A guide to racing the GFNY Championship NYC course, by the ride leaders and ambassadors that know it best.

By Chris Geiser

Breaking Down the Race

After we talked through training, we broke down the course. There are dozens of GFNY races between the team members, everywhere from Italy, Colombia, Deutschland, Portugal, and Cozumel. For all the challenges faced by the members of the team, they hold a special place for their home course, and their personal approaches to each part of the race. They all agree that every race day brings with it different circumstances. Wind, rain, heat, cold, and of course training. There is also a palpable vibe on the course. How you handle yourself and your bike among the other riders, catching on and working within a group, and where you choose to burn your matches, are all critical to having a great race day. There is no “right way” to ride the GFNY – there is only your way to ride the course and accomplish your goals. Gruppo Sportivo’s individual approaches to the course, are as diverse as they are as riders. Perhaps you will see yourself in their stories, and their take on the course will help you to guide your own.

George Washington Bridge to the top of Alpine

The music, the atmosphere, the festival feeling on the George Washington Bridge is tough to beat. While it can be chilly leading up to the start, there is music, and announcements of celebrity riders, and a feeling that something special is about to happen. Once the National Anthem is over, and you hear the deafening sound of everyone clipping in, you know it’s on. There is a mix of activity as you roll to the matt, and over the timer. Many will go “a tutta” – all out – from the start. Some will hold back. There are number of technical turns to navigate, and riders may bunch up. This is a time for attention to detail as you work your way into the park, and down the hill under the iconic bridge that you just rode over. The sun rise will still be new, and fresh, and you will hear all manner of “on your left” as faster riders try to find the front and see if they can catch the front groups. Some will go hard and blow up, some will have the discipline to know that the first ten miles have a not insignificant climb, and a series of rollers to get through before making it up to 9W.

Hector Vinasco

Hector Vinasco

I think it’s important when you take off with adrenaline kicking in. You see the other riders, you see the people on the side yelling your name, and you have the tendency to put some extra work and go all out – that’s mistake number one! From the bridge to the entrance of the park, I am going to focus on getting my rhythm. After that first three or four k – having the rhythm is important. We all know that the park rolls and has a couple of up and down punches, so I want to keep consistent so that I can get up Alpine without spending so much energy.

Jared Skolnick

It’s very easy to get into the red early when you have 5000 other riders pushing you. I want to get to Alpine without feeling like I wasted anything along the way. Alpine’s not terrible and not that long, and if I take it relatively easily (I am not a climber), 5 or 6 minutes, and then I know I have a stretch ahead of me where I can gain some advantage. Going to the red here is something you will feel a lot later. Get to the top of alpine at a good pace but not having spent a lot of exertion and knowing you can now push and make up time.

Adrienne Carey

I like to enjoy and temper the excitement of the ride. I try to focus on reducing tension and anxiety and navigate clearly of other riders that are super-charged up, and not getting caught up with some of those that are going all out from the gun. Being a marathoner, I know how to measure it out, because it’s a long day, so I make sure to breath and take it easy.

Vito Valentini

Vito Valentini

This is always the place to be safe in terms of real safety. There are a couple of turns to make. We start at the front, but the quality of racers in the front mean a lot of people passing me. Safety first and stay steady. Alpine itself should be a steady ride, without burning yourself out to get to the top. When you hear the waterfall in your left ear, you know you are in the second half, and you know you are getting closer to 9W. The whole park itself is not the place to make up time.

Frank Lee

For the first 6km I’m at full throttle trying to film the leaders at the front of race. By the time I hit China Wall I’ve used up 2 matches and for next 10km it’s all about active recovery. I need to regain composure, so I can jump onto a strong pack once we get onto 9W.

Thomas Han

On the bridge, I am trying to preserve body heat as much as possible and praying for a safe start to the race, and thinking about seeing my family at the finish line. In Alpine, normally trying my best not to over pace but last year, it was total chaos to follow the front group. I ended up with many PRs and then bonked.

Michael Benowitz

The urge at the start of the race is to go hard. Us mere mortals can’t race a full 100 miles going all out, so I treat the bridge to alpine as a warm-up. I fight the adrenaline rush telling me to go fast and keep a moderate pace until I hit 9W. Risks you have to take at the beginning of the race are not going to gain you enough to be worth it. You have to stay under control. Once I hit 9W I pick up the pace and try to find a group to latch onto. It’s a 100-mile race why shouldn’t I conserve energy by drafting. I usually skip the Piermont Nutrition stop to save some time and get ahead of the other racers.

The predominant take-away from the group about this very critical section of the course is to embrace the chaos, but to maintain your composure, and regulate your energy. Depending on where you start in the field, there will be racers and elites that are away, and off the front of the pack from the very beginning. If you start relatively close to the front, you will have a feel for those that started further back from the racers corral trying to catch on, form a group, and see if they can catch the wheels of the elite racers that have come from all over the globe to compete. And they will work like a pack of wild dogs to catch on. For most of the GS-GFNY, this section will be about controlling your energy, and finding your rhythm. While the road tilts down at first, and there are few technical turns to handle, the terrain will roll through the climb to the Alpine Ranger station. Six out of seven agree – this is not the place to burn a match. Stay steady, stay safe – plenty of racing ahead.

Editor’s take – Experience has taught me that going too hard, too early, is a sure-fire way to end up meeting the bonk in Clarkstown, or West Nyack, and surviving to the finish line. If you are a negative splitter, this will be a place for negative split discipline. Know before you go, what you would like your time to be like through here and stick to the plan. You will thank yourself later in the day.

A guide to racing the GFNY Championship NYC course, by the ride leaders and ambassadors that know it best.

by Chris Geiser

Let’s start here. This is a challenging day on the bike. If it was easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing. It would be another Sunday ride. It wouldn’t be “the third Sunday in May!” It wouldn’t be the GFNY World Championship NYC! Starting on the iconic George Washington Bridge, the course immediately climbs out of the Palisades and follows the Hudson River to where the roads kick up, along with the effort and focus required to match the challenge. The course itself has been called everything from challenging, to brilliant, to cruel, to cruelly genius. But, to know it, is to love it. For all the trepidation that you may have about the climbs, or Bear Mountain, or the wind in Haverstraw, there is no one part of it that represents the challenge. The challenge lies in the totality of the course itself.

So – how?

The good news is, there is precedent. There are thousands that have experienced the agony and the ecstasy of competing on this course. Some pro, some elite, some, just like you and me. All of us different but united in a push to leave everything they have on the course that third Sunday in May and be a part of something bigger than themselves. Some will ride in teams, some on their own. Some for the podium, some to qualify for next year, some to set a personal best, and some just to enjoy accomplishment of finishing the most cruelly brilliant granfondo course ever designed.

Then there is Gruppo Sportivo – GFNY (GS-GFNY). The Gruppo Sportivo are the ambassadors and ride leaders of GFNY. Every Sunday from December to race day, they lead the group rides that show new and experienced GFNY riders the course, while building base miles, creating a safe atmosphere and sharing some inside scoops, tips, and tricks for how to tackle GFNY on race day. We caught up with GS-GFNY and asked for some of those tips and tricks. After all, who would know the course better.

They first key is preparation.

How Does the GS-GFNY Prepare for Race Day?

It’s no secret that training is the key to racing, the process is key to the outcome, and your identity as a GFNY racer is the key to embracing the process. GS-GFNY member Vito Valentini has generously provided us with two training plans that appear at the end of this article. The pattern you will see is consistency and purpose. Rather than creating an unsustainable push to race day, taking the smart training approach in the final twelve weeks will pay dividends on the third Sunday in May. Your consistency will provide your identity as a GFNY racer, the process will build the outcome, and you will own the outcome, by leaving it all out there on race day. As Vito often says, “believe in yourself, believe in your training.” Owning this concept is never more important than it is on race day. Vito adds, that he gets outside as often as possible, “but I will wait until the weather is helpful. Safety and effectiveness is better than performance. I would rather be safe and do a 50-minute ride indoors, than go out in the dark and hit an ice spot I can’t see.”

The clear balance between staying safe during the cold and potentially icy weeks remaining in most of the Northern Hemisphere, and maintaining your preparedness is a critical factor in your success. Bottom line, be safe, have fun, and train with a purpose. (Training plans from Vito Valentini are included as part of this article, and will help you get from “couch to the Bear 50, or from the Bear 50 to the full Gran Fondo”.

Adrienne Carey

No gaps in overall training throughout the year helps. Never going more than a week without riding three to four times a week. And during peak training four times a week. The peak training times are more focused leading up to GFNY. I use a smart trainer indoors, and then do the long rides on Sunday. Then there is cross training in between with running and weights. The weights I do at least twice a week but should be doing 3x a week. The running helps with my endurance and my overall fitness. I used to be a runner, but that helped me to transition to cycling. Trust your training, what you put in is what you get out.

Frank Lee

It doesn’t matter if you have been a competitive athlete in the past. What matters today is making it work for you, now. I’m like many of you trying to find consistent saddle time and so it comes down to a few tactics: ride at least 200km a week, drop a few pounds and build muscular strength through the winter. For those of you riding with us during the Sunday training rides you’ll see me grinding away in my 53, and during the climbs my rpms hover between 60 to 65. I’m old school and it suits my riding style; remnants from childhood riding with my Italian brothers in Toronto.

Hector Vinasco

Basically, I try to do a 40 minute, quality ride on Monday morning. I also try to get some intervals in on Tuesday and Wednesday. Getting 30-40 miles on Thursday morning, and 50-70 miles on a Friday. I try to go all out on the Thursday ride. Do the 40 miles, with good speed and good cadence, and focus on keeping those rides short and quick, but giving 110% so that I can develop the stamina for the longer rides. So on the Friday ride, it gives me the opportunity to see how I feel with 24 hours recovery, and see how I can replicate what I did in those 30-40 miles. If I think “today I feel as good as yesterday, let me push a little more”, if I can do that without bonking out, I am doing well.

Jared Skolnick

This year, to lead the group riders, I have got to be a consistent B rider – where in the past I have had to be a B- or a C-rider. That has been some of my winter motivation for getting up early and getting on the trainer. I don’t like the cold, and if you think of the trainer as a positive thing, it starts to become something I look forward to. I know that if I am training in a structured way, and I have electronic music that gets me moving, and motivates me. I am not as focused on training as I am on riding. Then on the group rides, I can go out and ride and enjoy it and be more social with it.

Vito Valentini

Starting in 2016, because of our studio, I had a lot more consistency in training. That took me from being a 9.5-hour finisher to being a 7 hour finisher. And it felt like an easy 7 hours. My plan for the next 13 weeks, will be 3 on take a day off, ride 2 and take a day off. The Sunday rides, I am not focused on my own training, so more focused on the group, but the kilometers ridden definitely factor into the training. The other four days will be focused on building strength, with some interval training/indoor work. That’s been helpful. As the weather breaks, naturally, Saturday will become a long ride day, or if I have an opportunity to get out in the morning I will.

Thomas Han

I am always looking for chances to ride with faster riders to keep my preparation going. In addition to leading the A Group on the Sunday group rides, I look to find races on other days that keep me riding with others that push me to ride faster. GFNY Training is hard and telling me, right now, I’m not ready for long distance races. It is always a big inspiration and the training can be suffering. Training gives me opportunities to think of how to eat properly. First and foremost, GFNY was the inspiration for me to resume cycling again seriously.

Michael Benowitz

My training plan starts with the GFNY group rides. Though riding 1 day a week may be enough to finish GFNY ahead of the End of Racecar. It’s not enough to finish strong and beat last years’ time. My plan is 3 days a week on the trainer for about an hour. I plan 3 so If something comes up and I must skip a day I still get in enough work for the week. Saturdays I’m outside weather permitting otherwise I’ll be simulating part of the course on the trainer. When March rolls around I try to cut the upper section of the course into 40-mile blocks and ride each block at least twice before GFNY. This gives me a chance to focus on each climb and develop a plan.

The GS-GFNY all ride at varying levels, have various levels of experience that range from former professional, elite amateur, licensed coaches, all-around competitors, and those that are just plain passionate about cycling. The common thread in their preparation is consistency. Find that thing that motivates you to train and do it! Whether using a trainer, getting outside when you can, and especially joining the GFNY Group Rides (or group/club rides if you are outside of New York), will help you build the fitness and the mental endurance that you will need on race day. As the weather gets warmer, the length of your rides should increase, so that you are beginning to get used to the time required in the saddle. If you don’t have climbs where you are, find the winds to challenge yourself, but no matter how you train, do it consistently, and with a purpose – and do it because you love cycling.

Editor’s Take: My own training includes 4-5 days of intervals per week and two longer rides on the weekend, being sure to work in a good amount of climbing. Finding local climbs, and alternating time in and out of the saddle. There are three days of strength training each week to ensure that I am keeping my core strong, and as others in the GS-GFNY have noted, that strength will pay you back on race day as you vary your position on the bike and require good mobility.

COVERING THE MIDDLE EAST, THE AMERICAS, Asia, and Europe, across all seasons and most time zones, it has been said that the sun never sets on GFNY. With the race calendar constantly evolving, there are always new opportunities to challenge your cycling self, as well as delighting your travel self. The GFNY race calendar started to expand not long after the first GFNY was raced from the George Washington Bridge in New York City, in 2011. Adding locations in Italy and Cozumel started to provide a movable cycling festival that would provide a familiar and consistent race environment, along with authentic travel experiences, in some of the most exciting places around the globe.
When GFNY Jerusalem was added in 2017, GFNY was on every continent except Australia and Antarctica (don’t count either of those out yet). During this exciting time of expansion, GFNY began to formally recognize the accomplishments of the riders who continued to travel to exciting GFNY locations and finishing multiple GFNY races in one year. In the fall of 2017, the three-timer medal was born: 3×2018. A legitimate accomplishment that celebrated not only the rider’s capability in completing three challenging races, but also their sense of adventure, and ability to
reach outside their comfort zone to travel to new places, race, make new friends and have new experiences that they may not have considered.
The three-timer medal became a coveted prize almost immediately, with riders rushing to finish their newly expanded racing seasons in new places. The paradigm of “the racing season” had been blown-up by the three-timer medal, and the ever-expanding GFNY race calendar. For those of us in the Northern and Western Hemisphere, it meant that October and November were no longer those quick Saturday rides with a coffee stop as we wound it down for the winter. It was now a question of “where are you next?”, as the last quarter of the year offered Panama,
Cozumel, and Chile. If you had done two GFNYs heading into the Summer, the three-timer medal became a very achievable feat, as well as a reason to keep training, and keep riding. Here in New York, a group of us adapted the mantra of “to heck with base miles – let’s keep racing!”

LOGISTICS: Making it work – the when and how of getting to the destinations and balancing it with your personal scheduling requirements. Maybe stacking 2 GFNYs into
a single trip (Double-Double anyone?)
SEASONALITY: It just makes good sense to follow the good weather and race there, to enjoy perfect late-summer conditions in Portugal, or a #PoolGFNY experience in the Philippines.
DESTINATION: Think about those places that you have always wanted to see, and those authentic experiences that you have always dreamed about.
PERSONAL CHALLENGE: Motivation based on something like qualifying for the front corral at GFNY World Championship NYC, or the challenge of the strade bianche (white roads) of Tuscany, or the fabled climbs of Colombia, Monterrey, and Santa Fe.
CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN, OR NOT: Perhaps you are a climber, or want to be. Well, as Eddy once said – “Don’tbuy upgrades, ride up grades!” But for riders seeking speed, GFNY offers plenty of flat(-ish) and fast options as well.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Create a back-to-back pairing ofGFNY races, and then add one more to make your threetimer status.

Your GFNY 3-Timer plan should be as unique as you are. You can start your plan by thinking about what motivates you. Your motivation and plan are as unique and personal as you are. But, just for kicks, let’s explore some ideas that might get you thinking. Imagine that these are the ideas presented to you by your travel agent. They will have great appeal, and may be based on some basic logic like you see in the table above, but in evaluating all of it, you want it to be personal. But at least you’ve got some ideas to start with.

LOGISTICS

OPTION 1 – LOGICAL

• GFNY Championship NYC

• GFNY Santa Fe

• GFNY Cozumel

OPTION 2 – EXOTIC

• GFNY Bali

• GFNY Championship NYC

• GFNY Brasil or GFNY Portugal

OPTION 3 – FULL SEASON

• GFNY Republica Dominicana

• GFNY Championship NYC

• GFNY Panama, Argentina, Ecuador, Cozumel, or Chile

Let’s be honest. It will take some doing to get the time off work, make the arrangements and make sure that you have someone to feed the cat each time you take off on a GFNY adventure. A logistics approach is a good way to solve for where you can be and when you can be there: How long/short are the flights? Can I make the trip fit into my work and life schedule? Will I want to make GFNY part of a multi-stop sightseeing trip around the region, or a short weekend trip just for the race, or a long, relaxing, sporty stay at the GFNY venue? Should I do many GFNYs close to each other, or spread them out over the course of the whole year?
Let’s just assume for a minute, that you are a North American. Some logistics options would include centering around the GFNY Championship NYC, that iconic third Sunday in May. But you may want to ride into form prior to that, so let’s explore what it would be like to use the big race as your pivot. WOW – that’s a lot of choices. In Option 1, we are working very logically and practically. If you are a North American, you are starting your quest in NYC, using your GFNY Championship NYC fitness to dive into Santa Fe a month later, then taking a much-needed break from the November chill in Cozumel. In Option 2, you are seeing the world. Starting at GFNY Bali or GFNY Colombia, you are taking the curse out of the North American winter, while having an amazing experience in another corner of the world. You are ready and motivated for the third Sunday in May, and after an early summer of training, it’s either Costa Rica, Brasil or Portugal – could be a three continent season. For Option 3, start off with a #poolGFNY at GFNY Republica Dominicana, then onto the GWB for the big one, and finish your very well thought out season by escaping the cold once again in Latin America with Panama, Argentina, Ecuador, Cozumel, or Chile.

SEASONALITY

OPTION 1 – LOGICAL

• GFNY Dominican Republic

• GFNY Costa Rica

• GFNY Cozaumel

OPTION 2 – EXOTIC

• GFNY Bali

• GFNY Portugal

• GFNY Panama or Cozumel

OPTION 3 – FULL SEASON

• GFNY Uruguay

• GFNY Costa Rica

• GFNY Philippines

While you are taking on the challenge of chasing that elusive front group, why not also chase the sun? With many #poolGFNY options available to you, create a racing itinerary that is a crowd pleaser with your sun worshiping family and friends, combining your love of cycling, with destinations that will ensure you won’t be traveling alone. (Editor’s note – some of these may not include GFNY Championship NYC – but if you are in North America, it’s kind of an assumed must-do.)
Check it, sun worshipers! Option 1 – start strong in the Dominican Republic, and start to build your fitness for the season. Continue your pool motif in Costa Rica in July, and round it out in Cozumel – a perfect three-timer itinerary for those who love the heat and love to go full-gas on the flats. Option 2 – start out in the hot climate of Bali, with your longest flight first up. Race in NYC if you can, then use your summer fitness to see the beautiful beaches of Cascais, while ratcheting up your climbing skills in Portugal in September. Finish close to home with an escape to Panama. Option 3 – experience Punta del Este, one of Latin America’s top destinations, then as the summer officially ends, take the long trip to the Philippines for a tranquil cycling vacation and round out your season in early South American summer at GFNY Chile.

DESTINATION

THE AMERICAS

• GFNY Colombia

• GFNY Monterrey

• GFNY Argentina

• GFNY Chile

• GFNY Brasil

• GFNY Santa Fe

• GFNY Ecuador

EUROPE & MIDDLE EAST

• GFNY Italia

• GFNY Portugal

• GFNY Jerusalem

ASIA

• GFNY Bali

• GFNY Indonesia

•  GFNY Philippines

Places to go, things to see, people to meet. Putting the “why” in why we travel, the destination is often as important and as fulfilling as the journey. Because of the experiences you will have, the cultures you will encounter and the people you will meet, racing your bike will take on so much more meaning. There is no shortage of destinations on the calendar. Let’s change up the themes a little bit. Pair any of these with GNFY Championship NYC and you have a winning combination. With so many interesting things to see and do, these destination options have dates that are close together, or seasonal, and allow you to mix and match for true adventure travel that would take you to all corners of the Earth. History, philosophy, culture, cuisine; escape and try something new. (Editor’s note: Don’t miss out on racing and seeing Colombia. Colombia is well on its way to becoming one of the major epicenters of cycling, and thus at the top of the destinations list for every GFNY rider).

DOUBLE-DOUBLES

DOUBLE-DOUBLES                                                   PAIR WITH
GFNY Ecuador + GFNY Panama – GFNY World Championship NYC, GFNY Italia, GFNY Costa Rica
GFNY Argentina + GFNY Cozumel – GFNY World Championship NYC, GFNY Uruguay, GFNY Chile
GFNY Monterrey + GFNY Uruguay – GFNY World Championship NYC, GFNY Ecuador, GFNY Argentina
GFNY Uruguay + GFNY Colombia – GFNY World Championship NYC, GFNY Brasil, GFNY Santa Fe
GFNY Colombia + GFNY Republica Dominicana – GFNY World Championship NYC, GFNY Panama, GFNY Santa Fe
GFNY Colombia + GFNY Italia – GFNY World Championship NYC, GFNY Jerusalem, GFNY Brasil

We are not sure how this name came about or if it is even mathematically correct, but the concept of the Double-Double is to hit back-to-back GFNY Sundays in a single-hop sort of way. Think of it, in as little as nine days, you can complete 66% of your three-timer requirements. There are several Double-Double options on the calendar, all in amazing destinations in Latin America.
These Double-Double options keep it pretty tight. Balance that out with another part of your season, and you can achieve three-timer status without breaking too much of a sweat. We also know where you can find a few great Double-Double stories online from 2018, along with tips and tricks for bike travel and packing.

PERSONAL CHALLENGE AND CLIMBING

FLAT(-ISH) OUT

• GFNY Republica Dominicana

• GFNY Cozumel

• GFNY Philippines

• GFNY Panama

QUALIFYING + CLIMBING

• GFNY Bali

• GFNY Uruguay

• GFNY Jerusalem

• GFNY Ecuador

• GFNY Argentina

• GFNY Monterrey

• GFNY Portugal

• GFNY Costa Rica

YOU’RE KILLING ME, MAN!

• GFNY Brasil

• GFNY Colombia

• GFNY Santa Fe

• GFNY Chile

• GFNY Bali

• GFNY Indonesia

• GFNY Italia

• GFNY NYC

Endurance athletes are insufferable in their quests to constantly top themselves and their peers. (Editor’s note: Takes one to know one). With that in mind, there are no shortage of opportunities to use the wide variety of race types and terrain to qualify for the front corral at GFNY World Championship NYC, or to find that mountain and climb it. Try these ideas on for size to see how they might fit with your fitness and cycling goals. Work this grid both horizontally, and vertically (no pun intended).
Working this side-to-side and up and down, all of the races are qualifiers for the front corral of GFNY World Championship NYC and have a variety of terrain. If you are best suited to doing a flat course to qualify, the #poolGFNYs in the Flat(-ish) Out group might be a great option, and give you a few tries to get it right. Throw in some climbing in the Qualifying + Climbing group – if you are not quite a mountain goat, but don’t mind hitting the hills to reach for your personal goals. Finally, if you’re the kind of rider that can climb all day and won’t back away from long and steady
or many short but steep climbs, the You’re Killing Me, Man! column is all about you. Wrap all of these around the sheer evil genius that is the GFNY World Championship NYC course, and you should be able to lift a bus with your legs by the end of the year!

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

From my own experience, I can tell you that there isn’t a more rewarding feeling than crossing the finish line that third time and knowing that you did it! When that medal is hung about your neck, you will feel a pride that comes with not only the physical challenges of the race, but the amazing adventures that you had in the process. I was thrilled to pull off a Double-Double in 2018. And with the knowledge that Cozumel was around the corner, I had the 3×2018 medal in my sights. Finishing my tenth GFNY in Italy this year, I already have my three-timer (hopefully four-timer) plan worked out for this year. Here is mine.
So, where are YOU next?

3x 2018

• GFNY Deutschland
• GFNY Portugal
• GFNY Cozumel

3x 2019

• GFNY Italia (earned my 10x medal!)
• GFNY World Championship NYC
• GFNY Santa Fe
• GFNY Argentina

GFNY Italia Race Day is Upon Us!

by Chris Geiser

Let’s just say that we will fill in the details later. There is no shortage of stories to tell, challenges to describe, and photos to show. We will tell them alll in the coming days. and weeks.
With spotty internet here at Podere Monti, the writing has not been coming fast and furious — but the riding has! With 10AM starts each day, the GFNY Italia camp has taken us out on to every part of the course. Showing us the biggest challenges, providing a clinic on the art of riding and racing the strade bianche, and taking us up the steep ascents to the beautiful ancient cities of Torrita di Siena, and Montepulciano that will play host to the partenza (departure), and arrivo (arrival) during the race tomorrow.

The top of one of the toughest climbs on the course. Riders will need to save something to get up this climb, and then be ready to face the steep ascent into Montepulciano and the finish line.

Partenza (Departure)

While the riders tomorrow morning will roll out of the city of Montepulciano, the official start of the race will be in the co-host city of Torrita di Siena, just a few kilometers away. Riders will be marshalled down a steep descent (that we will climb at the end of the race, over a few rollers, and then up into the pallazzo area of Torrita di Siena where flag waivers and race fans will cheer 1,200 riders onto the official start of the course.

Il Corso

Venturing out from Torrita di Siena, there is some gradual climbing, and a short descent before facing the first sector of strade bianche, or white roads. These packed gravel roads will reward riders that understand how to stay loose, maintain a proper grip over the tops or the drops, keep their legs spinning, and choose the best lines. The benefit of those who attended the camp, will come in the form of having seen this up close prior to race day, and having gone through a 2-hour practice clinic on how to ride this terrain. With three sectors and a variety of climbing and descending on the strade bianche, those who master the basics and ride within their capability will have a chance to make up time. But let the impatinent beware go too hard too soon anywhere on this course, and you will pay for it (literally) down the road a spell.

Once through the first sector of strade bianche, the course will wind through several towns, and up and down several climbs and fast but technical descents. While the descents allow the riders some recovery, the climbs are challenging and if you attack anyone of them too hard, those burnt matches could come back to haunt you.

Toward the end of one of the long descents, riders will make their way on to the second sector of strade bianche. This sector tilts up in a number of places, but most notably early on. Climbing up to a beautiful ridge, riders will feel as though they can see all of Tuscany from there. The deep blue Italian skys, the mountains, the rolling green terrain of the vineyards and olive trees will be a tempting view. But there is still a lot of work to do. This sector is long, rolling, steep in places, but generally well packed and with good lines.

While the best practice is to maintain a high cadence in the biggest gear you can, some riders may need the spin from a smaller gear choice on this sector. Toward the end, it will start to tilt down some offering a slightly technical descent before rsing to the pavment. Once back on the pavement — riders mustn’t let their guard down, as the third sector will beckon quickly.

Running the reverse direction of the first sector, the third sector will climb through vineyards and (I think) a horse farm. (Hey — We saw horses, and they were spettacolo — so get off us). Climbing back up and then flattening out some, time can potentially be made here, as it’s not very steep, and offers riders a chance to spin well, while generating speed even though they are heading up hill.
Riders exiting this sector with some releif about having completed the strade bianche based challenges of the day, will now have a short climb to a long descent ahead of them. But then the work will begin again soon, and in earnest. This will be a place where it will be tempting to make up some time, and start to hammer a little to get back to Montepulciano. With roughly 2/3 of the climbing complete now, the most difficult of the climbs awaits. Passing back out of the limits of Torrita di Siena, heading to Montepulciano, riders will have a short but not insignificant climb (nicknamed at our house as “the climb before the climb, before the city). Once over, a short and fast descent, where riders will see the “big climb” ahead. Kicking up to 17% in a couple of places it covers about 2KM and “levels off” to 8% in some areas where a rider can revover, breathe, and brace for the next section. If you haven’t saved anything for this, trying to burn a match here will be difficult, and you will need to take it one turn of the cranks at a time.

When you finally reach the top — the climb into the city will begin. Riders will be at the 105KM mark, and will almost be able to smell the pasta and Vino Nobile that awaits them at hte pallazzo at the top of the climb. Rolling up a medium-short drag, and turning left, along a breath taking view, with 500 meters to go, the cheering will become audible, the supporters visible, and the riders going on that last bit of adrenaline will climb through the city and into the town square to the glory of having tackled one of the toughest courses in the GFNY porftolio.

It’s time.

Rispettare il Corso

Our biggest learning, from the camp, from seeing the course, from a glorious week in Toscana — RESPECT THE COURSE. This is not a course to be “beaten”. This is a course, terrain, and a challenge to be taken seriously. Dig deep, but ride within yourself. Be patient with your energy, and know that each challenge on the course is prologue to the next, until you have scaled the city walls!

More from, and about GFNY Italia 2019 coming up in the next few weeks! Look for the Il Secondo title.

Ciao!

by Chris Geiser

…and so the glove was dropped on the George Washington Bridge. Not a cycling glove mind you. A gauntlet. As in the “gauntlet has been dropped”, old school. The challenge has been issued, and both the chase, and the speculation, are already on. Now in it’s ninth year, there has never been a sub-four-hour finish (gun time), in a GFNY Championship NYC race. With elite racers coming from all over the world to try their hand at one of the world’s most brilliantly cruel courses, the phrase “four and change” has become de rigueur on the GFNY podium in Fort Lee. And so now it is officially on.

Reference table of the past winners of GFNY Championship NYC and the winning times. While these racers have gotten close, there is yet to be a racer who has broken the four hour mark.

On April 16, 2019 at 3:57 AM — a poll was published on social media:

The challenge laid out on Facebook — an overwhelming “NO” vote as of April 24. Your humble servant here was among the “NO” votes.

The early days of the poll revealed an overwhelming “No” response to the question posed. But what of the reason for the question. Clicking through, a video revealed that GFNY is offering a $10,000 prize for anyone that can finish the race in under 4:00:00 (meaning 3:59:59 is the first qualifying time), and that this rider must be the overall winner of the race. With the four hour mark within 15 minutes in 2015, and an average time of 4:24:16 over the past four races, why the overwhelming no? Is it because twenty-four minutes is an absolute eternity in cycling? Is it the course? The time of year? Why would the four-hour mark elude us for so long?

Where were the experts in all of this? 62 comments revealed a combination of racing gallows humor, and some pretty strong opinions from race handicappers all over the globe, but with only a few opinions from racers that thought that they could top the mark. With my sense of Gonzo journalism absolutely piqued, I just had to know more about what would go into making this work. But where to start?

Starting at the Source

Understanding the challenge was as easy as asking the team that put the challenge forth. So I went to Uli Fluhme, CEO of GFNY and laid it on the line — what’s the inspiration? And why now, I asked. “I think it’s pretty straight forward if you have the talent at the start” he said, “if you have a few guys not playing tactics too early.” Hmm, elusive, he tests me with his riddles and cryptic advice. I started to translate this into something that would help my bookie’s brain parse it into a prediction. So, the right racer, not taking the course for granted, and not playing games with each other, may have a chance of staying away and doing something very special. If you have ridden the GFNY course, you know, go too hard, too early, and you will ruin your chances when the hard work begins. Playing cat and mouse on the way to Bear, will force you to burn matches that may cost you. But hey — like I said, I am speculating here, and I am doing it as a 52-year-old amateur with aspirations for a finishing time that the winners of this race generally associate with their third plate of post-massage pasta.

Meet the Experts

Really unpacking what this would take would mean talking to people that have the best shot at making it a reality. I was lucky enough to be able to get in touch with a who’s who of GFNY accomplishments in the realm of finishing fast, to see what it would look like to make it all work. Let’s meet the experts:

The riders interviewed for this article and their accomplishments.

I would say that this group is pretty well qualified to talk about the time range. Wouldn’t you?

Let’s Unpack

To be an elite bike racer you must be something of an optimist. You must know what it takes to dig deep and turn yourself inside out to achieve a result. When I had first heard that this challenge was happening, all I could think of was watching one of the pro teams leaving the gate on a team time trial, nine riders pedaling as if they were one, establishing a pace, rotating with discipline, and crossing the line (those who didn’t crack under the pressure of the strongest rider), as a group achieving a time that no one of them could achieve on their own. Racing against the clock — the motivation of it. Racing as a team — the tactic. But what of the others on the course? Simple. There is absolutely nothing to be done about the performance of another team in a team time trial. It’s out of your control. But on the GFNY course — the other racers are there. Testing you. Prodding you. Working with and against you at the same time. Battling the climbs and the elements at pretty much the same time as you. So many things play a role, and there is no silver bullet to solving the problem.

For those very same optimists, I asked, what made them think that it could be done. For each rider, the response seemed to be yes, except for one outright no. (that rider talked himself into it later). One response was that “anything was possible” — IF — you had all the right conditions. “With the right combination of riders weather conditions” I was told by Bill Ash “I don’t even think it would be that big a feat”. But how hard is it to get that right combination.

Ricardo Pichetta was less optimistic about that combination. “I think it is not possible, at least in our amateur category, where there are no real teams able to manage the race for at least 70% of the duration.” This was an interesting thought — 70% of the duration (70 miles, and most of the tough climbs), to Pichetta, means a group that is organized and making the same hard effort. He continued “…with mates completely at the service of your captain, they can keep a higher pace, a constant pace, for a longer time, and then try to get to the goal, but, without a team, organized that way, I see it as very difficult.” Picking at the scabs of Pichetta’s doubts, he was clear that this race doesn’t unfold as he described. “In the year in which I raced (GFNY in NYC — 2017), in the last 50 km there are about 20 athletes, most of them singles, and everyone tries to save as much as possible for the final kilometers. The race is slowed down due to fatigue, to the difficulty of the final part of the course, to individual tactics, and the desire to win.” Puts a little bit of a damper on the optimism. But it qualifies Gabriel Corredor’s opinions about the individuality of the efforts along the way. According to Corredor “OK the biggest obstacles are the rivals! You can try to work together, four guys, or something similar, but someone will always catch the wheel, some work, some don’t and not everyone burns the same gas, and that can hurt your chances to complete the course in the necessary time.”

Providing an outsider view, someone who hasn’t yet raced the GFNY NYC Championship course, Matthias Van Aken compared the effort required to similar race course profiles he has done in Europe, where he has had the success of breaking four hours. “it will be my first time in GFNY New York, so I don’t know the course that well. I never rode on the roads before. I can tell you that I always ride by feeling, I never make a plan. If someone attacks early, I will need to follow or it can be over. So waiting till a certain point will not be a good idea. If I at least have a good sprint and attack on one of the last climbs — it is possible.”

Getting the Combination

Having an organized team was developing into a theme. To break four the approach would have to be thought out and everyone would have to know their role. According to Pichetta “If I had a team at my side of at least five or six athletes, I would try to involve them in some of the important stages of the race. Having them there in the initial part, so that I could stay calm and save energy, and then, in the final kilometers of the race, increase the pace to make as many selections as possible, and try to attack, obviously uphill where I have more chances.” So attacking the climbs. Working to your strengths. Letting the team get you there so that your energy is focused to exactly the portions of the course where you can create an advantage. But the climbs are the climbs are the climbs, and you are either a climber, or you are not.

Bill Ash, was conflicted about burning matches on the climbs to gain the advantage. “It’s a long race with a lot of climbing that doesn’t lend well to recovery. The climbs that come after Bear don’t have long high-speed descents. They’re short. Meaning, how fast you go up and over the top is more important than the speed you carry going down the other side. The back side of the route really requires a hard even steady effort. Torch yourself on anyone of those steep pitches after conquering Bear and you won’t stand a chance.”

With that said — Pichetta has yet to test what it would be like on the climbs without a team. “Unfortunately I have always raced alone in NY, without teammates, let’s say that past experience has served me to be able to identify athletes who could be my allies of the day etc., if I had a team certainly, I would clearly raise the rhythm from the ascent of Bear Mountain to the rest in returning to the finish line.”

Van Aken is predicting his own pain in the upcoming race, but it will not lessen his intent to break four, and without a team will be relying on his conditioning to be his differentiator. “In New York I will be by myself, no teammates, nobody that will help me during the race. I don’t have mountains close to my house so I can’t train for the hilly part, but I have done this in the past as well during stage races, so I know I can climb hills without specific trainings. The only factor that I can control is my physical condition.”

Team or no team, at the end of the day, it’s all about one rider crossing the finish line in under four hours. The ability of that rider to handle the climbs is paramount. Ash felt that how to handle the climbs is an essential part of the strategy. “This is probably the biggest thing. This would be relatively benign feat had you not had a big climb (roughly 10km and 500m) right at the halfway point (Bear Mountain). For instance, if rather than going up and down Bear, that 2000 or so feet of elevation were spread across the first half of the course and 50 people could make it to the finish together — then it would be no problem. However, when you have terrain that makes the race so selective, that the front group shrinks to maybe 20–30 people with that much distance left to go, then that takes a lot of the inertia out of the group. You can’t really say you are going to slow down on Bear to get a bigger group over the top. And there are few people who could sustain that effort and then still be good for 50 miles solo. So, I think it will take a pretty selfless group of 10–20 riders to make it work.”

I think there is a name for a selfless group. Team?

Out of Our Control

It’s important to understand the team dynamic, and how using your energy in a focused way would be key contributors. But let’s remember — these are the things that are within the racer’s control. Anyone who raced GFNY in 2013 or has done a turn at second or third wheel, absorbing the spray of the wheel they are drafting knows that the weather can have an impact. And while it is probably the biggest in-competition factor that is out of your control, is it the only one?

Pichetta looks to the weather as a huge influencer on the ability to break 4 but also points to how the weather suits particular riders. “Surely the weather is a determining factor in the duration of the race, the rain would make the roads more difficult and the pace would be less, wind would help in increasing the pace of the race or facilitate progress, and certainly the athletes. There are athletes more suitable or less suitable for certain weather conditions.”

Ash agrees and adds even more weight to the weather as a factor but recognizes that the strength of an organized group is essential. “To be able to achieve something like this the weather conditions are everything. You could ride along at 500 watts for four hours and get nowhere if you’re getting blasted with wind the whole time. If you have a focused, coordinated group that’s determined to keep the pace high then that’s good. Lots of early attacks could turn the race negative unless it’s a big group that slips off the front. I think if enough people are motivated and the bunch rides the first half fast enough, then a small group could hang on and stick it to the end.” No doubt inspiring a showdown on the final stretch to the GFNY finish line festival.
With a little more pragmatism and continuing to pound physical condition and riding by feel, Van Aken was more worried about the mechanical perils, but recognized how the weather plays in his conditioning. “First of all, a flat tire! If that happens it will be very difficult to get back in the first group. And then the weather, cold and rainy weather is something I don’t like at all, the warmer the better for me! I am not scared about other riders; I just believe in my own strength.”

Not a Single Luxury

Stopping in this effort is tantamount to saying “I give up”. For most racers, it’s not inconceivable that you would stop to refill a bottle, take on more nutrition, or work out a leg cramp quickly before remounting and continuing on. (In some very wild cases, it is rumored that the entire Gavia Cycling team stopped for a coffee in the middle of a race in Italy once — but I wouldn’t know a thing about that). But this, this is different. This is a race for so much. A course record, the top step on the podium, and a cash prize of $10,000. COME ON!

There are none of the luxuries that you would find in watching the riders of the Tour or Giro take on water from the team car, or have a willing group of soigneurs on the side of the road holding musette bags full of food. There is no race radio. If you flat, or drop a chain, you break it — you bought it. You will need to see the gap to know how far it is. If you can’t see it, guess what, it’s too far. How will the riders contend with being full gas for the duration of the race?

“The support of a car or motorcycle gives you peace of mind in case of punctures and certainly of hydration and nutrition. Without that, we need to plan. The day starting early in the morning is not very hot, and I’m not a big drinker, this helps all participants. All the more so in the head of the race where we do not stop at the aid station…” says Pichetta “…for me, 4 mini sandwiches with jam and 2 isotonic SIS gels in the most nervous phases of the race, then counting on having 2 bottles of natural water and a drink that replaces solid food, in the decisive race stages.” Those five GFNY jersey pockets will certainly come in handy.

Ash feels that there will be better luck being at the front with not needing to stop (outside of mechanicals). “My first GFNY in 2017 I spent a lot of time by myself off the front, and due to the amazing volunteers was able to get hand ups pretty easily. If it’s a mild day two big bottles is not ideal but could get you through it. However, if it’s anything like the last two years *fire emoji*.” His optimism continued in his ability to find the right soigneur. “My girlfriend is also under the impression that this should be something that is easy to do and will pay for her engagement ring — so maybe she might be willing to stand out on the side of the road with a musette bag or something.” Hmmm, maybe those five jersey pockets are a better bet.

Making the Big Move

Every race has one. It’s memorable, for the winners and the losers alike. That moment that will be looked back on as the race-changer. The moment of “I should have”, or the moment of “I sure am glad I did”. So how do these racers know when it’s time. Crossing in under four is one thing, but if you are going to do it, you will only bring home the bacon if you do it first. So how do you keep Mr. Wheelsucker from stealing your coin, and your podium spot? “The last 15 km, I have 70% in my favor…” says Pichetta, “…ascents, not too demanding but after the long day can be decisive. If I had a team and then in the final kilometers with one or two team mates, I would raise the pace in the last 15 km, in the last climbs, and I would try to attack about 4km from the arrival. This is where I had attacked when I won the race in 2017.”

Van Aken was more about feel, as he had been with much of the topic. “I don’t know how hard the climbs will be, so I will be racing by my feeling, if I feel good it’s possible I will try something on the last hills or I will wait until the final sprint.” Assuming that he is in a pack of contenders at the final kite. “My biggest goal is to have a good race, with a nice result and who knows in less than 4 hours.”

For Ash, the move is simply to “dive bomb the last corner to get to the front of the pasta line” if that isn’t worth $10,000 after breaking four hours — I don’t know what is. But hey, if that’s the move, he might consider a different strategy for that engagement ring.

The Takeaways

Well if I had to sum it up, the secrets seem to be a good team or organized group. Great weather (working on it), managing the climbs, keeping on top of your nutrition, and finding the right spot to make your move. Wow — it’s kind of like the advice for having anyone’s best GFNY, only faster! I will admit that when I first saw the poll, I was a hard “NO”. I didn’t think it could be done. The outright cruel brilliance of the course, I felt, was prohibitive enough to stop anyone daring enough to try. Reading this back to myself, I know, now, that someone will do it. So here goes my prediction. The winning time at GFNY Championship NYC 2019 — will be 3:52:10. I reached out to every contender that I could find to ask the questions, and while I found truth and wisdom in the words of those who replied, I found something more in the silence of those who didn’t. The race is on, and there are some who would rather not share their strategy or their goal. They will no doubt reveal themselves, that third Sunday in May — right around 10:52:10 AM Eastern Time.

Our Second Italian Job Commences in Tuscany…

by Chris Geiser

Like many sequels, some cast members return, some sadly will be unable to join us. We will meet new friends that we are know are coming from all over the USA, see friends we have met as part of GFNY from Italy, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and Belgium, and no doubt, continue to make new friends as we did in the first Italian Job.
As a diversion to the packing I should be doing, I am here penning the first in the series about what will, no doubt, prove to be another epic GFNY Italia adventure. (Not to worry, I have a REALLY GOOD checklist — https://gfny.com/checklist.pdf ). Some of the group have arrived in Rome already, and some of us travel this evening, some over the weekend. Doing all or part of the camp leading up to the race.

Tom’s morning espresso in Rome. Luis, Jenny, Aleksandra, and Kathleen ready for departure in Newark.

Montepulciano, in the heart of Tuscany, will be the home of the fifth edition of GFNY Italia. Less than a 3 hour drive, Northeast of Rome, we will gather with riders from 36 countries. From the USA, we will be coming from all over the country, Northeast, South, Southwest, and West, converging on Rome over the next 24–36 hours, to start the Saturday afternoon caravan North to Toscana. This is where the Wolf and his Gruppo Sportivo — GFNY Italia, await to guide us on a week long camp leading up to an epic race through vineyards, and over the fabled strade bianche, or white roads of Tuscany.

The anticipation will make it feel like a long drive — but it won’t be.

Percorso Unico (One Course)

Along the rolling and “postcard” view of the roads of Tuscany part of the GFNY Italia course.

Pursuing, as always, the purest possible format in the tradition of Italian granfondo, as is the mission of GFNY, the 2019 GFNY Italia will be a Percorso Unico — one course. While racing season has already gotten underway in Italy, many from outside the area are only now #ridingintoform. With that in mind, the course has been designed to combine the challenges of steep and rolling climbs, three strade bianche (white roads) sectors, and a course length that will place the ratio of climbing to distance at a very tight ratio. WOW — what does that mean? Basically, that while the course is shorter than, say the GFNY NYC Championship course, there is almost as much climbing. “This course is amazing! Most of the roads are very smooth, and the white roads, are not super technical, so you can roll very fast” say Mirko D.P. the GFNY Italia ambassador, and leader of the GS-GFNY Italia ambassador team. “The scenery, though, it feels like a postcard all the time. But listen, there is a lot of climbing, there is not very much flat on the course. It’s climbing and descending. A challenging, but amazing course.”

The course length itself, while not super-long, is the perfect length for those that are just ramping up their racing season, and those of us who have been dealing with what has seemed to be an endless Winter here in the United States, the perfect length course. For those that have already been racing in Italy, and all over Europe, it provides them the chance to go “a tutta” or “all out” from the start and try to form groups to get away from the pack.

The GS-GFNY Italia (Mirko D.P. on the right) “It feels like a postcard all the time”

Keeping it Real, and Short…(to start)

While I had traveled for cycling trips before the first Italian Job in at the 2017 GFNY Italia, that was the race that drove home what a life-changing experience traveling for cycling is. While the cast changes a little bit for the sequel, the story remains the same — new friends, cycling challenges, new experiences, and amazing places. What more could anyone want.

And so without getting too gushy, maybe I will leave you with some photos. I will be taking a long an SLR, a GoPro, and of course my phone to provide lots of photo and video along the way. If you are unable to join us, I hope you will follow along. If you follow along, I hope it will inspire you to get a bike box, pack your bike, and get on a plane to see the world, and race one of 20 GFNY races all over the globe!

We will be missing #Toto, Professori Michele, Don Vito, but making new friends as we go.

Until tomorrow night in Toscana — CIAO!

by Chris Geiser

It would have to be a wormhole. But wormholes are rare. From the minute I learned that GFNY would be reaching across the U.S.A. into the heart of New Mexico, I knew a recon mission would be a requirement. But there would have to be a wormhole…

The best map I could think of to describe it, was the jump-cut map from the movie Repo Man — which starts in Los Alamos — just like Mike! You’ll see!

…and there it was. Boise on Friday, Seattle on Monday. I would have to either stay in Seattle for the weekend, fly all the way home to New York, OR figure out a short hop to Albuquerque to check in on the GFNY Santa Fe route, and see it for myself.

Let’s get one thing straight — we will always advocate for the bringing along of bicycles on trips like this, but the situation I had created left me with several stitched together trips, three airlines, three completely separate itineraries, and very little time to get out to ride. In retrospect I keep kicking myself. But I digress.

I had been teasing the idea to the organizer of the race Mike McCalla. Mike was a pro mountain bike and road racer, and for several years the organizer of the Santa Fe Century. An event that he inherited, Mike created the competitive aspect by introducing chip-timing for interested participants that wanted more than just a century ride. Mike was into having me come out, figuring out some time to drive or ride the course (we drove, please see paragraph 3), and to talk about his life in cycling, bringing GFNY to Santa Fe, and the history and beauty of this spectacular place.

And so, I played it fast and loose with the wormhole, worrying about making the connection in Seattle to get on that flight to ABQ so that I could make the drive to Santa Fe. Until I was sitting on the plane to Albuquerque I barely believed that I would make it. So, I had the entire flight to get hotels and rental cars booked, and off I went.

Beautiful mountain views immediately. The chilies were everywhere — even on the lamp posts!

The logistics were easy — and that’s notable. It’s notable if you are thinking about making the trip. Wherever you are coming from, once in Albuquerque, you are only an hour and fifteen from Santa Fe. Once in Santa Fe, everything is in reach. The art, the architecture, the food, and of course — the cycling.

After a restful night about a 10-minute drive from where I would meet Mike, I grabbed a cup of hotel coffee and set out to Mellow Velo, near the center of Santa Fe so that we could explore the course. It was 8 AM and Mike was waiting for me when I got there. We loaded into one car, hit the espresso shop next door, and got out on our way.

Mike behind the wheel. We quickly rolled through Downtown Santa Fe, and out onto the course.

In just a few minutes we were making our way through Santa Fe, with Mike starting to fill me in on his background, and how he inherited the century ride that he had been organizing over the last few years. Mike is a self-proclaimed “Los Alamos nerd”, with a graduate degree in music, a deep understanding of cycling science, and an encyclopedic knowledge of New Mexico history, customs, and lore. I would learn more about New Mexico today, than I had ever known. But as I heard us chuckling about on the interview recording “it doesn’t really come up that much in New York.” Until now.

The first GFNY in the U.S.A. outside of New York City, the inaugural GFNY Santa Fe, will take on an 81-mile course, with about 7,500 feet of climbing. (130km and 2,300 meters). A challenging course, with a summit finish, at the top of the Santa Fe Ski Basin, just outside of town. As we rolled forward, Mike pointed out some points of interest that included the right turn that would go up to the final climb on the right, the Governor’s mansion on the left, and the first drag of the race up ahead.

“It’s not not really steep enough to be any real selection, but everyone will definitely feel it.” We were rolling now, away from town, and heading on the out of the “out and back” that would encompass the long course. For the short course, Mike’s feeling was that while shorter, it would be no less challenging. “The medio will have 3,300 feet of climbing and will be pretty challenging, as it will be steady, steady work — and you will need to keep working to get through it.”

So as we continued to roll, we started to hit some narrower roads, and some twists and turns. As we went, Mike described the history of each area, and by mile 5 of the course, Mike was rolling us onto Highway 599. “This is not a road we would normally bike on, but it was a great way to make the route, and an easier thing for law enforcement to control on race day. This will be a fast and slightly downhill stretch for 10–12 miles. You can sit in here, and go really fast without putting out a lot of energy.”

Thinking about going fast made me wonder — who was this course made for? Climbers? All-rounders? Roleurs? What would the winning time be?

“To be a winner on this course, you are looking at four hours. And that is fast! A five hour time on this course is absolutely respectable. But the course will reward patience. You can’t go too early and hope to survive the rest of the way. Chances are you will be pulled back during the climbing.”

As we progressed onto Route 14, the juniper forests were pointed out, “very typical landscape and vegetation for New Mexico. You have to get on it here for 30 seconds at a time, but it’s not to taxing here. You sit on the front for a while, and it can become pretty taxing pretty quickly.”

Some slight uphills, but you don’t want to get caught out alone or spend too long on the front out here. Note the smooth road.

On through La Cienega, a small town that runs through the river basin took us to the lowest elevation on the course. (La Cienega literally translates to “the swamp”). With a start at 7,000 feet in Santa Fe, we began to talk a little about the realities of the altitude. With the Santa Fe Ski Basin finish at 10,000 feet, I wondered if acclamation to the altitude would be an issue. “You don’t want to be up here too long”, (before the race), Mike noted, “if you are traveling time zones and getting your body sync’d up, maybe get here a little early. But if you can’t get here until Friday or Saturday, your not losing much physiologically. If you are just here the day before though, you will have some water weight that won’t help you.” Mike agreed, get here Thursday, hydrate, and all will be well.

We got onto some new stretches of road, one with a long and deceptive climb that will be one of the places that you will be rewarded for your patience.

“Realistically with the summit finish the people that are going to win are climbers. But you have to be a climber that is smart and stays out of the wind. A strong, strong, all rounder can do well too. A climber might be a bit punished by the time they get there. If they didn’t do a good job conserving, if they stayed out in the wind a little too much, a climber that wasn’t aero enough in their position. They’re not going to win either. It’s a strong and patient racers race.”

As we made our way through the town of Las Campanas, Mike pointed out where one of the feed stations will be, but it was notable that there were rollers that would be tough to hold a wheel on. While they didn’t present a chance for a clean breakaway, they definitely presented a challenge in staying with a group, and balancing the work of the rollers, with the work of staying with the group. As we kept moving through some of the scenic vistas, Mike noted that New Mexico really deserved the title of “Big Sky” country, more so than Montana. “In Montana the mountain basins and ranges are closer together. We have really big views here, more so than where the mountains are closer together.” As he described this phenomenon, he pointed out that in the spot we were rolling through, we could see all the way through to Colorado.

We turned into a small town, and into a “warm up climb”. Mike noted that, “if there are people with good legs left, and people are getting antsy and waiting all day for the climb, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone lets it rip here — however — if that happens, I wouldn’t panic because the climb that comes right after this is much longer, and much more important. Any gap that forms here is really not that important.”

Scenes from the last selection for the Medio route, and for the last one before the big one on the long route.

It was notable that the weather should not be a factor. With the early start time, and overall speed of the course, most riders should be finished or close to it, by the time any summer heat builds up. On top of that, with the final ascent to 10,300 feet over 15 miles on the final climb to the Santa Fe Ski Basin, the temperature should be quite reasonable. We were about to hit the climb, and it was almost time for lunch. With the great conversation that we were having, and the two hands required to type, take video, and a few still photos, it was easy to ignore the burrito I had grabbed at the espresso shop earlier.

“At this point , you need to be thinking about what is my 90 minute to 2 hour pace, and be patient. No need to go anaerobic here, but you can get close to it. Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing, and stay in a group if you can.

Finally, we were back past the Governor’s mansion and on to the climb. We would pass the famous 10,000 Waves spa a few miles up, and would continue to twist and turn, until we came to the steeper bits. The climb definitely kicks up for a bit, to 8–10%, and for a lengthy stretch. This is where the patience will pay off, and where the final selections will happen. This will be a test for any cyclist, to see how they can challenge themselves over a 15 mile stretch to the sky.

The top of the big climb to the Santa Fe Ski Basin. From this point, it’s a slight dip down, and a rise to the top. And the finish line. RIders can then have a relaxed descent to the finish line festival.

When we are at the top, we can see all the way out. “This is the highest paved road in New Mexico, and one of the top 10–15 paved roads in the country.” From here, riders will have a relaxed descent into the finish line festival. Knowing that they have leveraged their seasonal fitness in race to the sky in New Mexico!

But there is more — so much more — about the Santa Fe recon mission. A giant green chili on a burger, a discussion about cycling and racing with Mike, and a tour of the Canyon Road art gallery scene — please stay tuned!

Find out more at www.gfny.com

Pardon me, Conductor, does this train stop in Drop City?

by Chris Geiser

It was as beautiful a Festivus morn, as I can remember since Seinfeld brought everyone outside of the Costanza household the notion of Festivus back in the innocent days of 1998. Sunny, crisp, I was running late, an still only on my first cup of coffee. Let’s just set that as the theme. Being in a rush. Off the back from the very beginning. Not to be a spoiler, but to be a spoiler, and let you know how it ends. If you follow me on Strava, you already know that I didn’t hang on. But it was Festivus, and not even a trip to Drop City could run the perfect holiday!

Ready for A Train action

Finally arriving at Strictly with 10 minutes to spare, I made the mistake of ordering a cup of coffee. I didn’t even have time for it to cool down before the safety talk had begun, and I had a Facebook Live feed going of Frank’s safety speech. Before I realized how close to the edge that I was, Frank announced that the A group was ready to go:

Where are you heading Thomas?

Up 9W, State Line, Oak Tree, Rail Trail, Kings Highway, Clausland, Rockland Lake…

…and that’s all I got. It would have to do. They were pulling out. I shut down the camera, and threw out the coffee (this was a prize winning cup of coffee by the way — and it physically hurt me to throw it out), and jumped on the SK. I was on the chase already. WIth the group reeled in, by the first mini-hill, and with an unrelenting pace, I was in zone 3 by Pallisades Avenue. 2 kilometers in.

Warm up: Check.

First lifeline — Pallisades Avenue. This is not going well.

Out on to 9W I did my best to stay along. The pros were out today. I could hear the voices from the GFNY podcast echoing that the most experienced riders, don’t feel the need to go off the front and prove themselves. They just tempo out with the ride leader, calm, cool, like they have done this before. This was how it was working today. It was an organized and orderly paceline up 9W. I was yo-yo-ing already. Maybe it was my Saturday ride, maybe it was jet-lag, maybe it’s just that I am not that guy yet. I kept pressing but I could definitely feel it slipping away. After East Clinton, Thomas rode back. He had been turning to check that the group was complete all the way up, but he seemed concerned about me hanging on.

I don’t think I have it today Thomas — please go ahead — I have burned too many matches just holding on.

He advised me on the wind, the right positioning. This would have of course worked to bring along any cyclist who was capable of holding that speed that day. I was not that guy.
Too many matches. I said it again.

You are doing well, you have 100 matches! You can do it!

Great. That will be 2 matches per mile. I will need every one of them. I kept pressing but as the road ticked up slightly toward Kiku, I couldn’t hold the back. Stopped at a light at Pallisades, I could see, but I could not contact the group. As I hit Kiku, they disappeared over the edge, on their way to State Line. They were up and over out of my site. As I got to the bottom of State Line I thought I saw them but I could not be sure. The clock on solo miles was now running. I decided to take the B group route. As I turned left on Oak Tree I realized it was way to cold to wait for the B group. We had left a few minutes ahead, and it would likely be 10–15 minutes of freezing to wait for them, so I pressed on.

Identity — I am an A rider, I ride the A route. I may not hold the group, but I went out on the A route and will return on the A route.

Process — keep pedaling — keep going at the pace that you would hope that you could hold .

Outcome — we shall see.

Over State Line to Bradely. I was chasing back on.

As I hammered through the Rail Trail, I wondered if I was course cutting or if the group had stuck to the plan. Only one way to find out. I emerged from the trail and saw a bike turning on Kings Highway. Not with the group. As I overtook him he held my wheel and made a point of letting me know my chain needed to be oiled. Thanks for that. I took him to the foot of Bradley, and began to climb as he veered off to continue straight. I was winning. Whether I stayed with the group or not, this was the ass-kicking I wanted, the ass-kicking I needed. I started to find a rhythm on Bradley as I made the turn to keep going toward Tweed. As I passed Schuyler my legs hurt from the effort the day before. Glad I wasn’t going that way today. Hmmm…maybe don’t get too happy.

As I rolled up Bradley, halfway up — there they were coming down. A Festivus Miracle that I was able to catch them post climb. Do I keep going, or do I turn and go with them? To think it through, I remembered that I signed up for the group ride, not the ride alone with your principles ride. I turned, and chased on. Lifeline number 2 (although this was a climb cut). As we meandered toward Rockland Lake, and through Nyack, I thanked everyone for regrouping.

Dude you were suffering before the climb….

This was not untrue. I was. And I was continuing to pay the fiddler in trying to hang on. After making it over Toga and down to Rockland Lake with the group, Ari pointed out that I may have had a second wind. We shall see, Ari, we shall see.

Out Lake Road, and over to 303. A beautiful chase over the reservoir — and it was a chase — to Ridge Road. Lifeline number three as Thomas waited to recollect the group at the left turn after the reservoir. We made our way back into Old Tappan and I had to chase several times to keep up.

It was going to be a tough close to the day. But as Peter pointed out — it was an unbelievably beautiful day to be out on a bike. He was absolutely right.

The day itself was a Festivus miracle.

That didn’t mean my own bag of miracles would not run out. As we found our way back to Oak Tree, and climbed the steep kicker from Piermont Road, I struggled to maintain contact. As the group got to 9W a wave of relief came over me. I knew the route home. I would be dropped on the climb. But I knew my way home. But somehow, someway — they crossed 9W and kept going. I was stopped by the light. It was time to solo home.

The road back to Strictly

Too many lifelines. Too many chases. But somehow I was proud of the ride. I couldn’t figure out where and how they had gone. They were not there when I got back. Within 10 minutes or so they had arrived. I could barely move. I missed a few miles and had some catching up to do, and as this is Friday night, it’s almost time to try again on Sunday. Hoping for a New Year’s miracle!

The gang back at Strictly

by Chris Geiser

And so the A-Train beckoned in the first GFNY Group Ride of the GFNY training season. The Fall is mostly behind us, and Winter is upon us. If you had read the last bit about how you only get better when you do things like test yourself on the A-Train, you are probably wondering — did you do it? Did it happen?

 

The usual pre group ride hijinx, brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Gruppo Sportivo members, Erin one of our new riders, and your humble narrator.

December 2, 2018

It happened. Sort of. Ish. It’s complicated. Well, maybe not complicated, but it was wet. With the best of intentions, of putting in my 46 miles, 3 hours, and 2,402 feet required in the commitment I made to myself for the week, I set out to meet the gang at Strictly. I won’t sugar coat it, it was wet. But as my friend Doug told me over the summer, when I offered that we just get on the trainer to avoid the rain “what are you going to do at GFNY Deutschland? You gonna tell them that you don’t ride in the rain, and that if they could pull a trainer up for you, under a tent, you would be happy to complete a workout that merits a finisher medal?”. Maybe Doug wasn’t as verbose as all that. Probably he wasn’t. He wasn’t. But that was his point. And I could hear his point echoing in the hollow chamber underneath my helmet, as we prepared to get on the road.

With Frank Lee leading the A group from Gruppo Sportivo today, I sallied forth and reported for duty. “It will be a tight two-rider pace line once we pass state line. If we are up for it, we can continue to Clausland Mountain Road and do some climbing, and then make our way back. Let’s see how it goes.”

Waiver signed, safety talk attended, and plan in mind, we rolled up Hudson Terrace. Frank was kind enough to lead out, and so we had a nice group of Killer B’s all the way through to State Line. Along the way we splintered into two smaller groups, but I hung with the front until we hit the top of State Line. Along the way, my automated hydration station of the guy in front of me’s fenders spraying water in Ari, and my faces, we didn’t need to drink. Thinking we should bottle that moving forward and sell it as “Pure 9W” — the kids from those hoity-toity bike clubs in the city will pay top dollar for it! As I continued to hydrate, I decided to ease back a little so that I could check my brakes, and so I fell off the back of the group, ever so slightly.

The thing about carbon clinchers (especially the ones that you may be fooled into thinking are tubulars for 48 hours), is that they are a really fast and comfy ride, and wet conditions do not slow them down.

But — here’s the thing. If you want to stop them in the pouring rain — you’ll want to plan ahead.

Having rejoined the group, and phobias about stopping aside, I pulled into State Line with the front group, hoping that we would decide to call off descending, on account of something completely reasonable like “I have a flight later today, let’s just get back, so I can clean my bike before I go….yeah that’s it”… and so we agreed. Since everyone’s clothing items were all 10–20 pounds heavier, we would opt for a savage burn back toward Fort Lee, instead of a continued slog to Piermont and points North.

The two lead groups at the top of State Line. My wipers and defogger were out of commission.

The thing about being the guy who takes the photo, is that while everyone is pulling out, you are putting your phone back in its water-proof hermit cave. That’s a whole 30–60 seconds, depending on how wet your gloves are, how much you try to rush getting your gloves off, and how important it is to you that you have your shit together before you follow.

And so the chase was on! But stop! Let’s set some Metrics for how we will measure tales from the A Train each week:

Distance stayed with the group (prior to being dropped): The number of miles/kilometers I stayed with the group before being dropped and finishing on my own.

Distance ridden solo: How long was the “ride of shame” back to the barn after being dropped. Also expressed as the “A Train Completion Quotient (for instance a 70 mile ride that I was dropped in mile 50, would have an ATCQ of 71%)

Number of Lifelines Used: The number of times I would have been dropped but re-established contact with the group, as they regrouped at the top of a climb, or were stopped/slowed by some traffic condition.

Number of Chases: The number of times that I had to chase down the group, in motion, to maintain contact. This is what we would refer to as a lagging indicator — in more ways than one! This is a reflection of how many times I fell behind and had to spend energy chasing back on. The higher the number of chases, the lower the ATCQ — I guarantee it.

Editor’s note: I am a little bit of a data nut, but more than that, this gives the oddsmakers the KPI’s they need to make reading MacGeiser’s articles more interesting. If you know what I mean. Not that I encourage that kind of behavior.

And so, with the group off and running, it was time to chase back on. But what I didn’t realize was that I was now chasing over the 3 remaining horseman of the fabled Four Horsemen of 9W (with the first being State Line). Our Second Horseman is a real beast, and for my money the worst of the four. Your elation from climbing State Line, which I did not have, combined with the little downhill that leads into it, which I was chasing on, mislead you to thinking it is just a gentle undulation. But I knew the secret, of how to get past this, and started to dip into my toolbox to start catching back on. And it was on.

By Kiku, and the end of the Horsemen, we had just the downhill, full gas, stretches of 9W back to Fort Lee, and so the speed was starting to pour on. I had reconnected with the group, and Ari and I were now working together to maintain. Until of course, Ari took his usual turn and E. Clinton. Wallace and Eddy started to move out ahead, and so it was real work to catch back on to Frank and maintain the pace. With a little pressing I was able to hang in, but as I looked at my Garmin, I realized that my heart rate was bouncing all over the place. Or was it. I slowed to watch it realizing, that, I felt fine. I had slowed just enough to realize that not only was I not watching my heart rate, (was watching my wattage), but that I had lost contact again, and was now chasing again.

With a lifeline at Hillside, I was able to make it back with the group. Success, I guess, except I am not sure we are counting that as an official A Group ride — but in the end it sure felt like one. Scorecard:

December 2, 2018 A Train Scorecard

Distance Stayed with the Group: 21 Miles

Distance Ridden Solo: 0 Miles

Number of Chases: 3

Lifelines Used: 1

ATCQ: 100%

This was a relatively small test, but it was able to shine a light on where I was. The next week would be harder. And through the miracle of the wayback machine — here we are!

December 9, 2018

The rain gone, the road clear, and the sun out — this was a day to ride! It was cold, but not unbearable. With the right layers/preparation, it was downright pleasant. We had a bigger A Train today with some return players from the previous week, in Wallace, Eddy, Ari, and we would go farther and do a little more climbing. Thomas Han was back on board, and he and Frank would alternate as pilot and co-pilot of the group to take us out at a steady pace. It would be 9W, State Line, Oak Tree, Rail Trail, Convent, and climb.

Preparing for the cold! Photo Credit: Frank Lee

There would be no stops, with the exception of the regroup, and we would go back via Nyack, Piermont, and finally 9W past the market and up State Line. We kept a brisk but moderate pace through the State Line descent, and got caught at the light on Oak Tree. There would be two red lights, this one and the one at Piermont Road that split the group, but we regrouped each time, and headed through the rail trail.

Hanging in, but yo-yo’ing ever so slightly, through the convent area, we made the turn toward Greenbush and I was preparing myself for the steep start up Clausland. As we approached the right turn, I geared down to get ready and began to spin a too high cadence in a too easy gear. As we slowed for the stop sign, we got waved straight through by Thomas, and my first chase was on.
Bugger! We were heading for Bradley/Tweed and so I was geared down and needed to chase to the foot of the climb. Heading up Bradley the group strung out. As I kept pace with Ari, I saw Eddy disappearing. “Eddy is either one hell of a climber, or he doesn’t know about Tweed yet”. As it turns out it was a little of both. But now Ari was away, and I was bringing up the rear. By Tweed I should have been officially dropped. Staring an almost exactly 50% ATCQ right in the face. But as I got over the top of Tweed, they were waiting. A regroup at the top had provided me my first lifeline, and the climb would be my first chase.

As we descended into Nyack, past the college we were all congnizant of the 14% grade and the icy runoff that was coating the road. Carefully down, and then up the slight drag to the college, I was off the back again, and chasing. Saved at the red light near 287. Chase 2. Lifeline 2. I was dreading the humiliation of being dropped on State Line and doing the ride of shame across the Four Horsemen. We TT’d through Piermont, through the slalom, up Valentine and back on to 9W. Suddenly, I was not off the back but keeping better pace.

Certainly not with the climbers, but I was holding my own with the group, and up I went. I had decided that 70RPM was my magic number for today. As State Line started to ramp, I had it over 70 and it started to slow. My right hand began clicking. Up and to the left. Up and to the left. Up and to the left, up and to the left. Until I was finally out of gears, but luckily almost out of State Line. Then using the same method on the Second Horseman I was able to maintain my cadence all the way through without giving up every gear and staying relatively mid cassette. My legs howled a bit. But it was short-lived, and I was soon back to giving what I had on three and four, I was over, and heading for the Kiku mile marker. Today would not be a Four Horsemen PR day, but it was enough. I was mid-pack as the front riders were waiting at Kiku, and so I rolled on, knowing it would be an every rider for themselves TT back to Strictly.

Wallace and Eddy were gone. You know the thing with hanging in a group, is that your focus needs to be lazer sharp. Snooz even a little, and you start to lose the wheel. Lose the wheel you lose a few feet at a time. You need to know pickup and make moves, to chase, to yo-yo. Focus is a thing. The group’s apparent lack of sympathy for your lack of focus, is actually only your lack of focus. They don’t have any sympathy because they don’t realize you’re not focused. Mostly because they are focused on the wheel in front of them, and worrying about whether you are focused on them falls to the way side.

I was yo-yo’ing again, and was officially off the back again, when Lifeline 3 kicked in. I caught the group at East Clinton, and hung in the rest of the way. As we pulled away from the light at Hillside, Thomas thought I was bucking to lead. He pushed me out in front, and gave me my 45 seconds of glory on the front of the pack. We passed the C Group on their return, but somehow I hardly noticed as I was trying to keep pace with Frank and Thomas. They were moderately pacing back trying to bring the group back together.

#theseguys — Don Vito with Thomas on the return leg! PHOTO CREDIT: FRANK LEE

Pulling into Strictly with Thomas and Frank sealed the deal. Even though it was later officially termed a “moderate pace” I hung in with the A Train for one more week.

December 2, 2018 A Train Scorecard

Distance Stayed with the Group: 39.73Miles

Distance Ridden Solo: 0 Miles

Number of Chases: 3

Lifelines Used: 3

ATCQ: 100%

The A Train (Left), and the GFNY Post Ride Hijinx (PHOTO CREDITS: FRANK LEE)