFNY World Championship NYC course on the #thirdSundayinMay.

I asked Nestor for some advice: “Pace yourself, and study the course. Check out the tips that we have been giving on the news letters. We are about to send crucial information, little pointers about the climbs. If you don’t know this about the climbs, you may miss how deceptive that they are. Around the curves, you may think the climb is over, but you may pay for that later.” Sage advice.

But as the climbs turn into the descending route back to the beach, what awaits at the finish. Sun, sand, sea, as the finish line right on the beach makes a complete #SurfGFNY experience on the Punta Del Este beach. “We are having the finish line by the ocean. The award ceremony will be on the sand and we will try to take over the beach, and hope that people will dive into the ocean. (Bringing back memories of plunging into the bay in Cascais, Portugal after the inaugural GFNY Portugal in 2018). If you take dry clothes to check, and dive into the ocean, take some sun, and wait for the pasta party. And enjoy the true spirit of Punta Del Este. Everything is about the beach.”

I cannot wait to see Uruguay. #GFNY2020 #theLuckySeven awaits to follow the #GFNYHighFive. We might need two more fingers on that hand.Tal

In today’s Show:

• The 2020 season begins at GFNY Bali.
• What to expect in GFNY PUNTA CANA (Dominican Republic).
• Courtesy winner of GFNY Italia.
• To win a courtesy to GFNY Dominican Republic, answer: What was the time of the winner of Punta Cana 2019?

• Ya comienza la temporada en GFNY Bali.
• Qué esperar en GFNY PUNTA CANA (República Dominicana)
• Ganador de la cortesía a GFNY Italia
• Para gana una cortesía a GFNY República Dominicana, respondenos: ¿Cuál fue el tiempo del ganador de Punta Cana 2019?